Laos can go and …
Posted on | March 10, 2010 | No Comments
The next morning I was packed and ready. We went for breakfast – never ever go to Pizza Boy in Rd 13. It’s rubbish – and then across the road to the travel agent. I asked him when the next bus to the border would go. He said not until 14.30. The last bus had just left.
I looked at him. It was 8 AM and it was the very same guy who had told me the day before that the busses would go until 12. Just typical. It was then that I decided I will never ever return to Laos and I will tell every single person for the rest of my travels (and mean ever) that Laos is the biggest shit hole in the whole world.
They are not just greedy and useless; that’s not it. I’d understand that but they really do give you the feeling that you are a wallet with legs and even as such they don’t seem to welcome your presence. Summarizing Laos goes like this: The people are dishonest and indifferent. From my experience they try ripping you off whenever there is a chance and on top at least some of them steal your stuff. I admit I am not particularly careful with my stuff. I never lock my room and I let things fly around but then I always do and nowhere else I had this problem. To Laos I went twice and both times I saw things disappearing. Last time it didn’t happen to me but all the other people on the boat up the Mekong reported stuff missing after our over night stop in Pak Beng. I guess the only reason that it had not happened to me is that the owner of the place was afraid of me. I had a bit of a run in with him in the evening so he stayed away from my room.
Anyways; as far as I am concerned there is absolutely no reason go to Laos. It has been like this six years ago. I never really looked at it this way. I tried to come up with reasons why may be I didn’t like it and it was me but no. It was their attitude that had put me off. The roads got better and now they have ATM but other than that it is still the same miserable country.
With no alternative – I did check with our travel agents of course and they all said the same – I booked a bus to Bangkok. It meant spending half a day with nothing to do but at least I had good company. Without Ray being there I probably would have paid for taxi jut to get out of there.
A van picked me up at round 3 in the afternoon at so it was time to say good by.
We got to the border quickly. Despite arriving before 4 PM when the border closes we had to pay the border guard for overtime. March 8th as we all know is the international day for the women and a bank holiday all over the world. Of course the (male) staff at the border, missing the mighty celebration on this most important holiday, had to be compensated. I really wasn’t surprised.
Once across the border things moved a bit smoother. I didn’t enjoy the over night bus to Bangkok, I didn’t enjoy the humid heat in Bangkok (despite arriving at 5 AM it was unbearable) and once I arrived in Pattaya I realized that I am a Muppet. What did I expect? Of course it is as bad as people say. Even in the early hours of the day the place is a shit hole.
Since I was knackered I got a room and immediately booked a van to Ko Chang for the next morning. There is absolutely no reason to stay in Pattaya. Even the beach sucks. I did expect that of course. It was worth coming here just to be sure I was right all along when I avoided coming here. Pattaya is what I would call the dark side of Thailand. It is similar to Pattong except there they got a decent beach and plenty to do in the neighbourhood. Pattaya therefore is worse and I shall never mention it again.
And this is where I leave you dear reader. We’ve been together to Ko Chang so I will take it easy from here. Only a couple of days left which I shall enjoy on the beach.
The verdict then:
Cambodia in many ways I enjoyed it just isn’t as pretty as I expected. I would have liked to spend a little bit more time in Phnom Penh.
Laos: My personal opinion of Laos has changed slightly. I didn’t like it before, now I actually think it is a shit hole and should be avoided. A place where one is not welcome one should not visit.
Thailand still rocks. It is easily the most beautiful of the three, the most diverse and interesting, certainly the easiest to travel and by far the friendliest place. It is slightly more expensive but still the best as far as value for money goes.
I have spoken!
4000 islands can go and …
Posted on | March 10, 2010 | No Comments
Let’s stop here for a second and look back at what happened so far. As expected we got ripped of at the border, someone had nicked my camera, some bugger tried to charge us for crossing a bridge that the French had built 100 years ago, it was rather touristy and not all that chilled out and it was hot as hell. The 4000 islands are pretty – fair enough – but not that special. So where does this leave us? We decided to leave and head up north to Pakxe.
We booked with Lutz because he seemed far more competent than Ryan. When it comes to punctuality and getting things done ye can’t beat the Germans. Also; Lutz didn’t not strike us as a complete waster and alcoholic. Better safe and sorry. He got everything organised at once and only minutes later we were good to go.
It was a rather painful journey. The first leg was on a boat up the river. It was one of these tiny little fishing canoes and had no roof. The sun was burning down on us and there was no breeze at all. We were melting.
Our progress was quite slow since there was hardly any water in the river. The skipper had to be careful avoiding the rocks. At some stage we even had to get off the boat. We arrived at the port without an incidence so no complaints. On the next part of the journey we weren’t so lucky.
We got to the bus stop were it was chaos. By the time the busses were supposed to leave they just started to think about the whole thing. Even worse; there weren’t any busses just a bunch of mini vans. We were hot and sweaty and rather pissed off.
Ray was pretty good at expressing his feelings so we got on to the first van. Of course it had no air condition. The ride was overloaded as usual, hot and the drive itself rather boring. We were well in to the dry season so everything was burned, dry and dusty. That’s OK though. If you want to see Laos green and full of life you ought to come in October. So I am not complaining. Laos by all means is prettier than Cambodia. It just doesn’t help.
Suddenly in front of us there was something going on. A bus was parked on the road and another van the other direction. Also there were loads of people. Obviously something had happened. The van slowed down. Once we got closer we saw what it was. It was a rather nasty accident. It looked like a bike had crushed head on in to the bus. The bus must have rolled over them. The dead bodies were still lying on the street and were hardly recognisable as humans. This was something I really did not have to see.
We passed the crash site and drove on. At least our driver took it reasonably easy. It got very quiet in the vehicle. For me it was just another sign that I was in the wrong place.
In a way I was still undecided. I rather enjoyed hanging out with Ray but to go another 800 kilometres up north just to see Vientiane I did not fancy. Luang Prabang I had seen before and Vang Vien simply did not sound right. I’m too old for tubing.
Since I am no fan of rushing things I decided to spend one night in Pakxe. The next day Ray would move on to Luang Prabang and as for myself; I had another one of my brilliant ideas. I decided to check out Pattaya. I know …
The plan more or less stood. We went to a travel agent and asked about busses. He said the busses to the Thailand border go up until 12 AM. That sounded reasonable. I decided to go to the border earl in the morning, then get a bus to Ubon and take it from there. Ray would take an overnight bus to Vientiane. From there it should be easy enough to get to Luang Prabang. From there he wanted to to Vietnam. He had another few months of travelling ahead of him which I shall not comment. Lucky bastard. I hope it sucks.
Pakxe itself had little to offer. It’s not very pretty and there is little to see. Apparently people use it as a base to explore the nearby Bolaven Plateau and other sites but none of it sounded interesting enough to stay.
We went for a couple of beer, dinner and that was it.
4000 islands - up the Mekong
Don Det – Don Khon
Posted on | March 10, 2010 | No Comments
Despite the lack of air condition it was a pleasant night. Electricity was only introduced to the island a few months ago so a even having a fan in the room was pretty much a novelty. There finally was a bit of a breeze so the heat was bearable.
We were about to leave for breakfast when I noticed that my small camera was not where I had left it. I asked Ryan if he had seen it but of course not. He was passed out the night before. He promised to ask the girls who were cleaning the place but they claimed they had not seen it either. It looked like I was right were I had left Laos six years before. I checked the room again but the camera was gone. I had a backup of most of the pictures but it still pissed me off.
A modern small digital camera is pretty much useless without the charger so whoever took it had no use for it. It was just for the act of taking it. The only ever country where I had people stealing stuff was Laos and it happened right again. I suddenly remembered what I disliked about Laos.
Well there was nothing I could do and it could have been worse so screw it. We went for breakfast. The plan was to have some food and then go seeing the main attraction on the islands – a waterfall.
The breakfast was quite nice. We went across the bridge and this was when it happened. Some greedy midget stopped us and wanted 2.50 Dollars to get onto the neighbouring island Don Khon. Ray asked, what we the money was for but it didn’t really get an answer. It pissed him off so badly that he told the guard to fuck off. We went back across the bridge to the Shangri La.
Since it was dry season the water level was quite low. I suggested to simply wade through the river. We asked Ryan but he was rather useless. We decided to just give it a go and went.
The riverbed was slippery but it never really got deeper than the waist. It was tricky but alright. We actually quite enjoyed it. The river crossing was part of it but even more fun was that we did something we were not supposed to do. It wasn’t about the money – 2.50 is nothing – it was more the act of charging us for nothing, that we didn’t like. Evading it by wading through the river just felt good. And how many people can claim they crossed the mighty Mekong on foot?
Don Det - Crossing the mighty Mekong
Ray at some stage turned around and said he now understood why I didn’t like Laos back in the days. Based on that first impression he decided to cut the trip short and move on rather quickly. As I said we had a similar taste in places.
Once we had crossed the river we simply turned right and looked for a path. One simply cannot get lost on a small island. We didn’t really have directions but the waterfall was supposed to be nearby and on the western side of the island. Also, we had time.
Soon we heard the falls so we turned right and made our way through the undergrowth. It was quite hot and we had to climb through some rocks. I wouldn’t say it was easy but we certainly enjoyed ourselves. We ended up at the first fall just above the main fall.
The terrain was quite rough. Ray kept going but I eventually decided that I don’t quite fancy going any further. Some call it vertigo I call it common sense. One has to know his limits and I got quite close to it. I went back to the shore, Ray kept climbing through the rocks. We eventually met again at the main fall.
Despite the low water level the fall was quite watery. Since it was a tourist attraction the place was rather busy. With a bit of patience it was alright though. The group that was there buggered off and there was a window until the next one arrived.
There was a sign pointing to a beach. It sounded interesting enough and with the heat – it was around noon – a little swim seemed appropriate.
Surround by dark rocks there indeed was a little beach and it was awesome. Just underneath the fall here was a big enough pool to swim. There was a current but it was not particularly strong so I’d consider it safe. I really enjoyed the swim. Because of the falls above the pool the water was full of oxygen and a lot colder than further up the river. It actually was refreshing.
Eventually we went back, I wanted to get out of the sun. It was a little too late – I had a slight sunburn on my legs – but who cares. Ray suggested to go back the other way across the bridge and see what happens. In a way I was curious myself.
The guard looked as us but didn’t say a thing. He obviously didn’t care enough. What a surprise.
The final highlight of the day was something else. We stopped at Lutzes place again. I asked him what he could recommend. He suggested meat balls with mashed potatoes and gravy. That sounded delicious. I went for it and I swear it was some of the best meatballs ever. They were almost as good as the ones I do.
Very satisfied with our days work we went home.
Warning Sign - they are telling me now?
Don Khon - Upper part of the Waterfall
Don Khon - view from the beach below the waterfall
Why not?
Posted on | March 10, 2010 | No Comments
Last night when I was sitting and contemplating I asked myself one question: Did this trip meet any of my expectations? The honest answer to this was: No. I simply never warmed up with Cambodia. I didn’t like the country side and the people I met didn’t do much for me either. I very much liked the guys in Siem Reap but they run a business. Did I meet anyone that did not want to make money from talking to me? The answer is more or less no. If I am honest I did not particularly like Cambodia.
My plan, going back to Phnom Penh and then move on to Thailand did not particularly excite me. It was like giving up and admit to failure. One of the things I recently learned was that getting into Laos got a lot easier. I suddenly had this epiphany. Why not just go into Laos and give it another chance. I still had a good week to go.
I will admit that I did not particularly like Laos six years ago but then I got sick on day one and this certainly didn’t help. And; there was a good chance it had changed since. After all I seem to be the only feeling like this about Laos. All the other people I met seem to like it a lot. I made a decision. Rather than going back to Thailand I’d go to 4000 islands in Laos. I always wanted to check out that place and I was close enough. I threw away the ticket to Phnom Penh I had just bought.
In the morning I went to the bus station and asked for transport to the Laos border. As it happens a van was just about to leave. It was a two hour drive to Stung Treng. There we changed vehicles. I had just sat down when Ray got onto the bus; the guy I had met on the way to Kratie.
He was an interesting fellow to talk so I was quite pleased. We said hello and I asked where he is heading. He said Don Det which was the one island I had kind of picked for myself. We seemed to have a similar taste in places so tis was no real surprise.
He had spoken to a couple who had recommended a place. We decided to travel together once more.
The border crossing was expensive but easy enough. Ray actually had to pay more with his English passport. It was quite amusing how in a way. Every stop at the border required a Dollar. The Cambodians wanted one to stamp the passport out, the Laotian first asked for 30 Dollar for the Visa (35 for an English passport) and the then you go to the next counter where again you had to pay one Dollar.
We then went on to a different bus that took us to Don En where the boats leave for Don Det.
The crossing was quick and easy. We arrived on Don Det just after noon. Once you leave the boat and there is a small, dusty square. There stood a bunch of vehicles that looked like shrunk pickup trucks with benches in the back.
None of the people sitting there approached us so we eventually asked them where the “taxi drivers” were. It turned out the people hanging ou there were the drivers they just couldn’t be arsed to get up. Fair enough.
We asked them if they’d mind and eventually the they told us 2.50 Dollar each and they would drive us. That was expensive but for all we knew it was bit too far to walk and the heat again was brutal.
The place recommended to Ray was the Shangri La. Allegedly it was just before the bridge that linked Don Det with the next island Don Khon. It was a short enough drive but it would have ben a tiny little bit too far to walk indeed. Both our backpacks were kind of heavy and after all we are not 18 anymore (and not that skinned either). We got off at the bridge and followed the signs. After a short walk we arrived at the Shangri La.
It was a small place with only four bungalows but as it happens he had two rooms available. The setting was quite nice so we went for it.
The manager was an American guy and he was obviously absolutely shit faced. We joined him for a couple of beer while we were waiting for the rooms to be ready.
There was no denying. The manager of that place is to be described as “quite a character”. He was stoned and drunk and talked a lot of rubbish. We didn’t mind and in a way enjoyed it.
The guy claimed that he hated Lonely Planet so much that he offered 10 percent discount if you burned yours. Ray though that was rather funny and volunteered his guide book. Ryan – the manager – took the guide book and set it on fire. It didn’t burn particularly well and stank but in a way it felt like a god deed.
Eventually it cooled down a bit and Ray and I took off to grab a bite. Ryan was more or less passed out anyways and his drinking buddy had left as well. We went to a place run by a German guy that was also recommended by the people who had told Ray about the Shangri La. The restaurant was quite alright though.
The food was good and the German guy running it – Lutz – very likable. We both decided that this should be our restaurant of choice during the stay. None of fancied trying the Americans restaurant and Santiphap was conveniently located and chilled out.
Since it had been a long day we went to bed early.
Don Det - view from the Shangri La
What next?
Posted on | March 10, 2010 | No Comments
The English guy (Ray) left the next morning. I had time to contemplate. I quite liked Krati and certainly would stay another night but what to next I wasn’t so sure.
There certainly is nothing wrong with Cambodia but for some reason I was a little disappointed. The country is not particularly photogenic. Most of the so called “attractions” weren’t very attractive to me and most Cambodians were a tiny little bit to eager. I often had the feeling that they saw me (and all tourists for that matter) as a cow here to be milked. I am sure Cambodia will one day be a good country to travel it’s just they are not quite there yet.
It’s by no means exotic, it isn’t as pretty as one would think knowing Laos and Thailand and the people are not as open and cheerful as I would have expected.
I met a couple of them who would talk to you without having a business interest in you but these were exceptions. One guy on the bus to Krati for example; he was on his way to his sisters wedding. He was quite interesting and he actually invited us to visit. Other than that there was a guy on the way from Siem Rap but he was more American than Cambodian. He was born in the country but spent his adult life in the US. That doesn’t really count.
Based on what I’ve seen so far I decided to not go to Banlung but rather go back to Thailand to enjoy a few quiet days on the beach. Before I’d go back I intended to do one more stop in Phnom Penh. There was one more place I wanted to see and that wasn’t the Killing Fields or the museum or another Wat but the FCC. FCC stands for Foreign Correspondents Club. I read and heard about that place and I was genuinely curious to actually see it.
Krati - Mekong at sunset
Krati
Posted on | March 10, 2010 | No Comments
Once again I was surprised by Phnom Penh. It really isn’t as bad as one would expect. The Tuk Tuk drivers are annoying – which comes with job – but other than that the place is rather mellow. Even the heat was more bearable this time. This probably had to do with the fact that I had chosen a place with air condition. It get’s you through the worst part of the day.
The French quarter is no real beauty but it is charming. At the end of the day that is what really matters. I spent a pleasant evening in a quiet bar and went to bed early.
I had booked a place on the bus to Krati for the next morning. A mini van picked me up from the hotel. On the way to the terminal we collected another person who turned out to be a well traveled English guy.
We ended up siting next to each other in the bus so it was rather pleasant journey. Travelers always have a few tales to tell and he was no exception. He was on his way to Laos but then decided to get off the bus in Krati as well.
Our hotel of choice was booked out so we went next door. The hotel looked OK but certainly was a rather odd place. The people running it weren’t just indifferent they honestly gave you the feeling that you are not welcome. I needed a place to crash so I didn’t really care but still; what an unusual way to run a business.
Krati itself I quite liked. It is chilled out. You don’t see anyone rushing anything. The waterfront facing the Mekong had a touch of French quarter. It looked rather nice. The view across the river was spectacular. The Mekong for some reason is a beautiful river. It is different from any other river I have seen. The had wide stretches of sand on each side almost looking like a beach. It gives a certain touch other rivers don’t seem to have.
The thing to do in Krati is sitting at the waterfront, chatting and drinking. The Tuk Tuk drivers are very eager to get you to a place up the river where you allegedly can watch Dolphins. I decided against it. For some reason the Tuk Tuk drivers annoyed me. From my experience watching Dolphins in a muddy river doesn’t really work. Why bother?
Krati - view over the Mekong
Back to Phnom Penh
Posted on | March 2, 2010 | No Comments
Kep was a bit of a disappointment I must say. It as at the sea but that’s about it. It doesn’t have decent beach and the hike is rubbish.
I actually went. First you walk up the hill and then the way is sign posted. The sunset rock was a bit further than I had expected but there were a couple of viewpoints sign posted and even a waterfall. I went for it.
Along the way you get some spectacular views but I had trouble enjoying it. The path lead uphill and there wasn’t the slightest breeze. When I finally arrived at the first “viewpoint” I got slightly disappointed. There wasn’t much of a view. The panorama along the way was actually better.
Only a couple of hundred meters away was supposed to be a waterfall. The next thing I saw was the summit. No waterfall anywhere. I got a bit suspicious about this hike; the least to say.
There was another viewpoint only on or two kilometres away. I though screw this and went anyways. I began to realize that I don’t actually have to walk all the way back. The path obviously lead around the entire hill. I decided I might as well go for the entire thing. The only worry was, that I had very little water left. On the other hand; summit by my definition meant it goes downhill from here. Piece of cake.
I kept walking but quite frankly the hike was rubbish. After about 6 kilometres I was more or less back in the village and no sunset rock to be seen. While initially there was a sign every few hundred meters they suddenly stopped. A hint?
I was suddenly on a road behind the main village and slightly pissed off. I mean a hike? I have seen worse roads than this path. The sunset was getting closer. Suddenly there was another sign saying sunset rock. It was at a crossroad and the sign wasn’t clear. I asked some old woman. She sent me straight.
The sign said one kilometre. Looking at the sun it was doable.
I was walking for at least one kilometre and I as almost at sea level. What kind of scam was this? Suddenly a small sign pointed right. It said stairway to heave and sunset rock; 1.2 kilometres. These little c***.
The path lead right into the jungle; proper hiking style it was barely visible. And it was steep. I was pretty exhausted anyways and had literally no water left. I’m no quitter so I kept walking. My legs hurt, I was soaking wet and I kept cursing the idiot who set up the signs.
After about 10 minutes climbing I reached a construction site. Another sign; 80 metres. At least I was getting closer but so was the sun. I raced. I could not fail at this stage. I reached the nuns house that had been sign posted a long time ago. Behind a communications tower a small path lead into dense woods. 590 metres.
Again it went uphill and I was not happy. This stupid sunset rock should better be good. I had to climb over trees, steep parts and the path was barely visible. Suddenly a rock. I made and about 10 minutes to sunset. I rock; but I was exhausted and I had no water left. I was soaking wet and still there was no breeze. I sat down and enjoyed the show. It was OK; but this is as far as I’d go.
The walk back was painful. First I had to walk the narrow path back and it was getting dark. I reached the y-junction. I had come from the right but the according to the sign I could as well keep left. I did.
At first the path was steep. The last bit I traveled on my arse. At first I didn’t want but since I had slipped … as they say: If you can’t fight them, join them. It was rather harmless anyways. From there I followed a road. Soon I stood at the cross road where I had asked the old lady. Fair play. She had send me the wrong way. I’ll remember that. Should I ever meet an old Cambodian lady I will return the favour.
The rest was a boring walk on the road towards the village and from there to the guest house. All in all I was unimpressed with the walk but rather proud of myself. Tough boy!
I also decided not to stay in Kep. I got slightly sunburned so snorkeling was out of question. After what I had seen on this hike it is probably rubbish anyways. Looks like one cannot trust Cambodians when i comes to “sights”.
Kep Sunset Rock
Since there was no way to get to Krati directly I booked the bus to Phnom Penh. I doesn’t look far on the map but it took over 5 hours. That’s mainly due to the road conditions in this part of Cambodia. The south west allegedly is the poorest part of Cambodia. I glimpse of that I got during the journey.
Last time when I stayed in Phnom Penh I wasn’t entirely happy with my accommodation. This time I went for a better place with air condition. I stayed in the Dara Raeng Sey which is close to pretty much everything. It’s no beauty but the rooms are OK.
Time to explore the capital.
Kep Sunset Rock
Kep
Posted on | March 2, 2010 | 1 Comment
As I said I had warmed up to Kampot but one afternoon is enough to see it all. My personal highlight was dinner. They actually served bangers and mash. I almost cried. I guess one has to travel to South East Asia to really appreciate the beauty of bangers and mash. It didn’t come with gravy otherwise I may have reconsidered moving on.
Since there was no gravy I decided to move on. For a change the bus did not leave at ridiculous o’clock in the morning so I could sleep in. It’s nice. Since the room was so expensive I in return set the air condition to 18 degrees. It was bloody freezing in the room so I used two blankets. We all get or kicks somehow.
The bus station was just around the corner and the drive to Kep is short. I left the guest house at 12, by 1.30 I was in Kep. It used to be THE sea resort before Sihanoukville became popular but god knows why. The beaches are crap.
At the bus station a moto driver recognised me from Kampot. He was a friendly guy – I actually remembered him – so I went hunting for a room with him. I’ll never stop wondering how they think it’s a good idea to go on a tiny little moped with a heavy backpack in the front and a fat farang in the back but fair play to them; so far no accidents.
It turned out Kep is bloody expensive. In the Harbour Guest House – nice place though – they wanted 16 Dollar for a room with fan. No way. Next we went to a place that sucked and finally pass the Crab Market to the Kep Beach Guest House. It was OK and we agreed on 15 USD with air condition.
It’s not exactly fancy but directly at the sea. They may call it a beach but for me that involves enough space to roll out my towel. So I just call it “at the sea”.
Kep is so tiny that I am rather curious what one does here. I’d go snorkeling but pale as I still am this may not be such a good idea. I’ll think about it. One definite thing to do is a short hike to the top of a hill right next to the village. Allegedly one gets a great view from up there.
Kampot
Posted on | March 2, 2010 | No Comments
There are days where you ask yourself; what on earth possessed you to do a certain thing. While I was sitting in Kampot I was asking myself exactly that question. I had decided to come here but why I honesty do not know.
At first glance Kampot is a god forsaken village in the middle of nowhere. When I arrived I asked a couple that was just about to leave what they did during their stay. They hesitated and then said one could go to the national park. I asked if they did. They said no; it costs 20 Dollars and in most of Cambodia you walk through the jungle for free. They said they rented a scooter and went to Kep. They told me it’s beautiful.
I hade seen Kep on the map and for some reason decided to go to Kampot first. Looks like it’s my lucky day. Since I was here I got a room and make the best of it.
I went for nap which was necessary. The night before was long – a Polish couple tried to get me drunk – and the stupid mini van came an hour early (7.30 AM). It’s simply not a good combination. It was a remarkable drive though.
For a start the van had no air condition. Even worse while we were still in Sihanoukville the suspension went with a bang. Within five minutes a replacement came which was remarkable the least to say. While we thought the van is full – which it was – we had another person to collect. That in itself would not have been a problem but this lady moved apartments and I swear to god, her furniture alone would have filled the van. She had piled up so much crap that we all burst out laughing. No way we said, yes way the driver said.
Well we are in Cambodia where one is creative so they tied her bookshelf to the back of the van and made an extension out of it. They then put all the other crap on top and – half an hour later off we took.
One would think that with all the stuff tied up in the back the driver would may be take it easy but wrong. We got the whole Khmer experience. Years ago – back in Thailand – I decided that if it would be my destiny to die in a bus accident I’d be dead by now. On this very day I thought I may have gotten it wrong. Busses are rather safe if you compare them with mini vans. Khmer driving is quite something. We made it in one piece as you can tell and at this stage.
Kampot and I got off to a bad start but I reconsidered my first impression in the mean time. It’s actually quite nice. The French quarter is beautiful, you can walk down the promenade along the river, it’s not too hot and most importantly the people are incredibly friendly.
I explored the French quarter with its beautiful buildings, went across the old bridge in to the dodgy part just because I felt like it, I enjoyed the sunset in a nice restaurant with view over the river, all in all it is a pleasant place.
No one is bothering you. They wave their hands, say hello but that’s it. No one is trying to sell you junk and that is a first. Based on that alone I’d say Kampot rocks. The town is so mellow it feels like a different country.
I watched a few boys catching a large fish. It was interesting but what I liked most was that they weren’t bothered by my presence. One can move freely and that’s apparently a rare thing in Cambodia. Most of the time people treat as if you are a cow; only there to be milked. If all Cambodia were like Kampot, chilled out and quiet, I’d like it a lot more.
The only real problem was that at that time when I was there the entire city was under construction. That’s bad luck. Other than that I enjoyed it immensely.
Kampot - view from the old bridge
Kampot - French Quarter
Sihanoukville
Posted on | March 2, 2010 | No Comments
I have a confession to make. I like Sihanoukville. It’s wrong I know I just can’t help it. It has some stunning beaches; you can actually rent a scooter which is a big thing in Cambodia; everything is nice, great views, it’s still crazy enough to make you feel you are abroad, the food is awesome and there are some nice enough bars along the beach to hang out. Even better; the heat is bearable.
I had a splendid day. I rented a scooter in the morning and went on tour exploring the city. It’s not really big but spread out . I visited all the beaches and once again discovered that my guide book is full of shit. For example it praised Outres beach some six kilometres out of town. It’s supposed to be quiet. Rubbish! Ochheuteal Beach is actually quieter.
I went to see wether hill – which would hav been my first choise for the night – but the area really is dodgy. While I was driving around there I passed the Snake House. I heard about it so I went in. Put it this way they ain’t calling it snake house for nothing. The place is awesome. The tables in the restaurant are group around a huge aquarium. Everywhere are little cages and vitrines with snakes and other animals.
They got cobras, boas, iguanas and all kinds of animals including a little croc farm. What beats it is the seaturtle. It’s in a – far too small – aquarium at the side of the restaurant. Sea turtles are the most elegant creatures ever.
The restaurant is rathr pricy but that’s by Cambodian standards. The only thing I thought a bit odd was that they seem to have a Russian theme going. I was the only one in the restaurant not Russian. They even got Russian dishes on the menu. I enjoyed it anyways.
Next I went to the Independence hotel which is the most famous hotel in Sihanoukville. It’s quit something but a bit to expensive. Yo get a fanoulos view over the bay and when you walk a few meters down the stairs you have a private beach.
Next I went to the Vietnamese embassy. The guy in the hotel wanted 50 Dollars for a visa. I thought he is trying to rip me off so I wanted to see for myself. It wasn’t 50 but these greedy little buggers indeed wanted 45 bugs to issue a visa. Are they joking?
I mean for all I know it doesn’t include food, drinks and accomodation. What’s the money for? Tourists bring money in to the country. Collecting it at the border is a bit cheeky. I know my ultimate destination for this trip was meant to be Halong in northern Vietnam but I changed my mind. They can go and f*** themselves. I rather spend that money on whiskey and women to speak with an old blues song; and in Cambodia. I’m almost out of time anyways and this way I don’t have to rush.
Snake House
Sihanoukville beaches
Sihanoukville Sunset
Sihanoukville beaches
Heat
Posted on | February 27, 2010 | No Comments
Once there was a pretty big lake in the very heart of Phnom Penh. It is almost gone but not for natural reasons. The entire area was sold out to a Korean investor who immediately started land filling the lake. You can still recognise the old shore. All they did at this stage was filling most of the lake with sand. It is reduced to a crescent of water. Form where I sit there isn’t much more than 50 meters of lake left. It is a crying shame but a lot of money changed hands (1 Billion USD from what they say).
Cambodia is a poor country and so are the politicians. I guess there is nothing one can say except that it is a sad sight. The same happens everywhere. Can we do something about it? Technically we could stay away but we would punish the wrong people. Phnom Penh – lake or not – is a cool place. If it wasn’t so incredibly hot I would love this place. Unfortunately I was not cut out for these conditions.
I spent a rather unpleasant night in Number 9 guest house. To call the room basic would be given it credit it doesn’t deserve. it wasn’t more than a wooden shack; incredibly hot, full of mosquitoes and – as I later discovered – something else.
I had trouble sleeping in the first place because of the heat. Despite using a mosquito net somehow they managed to get through to me. I was itchy, sweaty and outside some English piss heads were having a party. By 5.50 AM I could feel something was running over my foot. That was too much. I got up. At least outside it was refreshingly cool. Great room; it didn’t have a shower but instead a mouse (or rat I am not entirely sure). It was a bit too small for a rat but then people here are smaller as well.
I was so fed up I packed my stuff and waited for the staff to wake up. Most of them were sleeping in the comfy chairs in the restaurant. I checked out and left for the bus station.
For once I was lucky. The bus left for Sihanoukville within 5 minutes. I pretty much passed out immediately so I saw pretty nothing of the 4 hour drive.
The bus terminal of Sihanoukville was one of these typical Cambodian terminals; a dusty place with packs of greedy little Tuk Tuk drivers that are trying to rip you off. Based on the description in my guide book I had picked the Orchidèe Guest house on Ochheuteal Beach. It sounded allright. The Tuk Tuk driver wanted 6 Dollars for the ride so I told him to get lost. For 6 Dollars I walk there.
A moto driver (basically a scooter) offered to drive me for 2 bucks. That sounded more reasonable. I am not comfortable riding on the back of a scooter with a midget driving but it beats walking by a mile.
The Orchidée had only a large room for 40 USD. That sounded far too expensive so I went next door. A room there was only 20 Dollars; still expensive but it was quite a good room. Tired and exhausted I went for it.
Aircondition is such a blessing. After cooling down a little I went to the beach. Ochheuteal Beach is quite cool. It is about 3 kilometres long with fine white sand. The end close to the village was packed with restaurants and crowded with people. After a 10 minute walk I had the beach more or less to myself. I sat down and enjoyed the sun. From the sea came a gentle breeze; for the frst time in quite a while I felt like I was on holiday. May be it’s time for a little break.
Sihanoukville beach
Sihanoukville sunset
Cute Parrot