My 27th Birthday in Siem Reap

Well, the early hours of my birthday, that is.  January 19th - we've just woken up at 5 am to cycle to Angkor Wat and see the sun rise.  We finished the large loop of temples and ancient ruins, and made it back to our guesthouse in the late aftenoon, napped, and then I decided to treat myself and Rachel to a very nice birthday dinner.  We decided on Nest, the 2009 winner of Best Restaurants in Siem Reap.  It was as posh as you can imagine, forgetting that you are even in Cambodia.  Our meals were over the top delicious.  The whole dining experience was something that I haven't had since leaving the United States.  And... I got to enjoy a smooth and luscious bottle of Malbec; a rare occasion, as wine is a luxury in Southeast Asia. 

Below:  Rachel and I at Nest

Then, we went out to take over Pub Street in Siem Reap.  That we did.  At Angkor What? bar, we met a group of non-creepy, just plain nice guys who decided to treat us for drinks the whole night in honor of my birthday!  Midnight struck.  Now, I'm 27!!  I think I'm done with the whole turning older thing.  I think I'll just stay at 27 for now on.  Rachel and I wanted to go dancing, so the guys got us all into a tuk tuk and we went out to a local nightclub, where we danced our hearts out, just like our Cambodia trip began.  Literally, 24 hours after waking up to watch the sun rise over Angkor Wat, we were returning back to our guesthouse more than satisfied with our week in Cambodia, and I a year older. 

January 20 - My actual birthday day was spent on minivans and buses, crossing the border from Cambodia back into Thailand through Poipet.  The border crossing was exactly the opposite of entering Cambodia.  It was long, hot, sticky, annoying and crowded.  However, I got a "Happy Birthday" from the immigration clerk. 

Once in Thailand, we had to wait for other passengers to load up the minivan to Pattaya.  We had booked the trip in Siem Reap, and the woman who booked it for us promised that it wouldn't be a problem to get off in Sri Racha.  If taking Sukhumvit, Sri Racha is just a stop along the way to Pattaya.  However, we were now in Thailand dealing with different people.  Our minivan driver refused to take Sukhumvit, and continually refused even after I offered him 100 baht.  About 7 hours later, Rachel and I got off at a gas station rest break near Pattaya, walked the overpass to the other side of the highway, and hailed a government bus to take us back up the 40 minutes to Sri Racha.  Not exactly the most fun birthday day, but really, who am I to complain? 

Below: Goodbye Kingdom of Cambodia

Below: Queuing to get into Cambodia, as I'm walking into Thailand