Blogs from Banlung, East, Cambodia, Asia

Does anybody remember that song? The one that the title refers to? A song from the Dead Kennedy's, but this was in the time of the Khmer Rouge, so it was a bit cynical to say the least. Anyway, just constantly have to think about this song as I travel around Cambodia. Now what about this holiday in Cambodia? First I managed to cross at the most corrupt of corrupt border crossings, not that I knew it at the time. I hadn't read up closely enough on border crossings, and only after somebody told me that what I had paid was thirty percent more than I should have paid, did I find out that I had been scammed. For a seasoned traveller I sure seem to make some stupid mistakes. Actually I blame the Lonely Planet, ... read more

Next stop in Cambodia: Kratie (pronounced Kra-chey). Eight dollars bought me one ticket for the 11-hour journey across the countryside to this somewhat remote city in Cambodia. This trip entailed taking one bus and one 14-seater van with no air con, packed with 19 people and 4 chickens. Comically, this less than luxurious, poultry-stuffed van had recovered seats embossed with the words and symbol for ‘Mercedes Benz.’ That beat up old ‘Benz’ was about as legit as my $4 ‘Ray Bans’ from Thailand. For most of the adventurous (read difficult) van ride to Kratie, I found that I had to laugh to keep from crying. Tourists and locals alike were packed into this bare-bones van; sweating buckets and stopping about every 7 minutes to either drop someone off or pick someone up. Cattle were everywhere on ... read more

My friend and I originally had a goal with this trip -to reach the summit of the sacred and powerful Haling Halang Mountains, which straddle the border of Cambodia and Laos, and have one foot in both countries. What happened was this: there are 2 ways to get to Veal Thom Grasslands (which is on the way to Haling Halang): the normal tourist trail, which, while still challenging, is nothing compared to the "alternative route." The "other way" to go is by tracing the Tok Mok River up a grueling commando/special forces type of training workout, a trip which makes your bag all the more heavier because this way takes another 1.5 days and thus entails carrying more food. There were 6 of us in all: myself, my friend Richard, park ranger Soukhon, indigenous Brao guide ... read more

It has been a week since we left Ratanakiri and there is still mud on many articles of our clothing... it seems to have bonded molecularly or something. Our guide book said that the red dust and mud would stay with you but i figured that to be more metaphorical and was incorrect. Much like Chi Phat, ban lung is geared up for eco-tourism of all kinds. We wished to do a 2 day kayaking trip along tonle sap river but the company running tours wouldn't drive out to base camp because the previous day they had almost lost their vehicle to the mud. In the rainy season there is little to no access for vehicles except motorbikes and well equipped 4x4s. The roads get graded by the same trucks we use as snowplows in Canada ... read more

On the bus to Kratie, I ran into Danny and Duck, guys I previously traveled with in Laos. Kratie is a nice little town on the river. We rented bikes one day and took a ferry across the river to an island. Bike around there. It was really nice, with little kids screaming 'hello' every time we passed them. Next day, we rented motor bikes and went south to Chlon, the took a ferry to the other side. The other bank is not very touristy and really rural, which was nice as the scenery was amazing. We were ridding north, where we planned to cross back to our side of the river. Unfortunately, about 3 quarters of the way, Danny and I stopped for bubble tea, with Duck no where in site. Then a couple of ... read more

The scooter is unstrapped from the back and the concrete shrines removed from the boot. The back of the minivan rises about a foot. We're in Ban Lung, the capital of Ratanakiri Province, northeast Cambodia. After a massive plate of roast beef with garlic, we explore the town. It's got a bit of a wild west / being on the edge of civilization feel to it. Overloaded scooters and pick-ups bumping along wide puddled dirt roads. Smoke billowing from food stalls on wheels. Gem shops, mobile phone sellers, families eating in roadside food places. Noise, flies, skinny dogs trotting along. All underneath an epic sky, with storm systems drifting along. We sit at the kerb and watch life go by and the sun go down having a few beers, then stumble back to the hotel and ... read more