Well folks, we're here!
It was quite a journey (opting for going in overland rather than an easy/comfortable/expensive flight) and much stressed about too, since I've heard SO many horror stories about border tricks, by everyone from the tour companies to get you there, to visa officials, to taxi drivers, to little kids picking your pockets to god only knows what else!

So after whipping myself into a total fit, I decided to get as well educated as possible of the potential pitfalls of travelling into Cambodia from Bangkok.
If any of you plan on ever doing this journey, read Gordon Sharpless' S.E. Asia travel site: www.talesofasia.com (if you haven't already). He does a great job of briefing you on everything that goes on before, after and during the border crossing.
With Gordon's instructions and a steely "you're not messing with me, man" look on my face, I was ready.
J.P. and I took a 1st class public bus to the Thai side of the border (very comfy and cheap, $4.50) at which point, we took a tuk-tuk to the actual crossing. (simply handed the driver 50 bhat when we got out and easily deflected his attempt to drive us into a tour company parking lot) At this point, we closed our ears (hello, where you go, Siem Reap?) and walked as quickly (and with as much confidence as two newbies could muster) to the Thai departure shack, then to the Cambodian visa application area. As we expected, a few touts followed us here, sat by us and tried to appear helpful (this is a totally easy process and only these pain-in-the-ass guys make it difficult).
As we expected, we each had to pay the 1,000 bhat fee (instead of the $20 that it should cost) and since we were tired and dirty and hungry, decided to negotiate for a taxi with the first guy who approached us.

I don't know if this guy was new or something (I guess he was pretty young) but he was talking a mile a minute ("how much you pay?, how much you pay?!") and I'm like "Um, can you wait until after I go to the bathroom" (since he was talking at me like this as I was entering the stall)
NOTE: Don't let a tout take you to a restroom, filthy and cost 5 bhat, ask an official where to go
Anyway, feeling much better after relieving myself, yet still quite anxious to get the hell out of Poipet (what a s***-hole!) I let this guy sputter and spout at me for a few more minutes. I had told him we wanted to go to Siem Reap, wanted the whole taxi and wanted to leave immediately. He's going on like "whole car 1,500 bhat, each person, 300 bhat, 5 people 1,500 bhat! You don't believe me? Look, look, my mother is driver too" (proceedes to show me some kind of card)
Since I knew a fair price for a taxi was $1,000 bhat (thanks Gordon!) we eventually got him to 1,100 bhat. At that point, I was totally ready to be gone.
The road into Siem Reap starts off well enough, but then,.............
Three hours of nausea, bump bump bump (dirt roads folks!) and thick dust everywhere. I was thanking myself so much at this point for not being a cheap-ass and getting a seat on a pick up, we would have been absolutely covered in in dust, not to mention possible respiratory failure.
Our driver was cool too, he stopped along the way and bought us a bag of fried banana chips, much appreciated since we hadn't really eaten all day.
All in all, the trip lasted from 7:30am-5:30pm, 10 hours isn't too bad, and we managed to avoid all of the hassles normally involved. It pays to be prepared!

So we're just chillin', trying to plan our itenerary through the temples, feel free to let me know if any of you have any suggestions of 'must see' ones (obviously we're going to Ankor Wat and that other big one behind it)

No pictures today, but I promise to put some up next time. Now I'm off for a nice cold one, because if it isn't a cold one, it's hardly a one at all.

K