Cabin Fever in Cambodia

(Sept. 30-Oct. 2) Cabin fever caused us to flee Cambodia. We literally had no choice. It was that or the looney bin and neither of us looks good in a straight jacket. After two fume filled diesel bus rides down to the beaches in southern Cambodia from Siem Reap we were welcomed there with black clouds and blankets of rain. The rain was compliments of a typhon that battered the coast of Vietnam. Our dreams of lounging on the beach were literally washed away.

What made us go batty was the scooter drivers that posted up in front of our guest house. We were staying literally across the street from the beach and as soon as we would even attempt to leave the guest house we would be bombarded with offers for a ride somewhere. "Uh no thanks, we're off to the beach. It's right across the street in case you haven't noticed," I would mutter the latter part underneath my breath. It was mentally torturous to be so close and yet so near and to have all the other cliches like pouring salt on the wound running through my mind. Alot ran through my mind during those few days we were cooped up.

So bright and early Monday morning, on the back of two over priced scooters, we secured visas from the Vietnamese Consulate and made tracks for the border. Cambodia is like a pie and everyone and I mean everyone gets a piece one way or another. Our scooter drivers were not very pleased that we didn't want them to take us to see their magnificent "waterfall" so they got their cut from the taxi driver they arranged to take us to the border. The border run took four hours and two different taxis. We were accompanied by random passengers that the second taxi picked up along the way. "Ok, sorry?" He would say as they slipped in the co-pilot seat. Our spirits were buoyed by the fact that we had left sad southern Cambodia so to give someone a lift was not a problem. We literally entered Vietnam through the back door driving on dirt roads in a car where the driver sat on the right and tried to pass on the left in rain that came down in mythical proportions.

We felt so good by the time we got to Vietnam we decided to shot the moon and head all the way to Saigon. The taxi driver dropped us off at the border and our only way into a town, where we'd catch a bus to Saigon, was via scooter. Matt played hard ball and got the Taxi Godfather to come down a bit in price. We read that all foreigners get overpriced for transport. It's considered lucky if you only pay double. Whatever we paid the scooter guys to Chau Doc was worth it because the ride into town was death defying. I had to constantly remind myself to stay focused on where I was and what I was doing. May seem strange that you have to tell yourself these things, but concentration is key to surviving a backroad scooter ride. Also, I've learned not to look ahead at on coming traffic. Ignorance is bliss.

Instead of dropping us off at the bus terminal the scooter guys took us to a travel agent. After a good deal of hand wringing and nervous laughter Matt was able to widdle them down to a price we could at least stomach. We had a ticket with seat numbers but that's all we knew about our ride to Saigon. Knowing how long or had bad the road was beforehand may or may not have made a difference to our mental states. Being in the dark both literally and figuratively was better than anticipating the hell we had in store for us. Eight hours later after changing buses, taking a ferry and driving 5 mph over pot holes the size of craters we made it to Saigon. My life only passed in front of me once on the scooter ride as a semi pulled out in front of us at a round-about. Traffic circles are a fraction safer than four way intersections. Vehicles are at least attempting to turn in a traffic circle whereas intersections is just a gauntlet of cars racing to cross through first. Reminds me of the Match Box Race Car tracks where multiple cars loop around a figure eight and eventually they collide at the intersection, only here magically people don't crash. At least not that I've seen with my eyes open.

Saigon was well worth the trip, however I could go a lifetime without ever having to think about the road from Chau Doc again.