So since leaving Vang Vieng (the last blog) we have covered some distance. We left Vang Vieng Friday lunch time and arrived into Vientiane that evening for a disappointing stay (whilst there though I did have a clip of the barnet!). Vientiane is certainly a laid back capital, its horizontal! Apparently until two years ago the main high street was a mud road. We never planned to stay there long, and our first impressions soon confirmed our plans to move on swiftly.
So we departed Vientiane Saturday afternoon on our 24 hour dash to Siem Reap, Cambodia – through Thailand!.
We first travelled to the Lao boarder (1 mini van) to cross the friendship bridge (a bus) into Thailand. Once we had more stamps in the passport we took a(nother) bus to the train station once we had convinced the tuk-tuk drivers we didn’t need a tuk-tuk!! Here we boarded a train far less comfortable than our Chinese & Russian experiences for an overnight train to Bangkok. Yet again we were just passing through Bangkok (as we had from HK -> Islands) and arrived at 06:00 Sunday morning felling tired, dirty, sweaty, did I say tired? We were half way.
Once we had organised some (luxury) accommodation (http://www.goldenbanana.info) in Siem Reap @ Bangkok station we took a taxi from hell from the train station to the northern Bangkok bus station. But first the taxi driver decided to show us the eastern station after speeding down the city streets, screeching up to lights and driving like a mad-man!
Once at the desired bus station we bought tickets for a 5 hour bus ride to the Thai/Cambodia border where we had to walk the gauntlet. Honestly, from getting off the bus we were hassled for another tuk-tuk to the actual border, whilst on route they attempted to take us for the supposedly advanced visa to which we replied “drive on”…at the border a “government official” who’s company card (contradicting?) was shown tried walking us through no man’s land (where there were umpteen casino’s?) and then we got hit for the Cambodian visa – i.e. lined some officials (or unofficial) pocket. Once inside Cambodia (by 10 feet) we where then further subject to the “government official’s” attention to arrange a taxi for us into Siem Reap.
After some huffing & puffing we were then in a taxi doing 90km/h down a mud, rutted track to Siem Reap for 3 hours of bone shaking, stomach turning driving. And to finish it off, we were dropped at the outskirt of town for another tuk-tuk to our pre-arranged hotel – thank god we had done that!
So, after 24 hours, 3 countries, 1 mini van, 1 train, 3 buses, 2 taxis & a tuk tuk we had reached the comfort of Siem Reap’s Golden Banana B&B – it was lush – first job shower…it didn’t work 
But after being told to turn on the booster pump we were away! Clean & somewhat refreshed at last!
Now, if you are tired/exhausted reading this – then you are 10% towards feeling how we did! We popped out for dinner to be introduced to the Cambodian problem – poor people, especially children. We were approached at dinner by a 13 year old lad, who spoke excellent English (well done Adele), knew the last five British PM’s, population of GB, London & Scotland and beat me at noughts & crosses so I had to pay $8 for a book of his.
Time for bed.
