Angkor and Thailand

Yes it's been a while. Cambodia is now behind and so are the temples of Angkor. Have to say that place is massive! Frankly when you have to bicycle 8 hours to see just a glimpse of it all even though the temples are more or less 10 minutes from each other it kinda makes me feel small. The place was crowded not so much by tourist as I thought but the constant hassle with the tuk-tuk drivers was getting to me. Jungle covered temples that have been literally swallowed by the trees and the musky air over there was getting me into the Indiana Jones groove. We took a car out to see one temple that was kinda out of the and the ride over there took over one hour but at the end it was worth it. The temple was absolutely stunning and unlike in the main tourist area here you could really jump and climb around the collapsed walls and roofs. Kick ass time continued every night at Siem Reap with the other travelers with cheap bear and good card games :).



When it was time to go to Bangkok we knew what we were facing. A road of complete rubble and utter madness that last for a good 4 hours of the first part of the journey. This is a road everybody has to do once in their lives and after that you don't complain ever again. From Siem Reap to the border it's just a dirt track with a scatter of bombed potholes, drilled manholes and is probably maintained by a few holes of the different kind as well.



Bangkok is the major meeting point and epicenter of any trip through SEA and should not be missed even though it has a reputation of being a bit of a tourist trap.. well at least khao san road. That road really is something. It has the lights of Las Vegas, The noise of Delhi and the drunken people of every western country imaginable. Tuk-tuk drivers are crooked as can be and with the number of t-shirts on sale on that street you could sort out the Red Crosses clothing campaign for the next few years. Ping Pong games to your right, pimped out rickshaws to your left and cheap street food in your face! Got to love it. Me and Sas visited a few big ass markets and I took the liberty to go see a Thai-boxing match on one of the main stadiums the town has. Naturally I get the seats in the cheapest stands where of course all the locals go too. The boxing is intense but so is the betting that goes on in the crowds. Men raising and lowering their hands, sign language with the fingers and thousands of bath exchanging owner every 30 minutes. Good fun indeed.



As for the beaches, yes I've seen some damn good ones. First we stayed two weeks at Sas's friend with a rooftop terrace, own swimming pool... I could go on but you probably know whats coming next. Anyway we took the bike out to explore the island and this is a island you definitely need a motorbike of some sort to get around. Incredibly steep hills and long distances in the immense heat is something you don't want to experience walking. As for the beaches. They are just amazing! I have never in my life seen such clear water nor had the bath sensation in open water. It really is too hot to feel refreshing. These two weeks were definitely needed to drain the wanderers encumbrance that had accumulated since leaving Hanoi.



Since we were in the area and the moon was in the right position we decided to go see the full moon party in Koh Phangan. How does one stick about 5000 people on to one strip of sand and turn it to a party known throughout the world? I have no idea but it damn it is one hell of a party. Decided not to bring the camera to the big party in fear of stealing so I leave you with a picture of the swing by our bungalows overlooking the sea, Koh Samui and a full moon.



More pictures at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/timo.laaksonen/