The day before, I tried to book a ticket to Cambodia for the next morning but no company would let me do it. They all said it was full and it was pretty expensive in the end. I just slept on the idea that I will find a solution… Later.
After a swim in the sea around 10 am, I decided that I wanted to go to Cambodia NOW.

I just had the time to check out and without realizing it, I was in a taxi truck direction Trat. I met two girls who gave me a ticket for the ferry for free (you don’t resale things in Asia if you have extra stuff, you give that to other travelers). Somebody asked me where I was going on the other side. I said Cambodia. He didn’t look happy with my answer… They maybe don’t see a lot of travelers passing the border with their own way and especially that late. All the mini vans were leaving Trat to Siem Reap really early in the morning. Everybody I met that day tried to discourage me from going there as it was a long way to go to the frontier and the check point was closing at an uncertain hour…

I thought that I would figure out something and I reached the bus station after a trip in a taxi truck. Again. 

There, two people directed me to a little stand. You never know what is official and what is a scam. You usually give a destination to anybody in the bus station and they all scream at each other, find somebody who can speak English who guides you to a small table where somebody eating sells you tickets to wherever you want to go. Usually there is 5 people around you, just observing you and watching the scene. You get use to it, it’s sometimes really funny to be the attraction of the locals. I remember once waking up in the train, with three girls watching at my ass obviously amazed to see that part of my body way more bigger than theirs. I just couldn’t stop laughing when they realized with horror that I noticed their stare. I even make babies cry in small villages sometimes. I must be scary with my hippie skirts and my huge camera! It’s most of the time pure curiosity and I accept that as I am traveling there because I was curious too! It always ends with a big laugh and everybody happy. The power of smiling…

The little lady sitting behind the desk told me that the only bus to Siem Reap left in the morning already and that I had to take a private taxi. It was not even an option, I couldn’t spend 3.000 bahts. I needed to save my money for my futures pontes you know…

A Canadian couple were behind me and heard the conversation. I was about to take a bedroom in Trat, which is not a nice place to stay but they told me that they will try to pass the border on another point, closer. I followed them! We took another bus to Chiantanabury and dealed with three tuck tuck drivers to have a reasonable price to drop us at the check point. And we did it! Thinking about crossing the border on my own was one of the scariest idea about my trip. I’ve heard so many stories about scams, about all the papers you need, about how long you have to wait to have your visa stamped, and so and so. But I was not on my own and after avoiding the first scam, we realized that this border was definitely the less crowded one. Maybe also because we arrived with our own way and avoid the coaches, full of tourists like us. A nice private taxi driver drove us to Battambang. 

When I arrived it was night, I found a bed at the Ganesh Guesthouse and sat outside for a beer. I pictured myself in the sea that morning and all the people telling me on the way that it was too late or that I couldn’t do it on my own. BUT MAN I DID IT! I was in Cambodia!