Kampong Cham

We didn't arrive in Kampong Cham until around 6 pm and it was getting dark by then.  This is the third largest city in Cambodia and is on the river.  Our hotel is fine with a large room.  They have the most enormous furniture made out of wood.  We found a place for dinner and ran into a couple of people that we saw at Terres Rouge in Banlung.  Funny how most tourists seem to hit the same places.  Up early the next morning.  Have a quick tour of the town and then go to Wat Nokor which is an 11th century Mahayana Buddhist shrine.

Before arriving in Siem Reap we visit Sambor Prei Kuk which is a pre-Angkorian complex of temples built between 616-635 A.D.

We meet the sweetest kids there selling scarves for $1 and cannot resist when this little girl says she needs money for school.

  Then a little boy rides his bike behind our car for quite a while to sell us a scarf.  I had to buy one just because he was so persistent.  You could go through a lot of dollar bills here!  Who said they wanted a scarf for Christmas?

Change in itinerary

After leaving Banlung we stopped at the market to see all the people that come from miles around to bring their goods to sell.  What a busy place!

We then went to the volcanic lake called Yak Lom which is very pretty and then headed to our next destination which is Stung Treng.  This little town was very dirty and not much there.  We quickly decided that we needed to revise our itinerary as we had been booked for three more small towns and we are anxious to spend more time in Siem Reap.  After contacting our travel agent with our request they contacted our tour guide and it was all arranged.  They are amazing!
So we are in Kampong Chham tonight and will be in Siem Reap tomorrow.  We did stop in Kratie to see the fresh water dolphins.  There are less than 100 of them now but we did manage to spot a few.

Up the Sesan River

Nov. 6 - Today we drive about 45 mins. And then board a long wooden boat.  The driver takes us up the Sesan River for about an hour.  Sitting cross legged for an hour is a reminder why I should do yoga!

When we get to our destination it is to visit a remote tribe.  They have just recently allowed tourists to visit in exchange for money which is really kind of sad.  Some of the elders don't look happy to see us but the children are curious.  

Taking pictures can be tricky.  After walking around the village we take a path leading deeper into the rain forest.  Thank heaven there aren't any Mosquitos. We are told by our guide that the people are suffering from disease from the Mosquitos and also something from the water which leaves red spots on their skin.  They use the river for everything!  Washing, drinking, washing the buffalo, etc.  what a hard life!  As we go deeper into the jungle we are shown several Chinese burial sites.  Since this area is close to Laos and China you see these ethnic people that come from other countries but have settled in Cambodia.  We leave the village and make one stop on the way back to visit a Loatian village and a Chinese village side by side.  These people are definitely better off than the first tribe we visited.  School is a problem in these remote areas as teachers do not want to go there.  They would rather live and teach in the larger cities.

Banlung

Nov. 5 - Had a lovely breakfast on the open deck of our hotel.  It really is lovely.  Situated right on the lake.  Has a wonderful pool and spa and we are looking forward to trying that out later in the day.

Today we visit Kroeung villages.  These are remote tribes that practice communal living.  They are not fond of having their pictures taken so we were not able to take many.  Very simple way of life but the villages are quite clean and orderly.  The men were out hunting when we arrived and the women were preparing a green leaf plant to be cooked with chicken for their next meal.

We also visited two waterfalls (one with a suspension bridge)
and then returned to our hotel to enjoy the pool.

Banlung...the end of a long and dusty road

We packed up to leave Phnom Penh this morning but stop at the river front for a short hour cruise on the Mekong.  The river front is full of stores and restaurants and is very popular with the tourists.  We take our tour and we are the only two on the boat.  These tours are prearranged and it makes me wonder how much we actually paid when we seem to be the only two!

A view of the palace from the river.

At 9:30 we head out of town and soon encounter terrible roads.  It's like driving on a logging road for hours.  The car we are in is not appropriate for these kinds of roads and we bottom out several times.  A 6 hr. journey turns into 10 hrs. and we don't arrive at our hotel until 8 pm.

This little piggie went to market!

Quick dinner with +++ wine and into bed.  Resort looks lovely what little we see in the dark.

Beer, garlic peanuts and the bus from Hell!

Nov. 1 - Day on the water
We booked a day on the water through our hotel.  $17 each gets us picked up at our resort, taken to the south of Phu Quoc where we board a boat to take us to view 3 islands out of an archipelago of  15 islands.

Obtaining part of our lunch!

We snorkel and the water is warm.  The coral and fish have a lot to be desired.
I guess I have been spoiled by the waters of Hawaii.  We have lunch on the boat and then after returning to the harbour are taken to one of the most beautiful beaches on Phu Quoc.  This beach is on the south east part of the island and the sand is white and like powder.  The water is crystal clear.  It's really beautiful but a bit remote if you were to stay there.  You get the feeling that in 10 years there are going to be mega resorts but for now it's almost primitive.

We didn't get back until dark after a stop at the pearl factory.  Wouldn't any outing be incomplete without the obligatory trip to the pearl factory?  However, saying that, I did give in and purchase a pair of pearl earrings as I have lost one of mine on tis trip.
Went for dinner at our favourite restaurant 'The Spice House'.  Sat right on the beach and had a great meal.  Had to pack to be ready for pick up at 7:30 as we are off to the airport for our flight to Saigon and then bus to Phnom Penh.

Nov. 2 - We are met at the airport and taken to the bus station.  This was our idea to take bus for the "experience".  I wish we were flying!  Marlene and I stalked up on nibbles to eat on the 6 hr. bus trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  Didn't know you could get peanuts in the shell that are garlic!  After two hours we arrive at the Cambodian border and a fellow on the bus processes all our visas.  Makes it so much easier and costs the same ($25).

We make a rest stop after this and Marlene and I get a cold beer.  With this hot weather nothing tastes better than a cold beer!  A couple of hours later we cross on a short ferry ride.  There are children begging on the ferry and I feel awful.  We've been told not to give to them as most are under the control of some adult who is taking the money.  It's a terrible situation.
Our bus driver is nuts!  Most of the time he is on the wrong side of the road and likes to play chicken with the oncoming traffic.  Had a few close calls.  Arrive in Phnom Penh in major traffic jam and  luckily our driver and guide are there to meet us.  Dropped at our hotel and settle in for the evening.

Emotions run high

On Saturday we visited the Tuol Sleng museum of Genocidal Crimes and Cheung Ek or better known as the killing fields.

Even though we really didn't want to go we felt that you have to in order to acknowledge what happened here and show respect for those who lost their lives.  It actually seems surreal.  There were only 7 survivors from S21 and only two of them are alive today.  We met one of them and bought his memoir.  I don't know how he can bear to be in this place after all that happened to him and his fellow "inmates".

 On a lighter note we visited the Silver Pagoda, the Museum of Khmer Art and the Royal Palace.





We were unable to enter the Royal Palace as it is closed for 3 months while the people mourn the loss of their king who passed away on Oct. 15th.  He was much loved and his son who succeeds him is not so popular.











Experienced a torrential down pour but it doesn't last for long.

Heading off for a short cruise on the Mekong tomorrow morning before departing for Banlung.  Lovely swim in the hotel pool before bed.