Belated Thailand (and Onward Travel) Summary

OK son this is me writing my diary. I was in Tonsai from 13 to 26 Jan.  Xmas eve was a big party night for the Caucasian component (for want of a better collective phrase). I spent Xmas morning waiting at an ATM in Railay, for the guys who fill the machine with cash every Tuesday. I worked out I must have left my Visa card in there a few days before, and when they showed up at about 1 pm there indeed it was, along with about 20 others left by halfwits like me. The ATMs in Thailand give you your money before ejecting your card, so it happens a lot. I saved myself a lot of hassle by waiting around for those 4 hours, and as Christmas mornings go it wasn't as boring as Dec 25 1991 (cold cous-cous in the Algerian desert). Serves me right for choosing a thoroughly Atheist Dec 25th.

Did about 25 routes at Tonsai and Railey, which doesn't sound much now I look at it, but they included a 6c onsight and a 5-pitch 6b (Big Wave, which was absolutely brilliant - near vertical for 120m then overhanging for the last 15m. Out there, maaaan). Great day at Eagle Wall too. Had a good stint both on the climbing and partying front, with some good people - especially Jay and Hayley from Brisbane. In fact Aussie climbers seem to be everywhere - and weirdly, none of them seem to have ever gone to Arapiles, one of the best crags in the world. I have, so I'm the expert here, move aside Bruce.

Unfortunately, I caught a bit of a bug (the Lurg? always hard to tell on holiday) and decided to rest up on Koh Lanta, where I wouldn't be tempted to climb. Its a very boring island when it comes to night life, but you can go poking around biking, caving and snorkeling there, and on its smaller and wilder southern islets (e.g. Koh Mook - scene of the remarkable Emerald Cave. You swim through this completely dark sea cave and emerge by a little inland beach encircled by limestone cliffs). Things went from bad to worse when I got a very bad bout of food poisoning - the second so far, both of which have put me to bed rather than welded me to the toilet (is this an age thing? The horror). I blame either veggie fried rice, or a mango shake (definitely not the salmon mouse).

By the time I'd got my head straight I had to think of the best and quickest way of leaving the country to renew my visa, which would have expired on New Year's Day (a national holiday when you can forget about getting any bureaucracy done).  Couldn't face overlanding to the Malaysian border and back, so jumped on a plane in Trang (an even more boring place to spend an evening than Koh Lanta).
 
Man cannot live on mangoes and pineapples alone, however delicious they may be. Thus, a City Hit seemed in order. I arrived in Phnom Penh on New Year's Day, which is as good a time as any to arrive anywhere. All was good. Seriously nice room in a good friendly travellers' area, and not an insect in sight after getting used to dousing myself in chemicals in bamboo bungalows for 3 weeks. ''Sounds like things might start cooking around here later....the party atmo is building up...''

So, giving Cambodia another chance, as everyone I've met seems to have liked it here. The Plan: a circular route to Siem Reap (and have another poke about Angkor Wat) and Battambang. Should take about a week. The natives seem friendly enough.