So, we debated, discussed, deliberated and decided to take the 12 dollar bus from Siem Reap to Bangkok. Oh the joy of being on one bus, no transfers and no worries of making connecting buses or trains....little did we know the journey ahead of us.
The day began with a strong rain storm that made the alley outside our hostel into a mud pond. I walked out hestitantly to the bus which was waiting on the corner and boarded the bus to see a bunch of tourists, from all over, popping their heads above their seats to check out the new suckers to board the bus, which was probably made and recalled in the mid 1970's.
As I was settling in to my seat, the bus started to pull away leaving Muenca916, no where to be found, I ran to the bus driver, who spoke no english paniced that they left behind Muenca at the hostel. "NOOOOO, leave no man behind!!!!"
Asked the driver again to go back to get my friend..."my friend, not here" I don't get it why I was repeating it, as if the man would magically understand the meaning for those words if I repeat it a thousand times. (Details on Muenca916's adventure through mud and motobikes I leave to her to explain...)
After picking up Muenca from another corner pick up spot, we were on our way, the wheels on the bus go round and round....round and round.....round and round....that is until one hour later when the driver pulled off. At first I thought it was a bathroom break, but ten minutes, twenty minutes passed and all the passengers quickly realized something was amiss. The mud on the streets (well techincally its not really "streets", just mounds of soil that has been flattened daily by big bulky machines. which when it rained made it became a big mud trap, trapping even the biggest and baddest vehicles.) had messed up the tire. Think, My Cousin Vinny, mud in tires.
One hour later, back on the road for 20 minutes before we took a lunch break. One hour later, the wheels on the bus went round and BANG!!!! One tire popped! sounded like a gun shot and we were left on the side of the road, for the assistant driver to try to fix it. 45 minutes later, we were on the road for another 10 minutes, before getting to a tire station, and then drove for one more hour....
And that was just to get out of Cambodia boarder. When we got to the boarder, I felt like we had won an endurance game....9am departure, 4pm arrival to the Poi Pet boarder, departing to Bangkok, arrived at 9:30pm.
12 hours on a bus....one grumpy, square booty crumpled up traveler....I think I could have walked faster...perhaps.
