Kris and Terry disappeared early this morning to sort out the dive boat for today's diving, Sheana got Ty ready for school and they disappeared about 8.30 leaving me to do anything I pleased. What a good holiday this is turning out to be already. First port of call was the pool. I was the lone swimmer and sun-worshipper for a good two hours, then a lovely guy called John from London and his Thai wife Emmatipi arrived. She was on her way to have her hair and nails done, a past time John said was beyond him and so he joined me in the sun ritual of 10 minutes in the sun, 5 in the pool, roll over!!
By 11.30 however it was simply too hot and I retreated under the palms trees to read. Emma had returned by then and after a quick chat about children, life and the universe (as one does) they had left for their condo and the pool was deserted again.
When I had arrived in Thailand I had sort of expected Kris to have a rough idea of what our plans were to be, after all it was his friends we were staying with and he had lived in Asia for the past year and a half. But as I said in the beginning this is Kris we are talking about and things never quite work out as first anticipated but they do always work out! With this thought in mind I got out the map of Thailand, my book on Cambodia and my note pad. Apparently Kris's plans had gone no further than meeting me and seeing Terry and Sheana! He had no idea how we were going to get to Vietnam but we did have to be in Nha Trang by Monday as he was expected back at work!! 7 Days to cross two countries!!
It was a pleasant way to spend a day – the sun was shining, the air temperature under the trees was blissful, the pool water was warm and heating up every time I went in, the books I was reading were informative and I am in my element when planing adventures. By three that afternoon I had a route to Ho Chi Ming City (Saigon) established. Day1= We would leave in the morning and head for Trat. This would take us close enough to the border to get us to Koh Kong in Cambodia. Day 2 = we should be able to cross the border by lunchtime giving us time to rest and explore Koh Kong for a day. Day 3= From Koh Kong there is a the boat to Sihanoukville which would be fun in itself and should give us a day on the beach when we got there. Day 4 and a quick 3 hour bus ride to Vietnam Embassy in Phnom Penh as Kris apparently didn't have a valid visa back into Vietnam! (this is Kris we are talking about remember so nothing now surprises me) then we should make the boat up the river to Seim Reap. Day 5 would give us a whirlwind tour of the ruins and the boat back to Phnom Penh to collect Kris's Visa in the morning of Day 6 before we caught the Border Bus to Ho Chi Minh. Day 7 in Saigon followed by the night bus to Nah Trang arriving at 6am Kris starts work at 7.30. It was close but do-able!
Feeling very pleased with myself and well rested from my day at the pool I returned to the house for a shower. Ty was home from school and under the watchful eyes of his nanny was playing with the children next door. Washed and changed I headed out of the complex to explore the area, I dutifully informed someone where I was going – well Ty actually asked me, but reassured that I was coming back he said he would tell Mommy and returned to his play! As I approached the gates I did have a slight pang of unsurity as to where I would end up in my wanders and how I would get back if I did become disorientated, so I got the boys on the gate to write the address down in Thai so if I did get lost I could just get in a taxi! By the time I had finished explaining what I wanted and we had sorted out what the actual address was – honestly they had to go ask the taxi boys down the road which involved three guards, four moto boys and a shopkeeper! - I felt I could overcome anything and I set off full of confidence and joy.
The time was now about 3.30 and a slight breeze was coming down the road from the sea. Everywhere I have been in Asia is the same but different. A row of neat terrace houses, manicured lawns, golden alters outside fashionable boutiques lie alongside falling down electricity poles sheared up by other poles, wastelands, building sites that would horrify health and safety and small shacks running any and every businesses you could possibly imagine.
I walked down to the beach which I had been told lay at the end of my road and turned left. Jomtien Beach, as I now know it to be called, is so much quieter than the Main Beach to the North. Yet even here the contrasts excel themselves. Empty lots filled with rubbish, impromptu camp sites and tiny shacks stand next to huge 45 story complexes with formal dressed guards, fountains and immaculate driveways.
I strolled down the road for about a mile then crossed to the beach to walk back. Ladies selling crabs, squid on sticks, fruits, nuts and so many other things I did not recognise nor dared to ask about, strolled up and down. There was none of the hard sell that is so present in India. A polite question answered by an equally polite 'No Thank You' and they walked away.
The sun sets incredibility fast this close to the equator, so it was getting dark as I returned to the complex (without the aid of a taxi). I arrived just in time to join everyone for a dusk swim in the pool, a quite unusual experience as the water was now at a comfortably hot bathwater temperature and the water in the shallow pool was hot hot! Kris and I had a few races up and down the pool but trying to swim lengths in water that temperature proved impossible so we all just floated around instead. As we were getting out Terry announced that the following evening he was doing a night dive if anyone wanted to join in! Kris's face lit up and I watched my carefully planned route fly out of the window. To stay an extra day meant loosing Sein Reap and the famous Ankor Watts but as this was also Kris's holiday and his only chance to see Terry and Sheana - who was I to object.
Pizza was ordered for our evening meal, conversations flowed and much earlier than the previous evening we retired to bed.
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