Casino s across the border

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Took the 6 o clock coach in Saigon for Phnom Penh. Trip took incl border procedures about 7 hours. Compared to 8 years ago roads in Cambodia, at least route nr 1 from Moc Bai border crossing to Phnom Penh has been improved. 8 years ago it took 6 /7 hours now not even 3.

Vietnam as good communist country cannot allow gambling and Casino s on its territory. That s why Cambodia helps out. The Vietnamese just cross the border at Moc Bai and I counted at least 9 huge Hotel/Casino s.

Border procedure at the Cambodian side has been improved. A big sign with" sorry for any delay due to new computersystem"Yes indeed they had to do everything three times before it worked. The camera did not work mainly because there was no indication where you had to stand for the picture.
The Quarantaine department was the biggest hall in the building and people were helped to fill out the forms in a way you did not get problems..

We had a short stop for food and I tried an ATM. Only US dollars to be changed inside the bank. Did not do it. Found out later in Phnom Penhn that its standard procedure. All ATM s only give US$. Nobody in Cambodia is interested in their own money. They want to have US$

The fields are quite different from Vietnam. Every now and than a small ricefield and the rest..... nothing. However quite some cattle but so skinny, just skin and bones. Wonder what they do with them. Eat??

Arrived at Phnom Penh 13.00 and took kind of Tuk tuk to the hotel. On our way a terrible rain and the streets flooded within minutes.
I m in the north of the city and streets are beyond repair and dirty and wet and full of holes and dirt. For foreigners the currency is US$. Foodprices double of Vietnam and for what reason? After 8 years the small Starmarkets, owned by caltex, with a few hundreds items are still the most modern supermarkets .

I ll skipp Battambang friday and bought a coach ticket directly to Bangkok. Better 1 day suffering for 18 hours than 2 days of 9 hours.
Will be at the border with Thailand at the end of the day. Thats good for I don t like travelling in Dark in this country. Hopefully the driver will have a good sleep tomorrow for it s quite a trip.

What is remarkable in Vietnam is that you hardly see any boldheaded man. They just keep there hair.
Will have a look here tomorrow how it is here.

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Photos

coach Saigon- Phnom Penh
reasonable coach with enough legspace

they attack
Attacking a minibus to sell food

selling
selling kind of vegatables on the route border to Phnom Penh