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Cambodia/Kâmpóng Saôm Round the world trip 2007
1-8-08
Dirt and dust blanketed us, Bici and our gear as we peddled the road along the Mekong to Kratie, a bustling center that dispensed tourists up river, down river and into the hills, mountains and Cambodian National Parks that back up to Vietnam. Pleasured by home-baked whole wheat bread, cheese and lettuce salads we whiled away our afternoon reading and making arrangements for a mini-bus to Stung Treng, 140 km up river, too far for us to ride in one day, and with the only option for an overnight stay half way: cots behind the restaurant, using your own mosquito nets. Not appealing!
When our minibus arrived about an hour late, it was packed to the gills and high on top with luggage, vegetables, rice sacks. Inside there appeared to be only one seat left among the brown bodies. We were stunned. How were we going to fit inside and Bici on top? Patiently the minibus staff waited until we recovered and took over as we began to remove Bici’s bags for loading into the minibus. Twenty minutes later, Bici was roped on top and we were pressed shoulder to sweaty shoulder with the teaming masses in the back bench seat. There were four bench seats: four to a seat, and that was before a few more stops. Men even climbed through the windows to access non-existent seats. After the 2.5 to 3 hour ride along a lovely road paved recently by the Chinese, we arrived at the riverside town of Stung Treng.
After securing a guesthouse room ($6 with fan) our first order of business was to get money. We discovered this morning our credit card is missing. We don’t want to point fingers, but all our memories lead to our light-fingered suspect who lifted our camera at the Guesthouse in Chhlong. We are trying to fight the feeling of victim and to put down the general bad feelings we have because of the thievery. We have other cards, probably need to cancel the missing one, but money is not available here by ATM’s anyway. We have gotten low on cash and are learning that northern Cambodia and southern Laos do not have ATM’s or that the banks will not give cash advances. Whoops! We try to use Western Union via the internet as other Europeans have done but US rules do not permit Western Union to release funds unless we have a US phone number. A quick SOS to Judee’s son Phil in hopes of a dollar bail-out. Time differences will make this a drawn-out process. The clock ticks; the money runs out = stupid travelers!
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January 07 Cambodia/Chhlong Weltreise 2007
Dirt and dust blanketed us, Bici and our gear as we peddled the road along the Mekong to Kratie, a bustling center that dispensed tourists up river, down river and into the hills, mountains and Cambodian National Parks that back up to Vietnam. Pleasured by home-baked whole wheat bread, cheese and lettuce salads we whiled away our afternoon reading and making arrangements for a mini-bus to Stung Treng, 140 km up river, too far for us to ride in one day, and with the only option for an overnight stay half way: cots behind the restaurant, using your own mosquito nets. Not appealing!
When our minibus arrived about an hour late, it was packed to the gills and high on top with luggage, vegetables, rice sacks. Inside there appeared to be only one seat left among the brown bodies. We were stunned. How were we going to fit inside and Bici on top? Patiently the minibus staff waited until we recovered and took over as we began to remove Bici’s bags for loading into the minibus. Twenty minutes later, Bici was roped on top and we were pressed shoulder to sweaty shoulder with the teaming masses in the back bench seat. There were four bench seats: four to a seat, and that was before a few more stops. Men even climbed through the windows to access non-existent seats. After the 2.5 to 3 hour ride along a lovely road paved recently by the Chinese, we arrived at the riverside town of Stung Treng.
After securing a guesthouse room ($6 with fan) our first order of business was to get money. We discovered this morning our credit card is missing. We don’t want to point fingers, but all our memories lead to our light-fingered suspect who lifted our camera at the Guesthouse in Chhlong. We are trying to fight the feeling of victim and to put down the general bad feelings we have because of the thievery. We have other cards, probably need to cancel the missing one, but money is not available here by ATM’s anyway. We have gotten low on cash and are learning that northern Cambodia and southern Laos do not have ATM’s or that the banks will not give cash advances. Whoops! We try to use Western Union via the internet as other Europeans have done but US rules do not permit Western Union to release funds unless we have a US phone number. A quick SOS to Judee’s son Phil in hopes of a dollar bail-out. Time differences will make this a drawn-out process. The clock ticks; the money runs out = stupid travelers!
