I wish I could say the 11-hour bus trip back to Phnom Penh from 4000 Islands was speedy and uneventful. Alas.
First of all, we had to meet on the pier before 8 am to take the ferry back to the mainland. They then had us wait in the bus station for 2 hours, since the buses didn't leave until 10. I mean, it's always good to plan ahead and leave a pocket of time, but wtf, 2 hours??
So, finally on the bus, we sat there for another hour while they checked our tickets ad nauseum.
Our bus driver got on and was just like, Sorry, I've never driven this route before. I have no idea what they're doing. I guess this is a Lao thing, where they just check your tickets a lot.
Does not inspire confidence.
Eventually we got on our way...and drove to the border. Crossing it was another matter. I've had some shitty border crossings in my day, but this was definitely up there.
First, they make you buy a quarantine sheet for a dollar. Like seriously, it's just some useless public health statement that you pay a dollar for. It's not present at any other border, just on the Lao-Cambodia border. They were pretty insistent that I take one though.
Then I got inside to the line, and two guys are checking 100 of us into the country. One guy got into an altercation with one of the border guards, I have no idea about what...there were no instructions, so I wound up standing in the wrong line for about 15 minutes before shouting at people.
Finally, I got inside the country (they were very weird about my passport because of all the visas inside it; I was slightly worried I'd be refused entry).
Well, I bought some fried rice, just as the bus was pulling away (I mean I got on it, but I didn't have time to eat).
We hadn't been driving more than an hour when I was slammed forward by the bus jamming on its brakes...we then swerved sharply to the left...I thought we were going over the guardrail. I looked out my window, and all these cows were tumbling across the road, picking themselves up, and bolting. I looked behind, and a cow lay in the road. The stupid animals, for reasons unknown, decided to run as a herd in front of the bus.
Anyway, I didn't die, but a cow did. The front bumper of the bus was semi-dissembled. Between all these mishaps, I made it home around 11pm that evening and simply walked to my house and collapsed on the bed.
And that was my trip to Laos. I get the sense that Cambodia doesn't want me back...
Anyway, that was a unique bus trip. They're not typically that weird. Be careful on the road, guys.
First of all, we had to meet on the pier before 8 am to take the ferry back to the mainland. They then had us wait in the bus station for 2 hours, since the buses didn't leave until 10. I mean, it's always good to plan ahead and leave a pocket of time, but wtf, 2 hours??
So, finally on the bus, we sat there for another hour while they checked our tickets ad nauseum.
Our bus driver got on and was just like, Sorry, I've never driven this route before. I have no idea what they're doing. I guess this is a Lao thing, where they just check your tickets a lot.
Does not inspire confidence.
Eventually we got on our way...and drove to the border. Crossing it was another matter. I've had some shitty border crossings in my day, but this was definitely up there.
First, they make you buy a quarantine sheet for a dollar. Like seriously, it's just some useless public health statement that you pay a dollar for. It's not present at any other border, just on the Lao-Cambodia border. They were pretty insistent that I take one though.
Then I got inside to the line, and two guys are checking 100 of us into the country. One guy got into an altercation with one of the border guards, I have no idea about what...there were no instructions, so I wound up standing in the wrong line for about 15 minutes before shouting at people.
Finally, I got inside the country (they were very weird about my passport because of all the visas inside it; I was slightly worried I'd be refused entry).
Well, I bought some fried rice, just as the bus was pulling away (I mean I got on it, but I didn't have time to eat).
We hadn't been driving more than an hour when I was slammed forward by the bus jamming on its brakes...we then swerved sharply to the left...I thought we were going over the guardrail. I looked out my window, and all these cows were tumbling across the road, picking themselves up, and bolting. I looked behind, and a cow lay in the road. The stupid animals, for reasons unknown, decided to run as a herd in front of the bus.
Anyway, I didn't die, but a cow did. The front bumper of the bus was semi-dissembled. Between all these mishaps, I made it home around 11pm that evening and simply walked to my house and collapsed on the bed.
And that was my trip to Laos. I get the sense that Cambodia doesn't want me back...
Anyway, that was a unique bus trip. They're not typically that weird. Be careful on the road, guys.
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