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on Mary In Cambodia (Cambodia), 02/May/2011 10:34, 34 days ago
 On The Buses. In Cambodia we have numerous means of transport. Motorbike is the most common method of getting from A to B and can take a driver and 3 or 4 passengers. The tuc-tuc is much used in towns, for short journeys. Long distance travel is only possible by bus, minibus or shared taxi.We have just had a 2 week break from school to celebrate Khmer New Year, during which I took the opportunity to go and see the much talked about north-east and south-west areas of the country. Living in the north-west you might think I would head directly east to see the north-east, or directly south to see the south-west, not so, there are no roads leading east or south from Sisophon. To reach the north-east I needed to travel south-east to Phnom Penh, or Campong Cham (8 hours) by bus and then north-east to Rattanakiri, 10 hours by minibus or 14 by bus, the final 100 km. being on dirt tracks and crossing 29 plank bridges. In two days we arrived in the city of Ban Lung, weary, stiff, hot and sweaty. To my surprise it was quite a big town with good restaurants and hotels. While there we took a tour and saw some beautiful lakes and waterfalls. We also visited a gold and gems mine and a tribal village.  We stayed at Phnom Yak Lom (eco-friendly I’m told) hotel. This is on the top of a very beautiful hill with a great view of the surrounding country. Sadly it was obvious that some hardwood forest was lost in the process of building. All over Rattanakiri province hardwood is being replaced by rubber or cashew nut trees. There is no obvious evidence that all this industry benefits the indigenous tribes disturbed by the deforestation. We enjoyed an evening with Volunteer colleagues, Maerouska, Tanya and their friends.From Ban Lung we took another minibus to Stung Treng near the Laos Border. This was a journey to remember. Pathma and I shared the‘best’ seat next to the driver, actually part of me was on the gear box, with only my cardigan to protect delicate parts from being burned. I counted 19 heads behind, and I may have missed a few on the floor of this 9 seat vehicle, held together with masking tape and sticking plaster. It was Khmer New Year, not many people working, it was a case of do as the locals, or nothing, and it was only a 3 hour journey. Another little problem arose however, when we were dropped off 18 km. from town and were to be picked up by taxi, which turned out to be 2 motorbikes and only 1 helmet. Like good volunteers we refused to move, much to the annoyance of the 2 boys, who made promises to drive slowly and carefully. A local motodop came to the rescue and we arrived in Stung Treng in time to catch------- yes------, another bus to take us across the border to the 4000 Islands in Laos.  We set out in a long boat to cross the mighty Mekong to the island of Dong Kong just as the sun was setting.The scenery at 4000 Islands is amazing and surprisingly unspoiled. We spent a memorable day sailing up the Mekong, visiting the islands of Don Det and Don Kone. We saw waterfalls to compete with Niagara, enjoyed the antics of the endangered fresh-water Irrawaddy dolphins and cycled along jungle tracks. At sunset we sailed back, watching all aspects of life along the river bank, children playing, families bathing, animals drinking, fishermen casting their nets. The sun sank and the moon rose, it was a magical experience, barely a ripple in the water and only moonlight to show the way. The world seemed at peace. It was a day to remember.Back in Cambodia, Kratie (Krat-chey) on the banks of the Mekong was next on our agenda. This lovely town boasts numerous temples, a lovely island a short boat ride away, more Irrawaddy dolphins and rapids which are popular with visitors and locals alike.Phnom Penh was another 7 hour bus ride away. After a good night’s sleep there, we were on the road again to Koh Kong on the coast, south east of the capital. We did envy the volunteers lucky enough to be placed in Koh Kong. There are beautiful, deserted, unspoiled beaches, islands and mangrove forests to explore.   We were told that communities separated from coasts by mangrove forests are spared the devastation of Tsunamis. These trees can withstand and break the power of the great waves. Is there a lesson to be learned?  We saw some beautiful places, we met lovely people, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, but long journeys on bad roads in buses long past their‘sell-by’ date can be hard on bones. On one trip the man sitting behind us did his best to stop the rooster he had in a bag from crowing. One bus was so crowded they put a row of little stools along the aisle for 14 extra passengers, and several groups of four people shared two seats. Through it all the Khmer singing and dancing videos played loud and clear.    It was a trip we will remember for a long time.