We thought it was a simple journey

Bicycle Ride [Enlarge & More]

After the temple overload at Angkor we’ve made it by 3 buses and 12 hours later to a sleepy town in the Northwest of Cambodia called Kratie. It’s on the way to the Laos border where we are headed slowly.

Getting here was more complicated than either of us thought as we thought we’d bought a ticket for a bus that took us all the way here. The journey started off straight forward enough at 7am. About 11am we stopped for a pee break and food and when we got back on the bus and headed off there was a commotion at the front. It later transpired when we were stopped at the local police station that a tourist had left his day pack on the bus when we had stopped and now it was a little lighter. It was missing one camera and two iPods!

Cow Pat [Enlarge & More]

We all had to get off and our bags were searched but the thief was long gone as nothing was found. We stopped again later on and the bus driver shouted something in Khmer from the front. I don’t know what made me go and check but I did, and once I got over to him where we were headed, he gesticulated for us to get off quickly and get to on another bus. This bus we thought now headed to Kratie but once it got to Kampong Cham we were told we had to buy another bus ticket and also pay a Tuk Tuk driver to get to another bus station. I was not having any of this and the guy who was being helpful at first got ruder and ruder as he did not get his way. We did get to the next bus stop and did get another ticket but we did not pay another penny.

The final bus we had to get on was due at 2pm. We waited. At abut 2:45 we started to feel as though we had been had and that we were going nowhere fast. After a couple of enquiries I was told the bus was 5 mins away. At about 3:15 it arrived and we got on.

Enjoying the View [Enlarge & More]

The rest was uneventful, a bit like Kratie. There is nothing to do here so we have taken it easy. We did get the local ferry across the river to an island which has no cars. We cycled round for a couple of very relaxing hours and then made our way back.

We’ve got a lovely room at Oudom Sambath Hotel, the only downside it the water is a little on the murky side. After the first night we did look elsewhere and on balance for what we are paying this was the best. The water has got better the longer we’ve stayed but at any point it can change to the colour of the muddy Mekong river which it overlooks. Taking a shower can be a bit dicey!