Walking across the border from Cambodia to Thailand

It took us 30 hours on the bus to get from Siem Reap, Cambodia to home (Nai Yang, Thailand).

True, a couple of those hours were spent standing in the long, hot line at the Cambodian border, transferring by mini-bus, pick up truck and foot between bus stations. Then the “night bus” turned out not to be a night bus at all, but a regular bus, which means we sat up all night. It was also advertised as “direct” to Phuket. Not so much. We all grumbled as we were pushed off of the bus before five in the morning in Surat Thani, shuttled across town and then left to wait for another pick up truck shuttle to yet another bus. This one a “local bus”. Very local.

Needless to say, we’re glad to be home.

Standing on the street in Bangkok after dark, wolfing down a kebab and rushing the kids through their sticky rice I was beginning to wish we’d booked a hostel for the night instead of back to back busses.

Our kids love to stay in hostels, and they’re often the cheapest option for us. With six of us, we manage to get one room to ourselves for far less than the price of hotels in the first world. Hannah was grumbling about the bus and wishing for a “real bed” as she tried to settle in on the bus. Even a shared bunk room with 12 strangers would be better than this; it was a nightmare hostel on wheels. These were the that plagued me between the fitful snatches of sleep that I managed as we dodged potholes and shuffled passengers on and off, over and around.

Being us, we picked up three Canadian backpackers on the bus, we shared the last pick-up truck ride with them to our village and suggested some hostels on the beach to them. They’re coming tomorrow evening to join us for dinner.

It’s all seeming much better now. Now that I’ve showered, and we have been to the market. The kids unpacked, started laundry and sorted out the trip mess while Tony and I were out paying for the motorbike rent and buying a watermelon. It’s good to be home!