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Leaving Laos
Road to the border - Laos side 4,000 Islands - Kratie
Jason & Kirstyn O To say the border crossing into Cambodia was bizarre would be an understatement. After a ferry across from the island we piled into a minivan and drove the five or so kms to the border. After a few kms we turned down a small dirt track, shrowded by forest each side and littered with pot holes (like the hills of Phonsovan). Added to this was the fact they were filled with water from last nights storm and so resembled small lakes! At this stage we wondered whether we were really crossing the border or whether we were being taken into the jungle for other purposes! Also, Jason was not feeling too well by this time (?hungover, ?food poisoning...) and the potholes did nothing to improve his nausea!
Needless to say it took a fair bit of negotiating but we eventually turned up to the tiny huts and small boom gate which made up the Loas immigration offices and stamped ourselves out of Laos. We had to pay $2US to leave instead of the usual $1 as it was a Saturday.
Walked a few hundred metres to another tiny hut and checked into Cambodia, the strange thing was there
Cambodian side of border
The M1 Motorway to Stung Treng vs the tiny dirt track to Laos in background was a perfect bitumen road which started right at the border like a freeway heading into Cambodia! This road was relatively new having been built with funding from the Chinese government. The whole border crossing is also very new...previous to this you had to cross by boat on the Mekong and pay astronomical prices (up to $50US). It is anticipated that this may in time become a much more popular route for travellers but they will need to put a new road in on the Laos side first that's for sure!
Had to pile into a van like sardines to get to Strung Treng (picture 17 people in a small tarago). By this stage Jason's nausea was not improving and he spent the hole trip concentrating very hard on the trees to keep his breakfast down. Not an easy task when you're crammed in so tight but he bravely made it (Kirstyn - I would have been in a tantrum/tears by this stage demanding that we just stay the night on the side of the road instead of get into a car!).
Got to Stung Treng where a short ferry got us across the Mekong. Brief lunch then
Kratie
French buildings, a little worse for wear though in a larger bus to Kratie (phew...seats to ourselves)where we disembarked to stay a couple of days. Kratie is the base to visit the rare and endangered freshwater Irrawaddy Dolphins. There is only an estimated 70 or so left in the World with 30 supposedly in Kampi (just north of Kratie) where a freshwater pool in the Mekong provides an ideal environment.
So far Cambodia had been great, the people lovely and most speak English quite well. In fact most people we met were very very keen to talk to us and practice their English. For young adult Cambodians the ability to speak English can often mean they will find work easier due to the huge increase in tourism. We had previously been wary of travel in Cambodia as we had heard many negative reports about Cambodia and the people - all untrue in our eyes. The next day we headed out on the back of motos (motorbike with driver) to see the Dolphins.
We were suprised on arrival to be able to see them straight away from the banks, slowly surfacing and then disappearing. We then did the boat trip out to get a closer look. They
Home of the Dolphins
Mekong River at Kampi, they were far too shy to photograph. are very shy creatures and certainly don't bow ride like their salt water relatives. They look a bit like a cross between a Dolphin and a Dugong and move slowly but gracefully. We were even lucky enough to see them hunting fish with the fish jumping well out of the water and the Dolphins lumbering up after them! After this we headed up to a nearby mountain complete with monastery and temple. Scooted back late in the afternoon and caught the end of a lovely sunset over the Mekong. Tommorrow we move on to Siem Reap.
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