Day 62: Slug is hit by a motorbike and I'm off to Cambodia

Walk into the room at 5am to find Snake butt naked, in my bed ... what the what? Snake wake up! Yo snake, wake up - get out of my bed. Groggily he looks around, realizes he's in the buff in my bed, rolls over to go back to his. I spot his boxers on the ground, toss them at him, don't forget these. Apparently he thought it would be a gas to jump in my bed naked thinking I was 5 minutes behind the group when they passed me in the lobby. I was 30 minutes behind, he passed out, thus turning a funny joke into an awkward situation - and no Snake was not the 40 year old awkward bloke from earlier that night.

Awake at 11, we got checkout pushed back to noon, now wishing we had pushed for 2. We look around, somethings missing ... it's Slug. All of his stuff is here, but he never came home last night, hmm. I'm hungry, let's go eat, maybe he'll return before we get back. We head out, down the main road, towards our favorite eatery. Just before we arrive, who do we see, Slug making his way back to the resort. Exchange a few words, he still has to pack, we will see him shortly. Eat and return, to find Slug packed up but looking very somber. What's up Slug? "Right after I left you on the main road I was walking about when I heard someone yelling. I turned just in time to be clipped by this Thai guy on a motorbike, which then sent him onto the pavement and his head then hit the back tire of a passing truck. I thought he was dead, he had blood coming out of his ears and eyes. I was in shock, did not know what to do, a crowd gathered, I walked over by the gathered women, said what should I do? Do you need my info? He hit me, I was on the edge of the road, I promise. I thought they were going to arrest me or beat me up, but one woman came over and said he smelled of alcohol. He was drunk driving, it's not my fault, to go home. Another guy staying here at Coral also saw it all and said it was the Thai guys fault, that he would testify if need be. I just felt helpless and thought someone died, but he started to move and a truck came with stretcher, they put him on the truck and took him away. It was just so awful." I stand with mouth agape, unreal. So sorry bro, clearly was not your doing. The other guys enter, story repeated, now 4 other mouths wide open. Crazy.

Say my farewells to Max Brannan, Snake, Slug, Costa, and No-Nic as the taxi takes me off to the ferry. I paid 1400 baht yesterday for a ticket to Siem Reap, Cambodia with all transfers included. It begins with the taxi picking me up 5 minutes late, no biggie, then we drive maybe 500 meters to where I bought the ticket, and stop, "5 minutes". No reason why, the drivers goes inside, probably sits in the aircon and sips a cold one while I sit in the back bed of the pickup truck in 95 degree heat, sun pounding down ... Just waiting ... And waiting. Finally he jumps back in, no explanation, and we are off to the Songserm pier. They stamp my paperwork, tag a sticker on me, hand me some other paperwork, and it's off to another waiting area. I think this is becoming a theme. No worries, as long as I'm out by midnight tomorrow, I'm golden. Otherwise my visa expires and they charge me 500 baht per day over, about $20usd. 

The 2:30 ferry leaves around 3, it's a slow one, meet Michko from NYC on the boat, and we chat it up until we nod off. We port around 6ish, walk to the main building and get in line for my bus ride. They give me bus 2, the 9pm one. Ok, so where is the bus station for pick up? "You wait here." a cold concrete building, with 4 tables 16 chairs, tile floors, and a good 100 people. They are serving fried rice and snacks inside, my only option to quench my hunger. 2 hours later, bus 1 comes, clears out most of the joint. Then th rains come, torrential downpours, high winds, and I think, I'm so glad I'm not on a boat right now. My British crew from Koh Tao all left tonight for Phuket and Phi Phi on the slow boat to Suratani. Suckas! 9:15 and our bus shows up as a second storm rolls through, perfect timing. We make a break for it in the rain, bags getting soaked, boarding the bus looking like wet dogs, wait, there's other people on here. Apparently, it's first stop was 4 hours back, we are the second pick up, all heading to Bangkok. I snagged the front seat next to a Chinese kid who clearly spoke no English. I told him to wake me if I squeeze him too tight, I tend to snuggle in my sleep. The humor was lost on him but not an Irish dude across the isle, Nigel. Asked the bus people what movie they'd be playing, none, it's too disturbing for those trying to sleep. It's not even 10pm, come on grandpa. Gave up, gave in, popped an ambien, reclined my seat, readied myself for 8 hours of bus sleep. At midnight, the bus people shook me, "you go eat". I'm not hungry, I'm sleeping. "We stop, you go eat." Ok already, a movie at 9:30 is disturbing but shaking a grown man out of heavy REM is not? Where am I? Enter the roadside food market, Not hungry enough for a meal, but now that you mention food. Grab a Magnum ice cream bar, chat with Nigel and head back to the bus. My Chinese seatmate is already situated, I again recline, shut my eyes, saw logs. 

Nite nite from the iPhone blogger.