The land of red dust

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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 but only once the rains have completely stopped because they too will be lost to the hungry mud. In every direction around Ban lung there are lakes, rivers, waterfalls, and trails galore. For 2 days we rented bicycles and headed into the countryside for a gander.

First we rode over to the sacred extinct volcano lake Yeak Loam. Very little of the landscape in SE asia resembles ontario but this spot could pass for a quiet muskoka lake. The quiet is what was so desired in coming up this far out of the way. There were a few dozen visitors, Khmer and foreign, and a dozen people selling food but otherwise the region around the lake rather pristine and endearingly quiet. The water is a funny teal-green from all the dissolved minerals and as with any sacred lake there are a host of tales as to its becomings and special powers. I don't know about the spirits that dwell within the waters but you sure feel refreshed after an hours' swim. There were many more Khmer than foreign visitors and as with most countries we've been to the locals have a lot of trouble swimming so me and an aussie guy showed some young folks how to float and tread water... just the basics. The lake is 1 km across and has a pleasant trail around the perimeter with loads of funny vines, towering trees and grottos made of shoreline bamboo. We saw lots of birds and mushrooms and Jenna spotted a water snake. After gettin good and cooled we headed over for some local rice wine and grub. The wine was drinkable but nothing i would buy again and the food was the spiciest we've had so far in cambodia which was a welcome surprise. (though going back to thailand soon should satisfy the capsaicin-hungry monsters inside us)

Day two one the bikes was a messy one. Our goal was to visit 2 waterfalls and tour the village along the way. They were 6 and 9 km from town respectively and this area is hilly for cambodia (which is NOTHING compared to even hamilton) so we were looking forward to sweating it up. The roads in town are paved but 200m out its all packed earth and gravel. Whenever a vehicle passed we had to squint and close our airways and keep moving because most of the main road was also under construction. Once on the side roads lined with small clusters of villages the cycling was much more enjoyable. This was aided by the non-stop "heylo" shouts from children the whole way to the first waterfall. Kranach waterfall is nothing peculiar to look at but has a special charm that cheesy tourist shops try to replicate. Never before thailand had i heard the term "fish massage". The shops are ubiquitous in traveler ghettos across SE asia and even next door to the cafe i am in there are 2 shops with fishtanks that you pay to stick your feet in for 20mins ($3). This waterfalls is natures fish massage and it takes a little gettin used to but after you realise that these are tiny guys who aren't trying to eat you it isn't so unnerving... until the big fish comes for your leg. No marks or blood but boy did i jump outta the water fast with a high-pitched yelp.

With our natural fish massage done we headed off for the second waterfall. About a km into the ride the skies clouded over ominously and before i could make a bad joke about being drenched and how much fun that would be, we were soaked instantly by a torrential downpour. In one way this was welcome because these balmy winter temperatures of 30C aren't cool by our standards; safety however was now an issue. Flooding is not uncommon here and with the ground already fully saturated with a full season of rain the roads disappeared under small rivers within 2 minutes. We stopped for a break under a tree that provided highly inadequate cover and decided we have come this far so might as well continue. We took is slow as the packed clay road becomes slippery as ice when wet. There is a certain childish joy from flying through deep puddles and gettin covered head to toe in mud anyways. At a few points we had to walk to bikes because the mud was so sticky it clogged our wheels and even when cleaned they would clog within a couple meters. As we arrived to the village adjacent to the waterfalls the sun peaked out, the rains ceased, and we laughed in spite of the situation.

This waterfall was larger than the first and had swelled even moreso with the heavy rain and the turbidity was so high the water barely behaved like water and looked like milky tea. The air was filled with a consistent spritz of moisture from the crash of the falls and all around the pool, rocks and trees had a thick, slippery slime coating making it difficult to get close to the water. This fall reminded me of my favourite waterfall in Hamilton, chedoke falls. The shape of the precipice was different but there was a carved out rock shelf where you could walk around the whole pool and behind the falls themselves for a shower. We didn't take one as we would have come out even dirtier than we already were. We took in the scenery for about an hour then had to get going as the sun was quickly falling from the sky. The way down was treacherous and we knew nothing had dried since the rain and we would be walking much of the way uphill back to the main road. Again the bikes often became so clogged that they were immovable but we got the hang of keeping them moving. The stickiness of the mud was such that we got a built up cake that weighed several kilos on the bottom of our shoes and even when we kicked it off it was rebuild in a few steps.

The main road was much more passable and we were able to ride 1/2 the distance home which was more than we expected to. The rain had the pleasant effect of keeping the dust down and made the rest of the way to town the easiest part of the ride. the clouds parted as we returned our bikes and sunset was one of the most beautiful yet. The next day was a rest day. Even though we didn't cycle more than 20Km the bike and road conditions make it a caloric expenditure more akin to a century (160km).

Ban lung itself is a scrubby town that exists as a major jumping point for borders to Lao and Vietnam. It has all the major necessities to get things done but doesn't feel lived in at all. On the plus side, for a town of 25000 we are usually confined to rather poor quality food but here because of large amount of tourists passing through the food is on par with a major city.

The road to Siem Reap (the city next to Angkor Wat) is pretty far away so we set off for the old french trading town of Kampong Cham. For those who are interested in ethnography, Kampong is a malay word, as many Khmer phrases are, that has stuck around from the traders that moved to the mekong area centuries ago. Cham is the term for an ethnic group that still inhabit a region that straddles southern Vietnam and Cambodia. The town is a slice of france on the waterfront, with muslims and mosques around town, and Khmers make up most of the populous. We spent 2 nights and only visited one old temple, and shopped a bit in the Market (or Psar, another Malay word) otherwise we just ate and drank of the riverfront.

Now we are in Siem Reap and have been gallivanting around the temple complexes for a couple days. They are surreal, truly the most amazing temples i have ever seen, though Jenna has a bunch more tomb raiding experience from central america. Tomorrow we actually are going to the temple used in one of the tomb raider movie. The area is massive, the artistry is stunning and it is hard to believe how all of this was created by hand and chisel... and a HUGE helping of slaves. ( but more on angkor another time... )

In 4 days we will be back in Thailand to further explore Bangkok and to visit the ancient citadel of Ayuthaya. Things are looking up as we exit the Indochina penninsula. This has been an amazing few months (except vietnam LOL). We love and miss you all especially as the festivus season approaches!

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Comments

[Dean]

Mud
Mud, mud, glorious mud. OK, glad it was you and not me. No snow here yet. If fact we have temperatures of + 12 this morning with rain so we will have a bit of mud here too. The "festive season" with all of it's noise has certainly started. I am trying to avoid as many stores as possible. Hope you continue to have fun!