So we left for the Cambodian border relatively early. Relatively because our hotel in Laos was just too nice. We had had very heavy rain during the night and we didn't even bother having a second look at the ferry crossing. In the end going the long way round probably didn't cost us any time.
We were at the border late morning and it was very QUIET indeed. Us clocking ourselves out, clocking the bike out, buying Cambodian visas, clocking ourselves in and then clocking the bike in probably only took an hour all told. They did want to stamp the Carnet de Passage for the bike though which is fine because we had one, but bought for other countries. There was just no point in telling the official that it wasn't needed for Cambodia as he had already collected a pile from other travellers in front of him. It is very good to see that all those backhanders necessary for border formalities have now got formalised and there was even a sign saying $20 for the visa and a further $5 for the 'stamping', which went straight into a different drawer. We went through the crossing so quickly that we didn't actually believe we had done it and we waited 10km before greeting ourselves with a 'Welcome to Cambodia!'
There is nothing more welcoming when you arrive in a new country than a good set of road works. Cambodia's version weren't really road works, because nobody was working. It was just that every 150m or so, there was a little volcano in the middle of the road. Sometimes it wasn't actually 'so little'; it took up the whole width of the road and over quite a long distance. There had been a luxury coach going through the border just after us. We had been talking to a Dutch family in the give $5 to a good cause queue. They were following us when we had our first let's put the brakes on, stop and figure out how we get round, over, through this moment. In fact everyone got out of the coach to watch and photograph us. We got through that particular moment as well as all the remaining obstacles over the next 25km and rode relatively slowly for the following 25km too. The coach however never caught us up. Very strange.
We decided that we would spend the night in Stung Treng in the only hotel in town. This decision had been prompted by reports from the same Dutch family informing us of pretty dreadful roadworks on the road from Stung Treng to Kratie. This was, of course, our route to Phnom Penh. Our route being the only route...This information was then backed up by our hotel receptionist. We had one of those 'couple' moments for a few hours...
Whilst wandering around Stung Treng later, frontier town, dusty and dirty when dry and with no rain water drainage, muddy and dirty when wet, Paul spotted a young German who had just ridden into town on a Honda XT 250. She had not used the dreaded road, so could not comment on it as she had travelled from Siem Reap. We then got talking to a mini-bus guy who, too, confirmed the state of the dreaded road.
Ellen was a remarkable 23 year old lady who had spent six months in Cambodia, partly working to assist with her studies and partly travelling. She had bought her bike in Cambodia and was now travelling to Laos alone. Angela Merkel, either offer Ellen a job as Minister of Culture, Arts or Foreign Development or watch out!
Whilst we were chatting the winds picked up and then the rain lashed out. Time noted, be indoors for 16.00, it can get heavy!
We abandoned our Phnom Penh plans and decided to head for Siem Reap and Angkor Wat even if it meant taking a ferry across the river. Once across the Mersey, sorry Mekong, and a short stretch of dirt road we were on a fine piece of tarmac that took us all the way to Siem Reap. The only way to describe the scenery en route would be, 'all logged-out'. All the women in the countryside also seem to be wearing their pyjamas at noon. Many children were walking to school, some of them bare foot. Each village we passed through had a little house with flags outside and a signboard saying, ' Cambodian People's Party' or something very similar. We arrived in good time and then it rained. Heavy. Time noted.
'What do we think of a country that gives its branding rights to a beer, Cambodia beer? What do we think of a country who gives the branding rights of its, and possibly the world's greatest architectural treasure to a beer, Angkor beer? And what do we think of a country who gives the branding rights of its most sacred Buddhist temple to a beer, Bayon beer?'
At lunch time and for the rest of the afternoon it rained. We don't have much idea of how dry the dry season is but we are getting a pretty good idea of how wet the wet season is and we don't want to be on the bike when it's raining!
As we are in Siem Reap ahead of schedule we have had some time to spare. So as well as visiting Angkor Wat we have slowed down a bit and visited some tourist things too. We have also visited some local schools and helped out at one. Apparently Cambodia has the highest or one of the highest ratios of NGO's per head of population in the world and there are plenty of opportunities. From our very, very brief insight it seems that what they need most is the teaching of the teachers and not necessarily lots of bright, young helpers, cos the kids are awlrite!
Time to say goodbye to those very gentle Cambodians and en route for Poipet, the border.
Exactly two months of travelling and 1,600 photos kept in files.
Paul & Francoise
No comments:
Post a Comment