Thailand and Cambodia

Sorry it's so long. Shut up, Kel.

December 25-26

So we were supposed to arrive in Bangkok at 2 pm. By we, I mean Katie, Tay and I. Well, we did. But I have to say that this is the only part of our Christmas Day trek that turned out the way it was supposed it. We then took a bus to the Eastern Bus Terminal that took 45 minutues. Wrong. Supposed to. Ours took us 2 hours. No worries, we'll just catch our bus to Rayong to meet up with some friends for the night. Bus leaves at 6. Perfect, it's 6:05.

Since Rayong wasn't really an option any more we decided to head down to Trat for the night before catching the ferry to Koh Chang where Kelly and Charissa were waiting for us. 5 hour bus ride later. Arrive at the creepiest bus terminal in all of Thailand. I'm not making this up... the stranger we made friends with told us so. But he also told us of Jane's Place where we could spend the night. So, after being dropped at JAME PLACE (close enough right?), we decide that we should just sleep our troubles away. No door. Pretty sleepless night.

We awake to realize that the world actually doesn't have a personal vendetta against us. We had a door all along. It was just hiding. With a cockroach in the toilet and a dollar fruit smoothie to send us on our way we headed to Koh Chang. And we were there... minus the 2 hour wait about 10 minutes from our resort, as we had to wait at the second ferry landing for more taxi passengers. Then we were there. Finally.

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December 26-31

2 scooter rides around the island.

5 dinners on the beach.

7 fire dancers in love with Jana.
2 nights dancing at an empty club.

5 new friends. The best.

1 whole day snorkeling, 4 different islands, 2 South African friends, 0 anenome attacks.

2 hours on the back of Milo the 9 year old elephant.

3 times I was afraid Milo was going to drown me during our swim.

4 roti desserts. So good.

50 helpings of pineapple for breakfast with Dr. David.

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December 31-1

Cambodia

I will never be the same
So broken, yet so hopeful

I'll be back

To love in any capacity

I can't wait

I spent the first part of New Years Eve dancing around a table with the Cambodian people, falling in love with the sweetest 2 year old who ran into my arms, eating vegetables, and realizing that I never want to leave.

The second part of New Years was a little crazier. Meeting Katie, Tay, Chris and Jordan at Pub Street, which was so full you could hardly walk through it. More dancing, more eating. Lots of laughing. We came back about ten minutes before midnight but I wanted to go back out because Katie, Chris and Tay had stayed out. Maurie, Simone, and some other people were heading to cara-kay (which after some discussion I realized to be karaoke), so Jordan and I had them drop us off at Pub Street again. Proceed to shout Happy New Years with everyone, and not find our friends. Oh well, Jordan goes home and I hop on the back of a taxi-scooter. Side-saddle of course because that's how ladies ride.

I arrive back at Ta Som Guesthouse only to just meet Katie, Tay and Chris coming to meet us. Perfect. Back to Pub Street for some 3 hours of dancing. So fun! (which also happens to be the name of one of our guesthouse friends - Sofun).

Hop in a Tuk tuk on the way home. Easy enough right? Apparently I shouldn't trust people as much as I do. Whoops. Scared my mom with this story. Let's just say I made it home after some persuasion. "I'm a very strong-willed girl."

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January 1

After 1 hour of sleep, and a very cold tuk tuk ride to Angkor Wat, we are there finally watching the sun come up over the temple. The best start to a new year if you ask me. Hard to beat the entire day actually. 13 hours later, after exploring ruins, swinging on vines, getting lost on the TOP of a temple, talking with the Cambodian children, lots of pineapple, and singing the Indiana Jones theme song who knows how many times - on the top of the hill watching the sunset over miles and miles of Cambodian beauty.

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January 2-3

Head back to Bangkok. Exploring, finding Chinatown, sitting in the street, eating amazing food, having great conversations.

Stay up all night in the airport - "this is the worst idea ever." Too cold to sleep inside. Sleep on the pavement outisde. Hop on the plane back to snowing Korea.

So much change in 10 days.