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Published: June 21st 2017
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Geo: 10.3812, 104.486
I leave for Ha Tien the next morning which isn't far away, it's a lovely cycle along the coast and I realise I'm going to miss Vietnam. Just before I get into Ha Tien there's a big billboard for the 'Superfast' ferry over to Phu Quoc so I decide to go down and try and get a refund on my ticket. I was pleasantly surprised when I did get a full refund although they never gave a reason for my boat being cancelled, but I had to be back on the mainland as my visa is due to expire tomorrow.
Ha Tien looks a lovely place so instead of heading straight into Cambodia I spend my last night here as my refund paid for my room. Ha Tien has a lovely riverside and walkway which I enjoy walking down, there are beautiful statues and temples and it's the cleanest place I've seen for a while. It also has bustling markets full of seafood, fruit and vegetables and has a nice feel about it, so I take my time having a look around. Cambodia for me tomorrow, although I always get a bit nervous about border crossings in case there's any problems but I also love them.
I get on the road early which after a couple of kilometers turns into a dusty old track, really bumpy and filled with pot holes. There are more of the limestone stacks that I have enjoyed on my journey throughout Vietnam on the way to the border, and the last wee villages before I cross. I get stamped out of Vietnam and head through a gateway into a no man's land before entering Cambodia and going through Immigration control in the form of a wooden shack.
I buy my visa on arrival, handing over my passport and photos and the whole process takes no time at all, I then get stamped into Cambodia but on leaving I am shouted back… oh no. I was taken into a room and asked to fill out a form with loads of health questions, as I was ticking boxes etc. the guy pointed something at my neck but it turned out he was taking my temperature, which thankfully he said was perfect… phew. If I had a fever would they not let me in? I paid $1 for the process and he gave me a departure card and health information card in case I feel unwell while in Cambodia then relieved, I am sent on my way. Through my last check point and that's me over and starting a new part of my journey through Cambodia, I can't believe that I'm here and feel a bit overwhelmed once again.
The first thing that hits you in the face is a massive casino… really? I wasn't expecting that. The road signs although similar are now half in English and half in Khmer, and once again to a script that I cannot understand, it makes no sense to me at all but is very beautiful. The houses now that I'm passing are all on stilts with hammocks strung underneath with families sitting down below in the shade of the day, and before I know it I'm out exploring the salt planes.
I just know I'm going to enjoy it here, already there a beautiful big smiles and waves on my journey and I pass maybe five young boys all holding out their hands to me, which I high five them all in one foul swoop on the way past… hahahaha brilliant!
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