steven.vu

Phnom Penn

I left my buddy in Siem Riep and made my way to Phnom Penn. Left at roughly 12:30 and got in at 7:00 ish. The roads are heaven compared to the ones that take you from Poi Pet to Siem Riep. Got in and realised that it’s pretty lonely travelling by yourself. I saw the most beatiful girl on the bus. She was also there last night. I thought I was in love honestly. She’s half Vietnamese half American I think. I dunno. Plonker with her too.

Just had dinner at a lil restuarant in Phnom Penn. Everything tastes nicer and is cheaper than in Siem Riep. Tad bizzarre.

I had a conversation with a Burmese guy in Siem Riep. To open up a bar you need about 25000$ capital. Rent is roughly 1800$ dollars and takings are 2000$ a night. 1000$ is profit and after overheads you make 25000$ a month. That was going on the takings and pricings of Angkor What? bar though. It’s the most popular bar there, presumably from the mention in Lonely Planet. Still pretty fucking good. Tax is calculated on how large the place is and is just a fixed flipping fee. The tiny Vietnamese restuarant I just ate in also has a notice up for selling the lease. I’ll have a chat to them later. They seem pretty friendly and were quite happy to speak Vietnamese with me. Also met a random guy on the bus and had a chat withhim for about 2 hrs in Vietnamese. He deals with DHS and UPS, helping to get them into Vietnam.

All in all, good fun. Just a lil lonely. This guy called Roland from Austria said he’d take me round though. Seems pretty friendly.

- Disjointed. Rewrite.

Siem Riep – Angker What?

I’m up in Siem Riep at the moment. Made a mate called Gregg and we’ve been bunking for a couple of days. I’m off to Phnom Penn tomorrow I think. Depends really. Met some cool Swedish girls yesterday on “bar street” in a place called Anker what? Really cool atmosphere but seeing as it’s the best Siem Riep has to offer, it’s pretty piss poor.

I tried my luck with the Swedish girls while Gregg went for some rather tatty blondes. We then went to a Cambodian club called Route One with them and partied the night away. One of the Swedes is Iranian while the other is Vietnamese which is a little cool. They’re both studying in London when they get back which should be cool.

I don’t know which i fancy more. i thought it’d come to me in a dream but then I dreamt of both and some French girls that were on the bus which just confused me.

Our Tuk Tuk driver is really cool. His name is John. I’ll get some pics up here hopefully.

Pattaya to Siem Riep

Pattaya to Siem Riep.

So I get on the Big C bus at Pattaya and all is going well. All except I don’t have a visa. I’ve heard rumours that you can get them at the border and thankfully they turn out to be true. The ride is without any major problems other than it start at 6am.

 This bus travels to a Casino in Cambodia and back every day. Once there I get off and walk pass the border. As the Casino is on the other side I thought the bus would meet us over the border and so left my bags on the bus. After slowly waking up and realising this panic ensues. I’m alone in a dusty shite place with no bags, no phone numbers or anything.

I cross the border again. They say I have to pay an extra 20 for my Visa to be redone. I haggle at her. I plead. She takes my passport and asks me to go back into Thailand. I’m happy at first – getting away with 20 pounds. I then realise i’m in Thailand with no passport and no bags. Paralysing fear of not getting my passport back and not getting my bags back sets in. Thankfully all turned out well. Got on the bus to Siem Riep. Waiting a long time. Met some random people. Travelling with a bloke from Cornwall at the moment who seems decent.

I also remembered what the killing fields were about. The khmer rouge rounded up all the Vietnamese people living here and butchered them. Inspires confidence. I’m now a Korean.

 - Bit terse. Sure i’ll be bothered to rewrite at a later date.

Steven in Pataya, Thailand | Go go bars with mother.

So I got to Thailand yesterday. I’m with my rents so the holiday should have been pretty subdued. Should. We get to a place called Pataya and meet one of my mums friends[sic] friend. Turns out she’s a retired madame. We meet and obviously my mother doesn’t know this. Instantly she says she’ll find me a sexy lady and points to the prossies dressed in next to nothing across the street from my bar. Just a little embaressing. We then head off to walking street and enter a go go bar.

 I’m sitting in a fucking strip club with my mum and dad. while a dancer is gyrating next to me.

It’s fine though. You can tell she sees this is a little unnerving for my mother and so we head off. Well that was what I initially thought, she actually thought the girls were a lil below average so we went to a better one. I’m drowning the silence with beers and it turns out to be quite a cool night.

 I think she was hunting for women to occupy the small rooms above the bar which seem to be ever so busy. She owns it with a guy known as “bob”. He’s cool.

 Tonight i’m meeting my mums[sic] friends[sic] sister. She owns 3 shops down walking street. A massage place mother and I perused earlier, and two jewellry shops. Updates soon enough.