Walking back from my last update, I find Sez back at the guest house with Fred and Elaine, two of the girls I was in Kampot with. So together we all pile into a tuk tuk and head out to Angkor Wat to view the sunset in the ancient ruins. This was ultimately dissapointing as it never really happened. Unperterbed, we plan for sunrise the next morning.
Waking up at 4:30 we find ourselves a driver and head out to the 'best' sunrise spot in Angkor. Unfortunately, the local translation of 'best' sunrise was a bit different to mine. We came to the top of one set of ruins and saw an uninterrupted view of the sun rising. Which was nice, however there were no temples or exposed ruins around us. I was hoping to see the first rays bounce a photographers dream amber off a stone carved face, and watch the shadows creep across the ruined stone doorways of crumbling temples.
After sunrise we moved on and did see some amazing temples (would've been fantastic at sunrise...) in different states of decay, with intricate stone carvings etched into the mighty monuments. One of the temple grounds was getting overrun with jungle and vines, this was where Tomb Raider was filmed and also Indiana Jones I think - it was very cool! Although by mid-late afternoon, the magnificence started to wear away to tiredness and we called it a day. I'd seen enough temples for a little while.
That night we decided a drink was in order - fortunately the locals were of the same opinion and the night quickly spiralled into crazy Cambodian dancing, adopted babies (don't ask) and general merriment. Little did I know I would face the horror that is travelling to Ko Chang the next day.
From 7am we went through 9 modes of transport and an open torrential rain border crossing - all of us meanwhile caked in mud from an earlier wayward bus. We got through this to find we were too late to make it to Ko Chang anyway and would need to spend a night and another bus/boat/taxi combo in the morning before we would arrive.
We eventually do arrive, and find Ko Chang to be one step ahead of the monsoon as the rain came thick every day. However it was nice and relaxing - sitting in the open bars - eating, drinking and watching the rain over the ocean with a good group of friends - Esther had joined us again at this stage. Not to mention some good parties and of course the obligitory beach fire shows.
This was nice for a few days, however the limiting effect of the rain combined with my still not being allowed to swim, led me to get up early one morning and leave a note for the others, telling them I'd see them when they got into Bangkok in a few days.
Arriving in Bangkok I immediately make plans for the doctor, hoping for a good prognosis on the ear. This wish was granted and was then followed by my chance meeting with Fred and Elaine again. So, again this called for celebration - a night ensued in which the dancefloors of Bangkok were burning with some of the best dancing its seen in years (is it true your perception is slightly different when inebbriated??)
The next day the gang expanded with Sez, Esther, Mark and Erik arriving - again, the bars of Bangkok were subject to more merry tomfoolery. In the morning over a few coffees, I decide it must be time to move on - the question was to where? My planned trip to Sri Lanka for the wedding was squashed, as the airport half closed due to Tamil attacks and the remaining flights bumped up their prices and filled quickly. The rest of the current gang was splitting up in different directions and I felt it was time to go my own way again. Oscillating between Africa and Eastern Europe I eventually settle on Poland and traversing overland through Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia into Russia. That is the current plan - lets see how it actually pans out...
