Northeastern Cambodia

The day before leaving on our trip to Southeast Asia, I was asked what place I was looking forward to the most. My answer was the Ratanakiri province of northeastern Cambodia. The province is home to numerous natural beauties including the relatively unexplored Virachey National Park. Treks into the park are on the order of 5 to 6 days costing more than $300 per person, enough to keep us away. We decided to base ourselves in the dusty provincial capital of Ban Lung. The 100+ kilometer ride from Stung Treng to Ban Lung was almost entirely over loose, red dirt. Every plant, tree, and home along the roadway was dusted red. We arrived in Ban Lung expecting a reprieve from the red cloud only to find that the main thoroughfare through town was covered in red dust.

We checked into our guesthouse with a fake tan and soon realized that the room's red-tinted tile floor had seen others similar to us.

Just five kilometers from the city center is Boeng Yeak Laom, a crater lake.

Lonely Planet says the lake resides in the caldera of a volcano while some locals believe a meteor caused the hole. Regardless, the lake is deep and the dropoff from the edge is immediate; it is definitely a deep crater. We enjoyed an entire day at the lake, rubbing red dust off our bodies, watching families picnic, and diving off the lakeside decks with farang and locals. In one area of the lake, a tree had settled its fall such that the main trunk ran along the suface of the water. It made for an excellent diving board!

The lake water was amazingly transparent with visibility around five meters, so it was easy to chase the minnows around. Still didn't catch any of the slippery buggers though.

The following day, we visited two waterfalls, Chaa Ong and Ka Tieng. Chaa Ong has a dirt ledge where one can walk behind the falling water.

I also ventured into the falls for a power shower that removed all the red dust.

Unfortunately, it all re-collected on my body along the moto ride to Ka Tieng.

Ka Tieng was the most fun. The frigid pool was refreshing in the blistering heat and across the pool, vines dangled down from above. It was perfect for some tarzan action, sound effects included.

A return to Ban Lung meant Laura wanted to visit one of the many gem stone vendors around town. We finally found one who spoke decent english to describe the stones to us. The province is known for gem mining, specifically amethyst, zircon, and onyx. At the shop, a man was cutting and polishing one stone in the background as we admired the stones of the region. Needing no inspirational words from me, Laura brokered herself a deal for a Ratanakiri amethyst. The excuse for expenditure was "a birthday gift". I knew there was something funny about that gem stone vendor request while I was playing Tarzan. Now, I just hope it's an amethyst!

After our adventures around Ban Lung, we hopped onto a passenger bus to Kratie, Cambodia. Kratie is close to another deep water swimming hole where the Irrawaddy dolphins hang out during dry season. Rumors were that dolphin sightings were much closer than the 4,000 islands experience, so we decided to give it another try. Upon arrival to Kratie, we were ecstatic to see paved roads once again. Our elation was dulled when our packs were pulled from the bus's cargo caked in Ratanakiri province soil. Looks like we will be traveling with Ratanakiri souvenirs throughout Cambodia.

Kratie had a beautiful Mekong riverfront. The town center held the local market where fruits, vegetables, meats, and clothing were sold.

I rode a bike up to Kampi, where the Mekong Dolphin Conservation Project takes tourists to the dolphin pool. The rumors held true, and we got some great up-close views of the endangered species. The views were few and fleeting, so we gave up on the camera shots and enjoyed the experience.

From Kratie, we moved on to Kompong Cham. The city has another wonderful Mekong riverfront with a huge bridge crossing the river.

We were visiting the city for two reasons, a bamboo bridge and spiders. The bamboo bridge links the city with the rural island Koh Paen.

The bridge is flooded by the Mekong during the rainy season so the toothpicks are replaced each year by locals. The roughly half kilometer bridge was easily handling pedestrians, bicycles, and motos, displaying the amazing versatility of bamboo. We rented a moto to get to Skuon, home of the deep-fried spider. Noone is quite sure how the tradition began, but Skuon locals hunt large, poisonous spiders in the forest. They remove the venomous teeth and then send them to the fryer. I plopped down 1,000 riel (25 cents) for the local delicacy and dug in!

It was hard to get down and tasted mostly like the oils it had been fried in.

Our return from spiderville brought us to the temples of Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei.

Here, I got to enjoy a Coca-cola with one of the many temple residents.

We travel to Siem Reap next, the gateway to the Angkor temples.

Now, a break from the travel blog to discuss my special evening in Kompong Cham. After spiderville, Laura was wrestling with a dose of diarhea (maybe she should have eaten a spider also). She returned to the guesthouse while I ventured off to a rebuilt French tower to photograph the bridge at sunset. At the top of the tower, I encountered a young Khmer couple and greeted them with "Sua s'dei" (hello). I received a silent response and began to think I was interrupting an intimate moment. I photographed the sunset for a few minutes and prevented any French kissing that may have been planned. The couple continued to glance at me as they spoke Khmer to each other. I thought to myself I should leave them to enjoy the sunset together but just then, the young lady approached me, and in impeccable English, she asked my name. Surprised, I replied and reciprocated the question. I enjoyed the sunset with Dani and her schoolmate as we discussed Cambodian tourist sites, the U.S., and school. Dani was in her last year of high school and her father wanted to send her to a U.S. university. She was excited about the prospect of visiting foreign soil and testing her intelligence at a U.S. university. We parted ways after crossing the bridge to Kompong Cham together and I couldn't have been more excited that they had approached me to practice English and discuss their home and mine.

Luckily, my fun didn't end there. As I was returning to the hotel along the riverfront, Khmers were strolling away the rest of their day. One young man made eye contact with me as he was munching away on something in a banana leaf. He jumped to attention, grabbed another completely packaged wrap, and waved me over exuberantly. What did he want me to buy, I thought. He asked me to eat his sticky rice with banana wrap and join him for a riverfront conversation. Having been unable to identify the Khmer sticky rice with banana wrap, I couldn't pass up the opportunity for the delicacy and Khmer company. He was a 21 year old sophomore studying agricultural economics at a Kompong Cham university. He originally was from a small village but had moved to the city to get educated and make a better life. We discussed his studies and the governmental corruption issues that plague Cambodia. He had an intense hatred for the corruption; hopefully, that feeling spreads to more Cambodian youths so non-violent change with be on the horizon.

I thanked the college student for his hospitality and attempted once again to check on Laura at the hotel. This time, a plump man waved me over as he munched on a strange nut. Being unable to resist invitation, I joined him for a nut snack. He wanted to know the English name for the nuts he was eating which I, unfortunately, could not tell him. We munched on the nuts, unable to communicate except for hand motions and smiles, while fishermen returned home on the river.

It is experiences like these that make traveling so enjoyable. The random invitations and hospitality of people around the world is amazing. Laura and I have recognized that traveling alone produces more of these encounters. A person is more approachable and less intimidating than a couple. People feel they aren't interrupting anything. I had many of these encounters during my solo jogs in Tengeru, Tanzania; everyone wanted to greet the mzungu runner. Food is also a major link between people. Regardless of race, religion, or language, people can come together to feast and enjoy the tastes of a foreign land. Think of how much enjoyment a Vermonter gets when they first introduce somebody to real maple syrup; this is probably how the sticky rice and banana experience was to the college student. In Skuon, as I ate the spider, a crown of locals gathered around me to watch my reactions. They've probably seen it a hundred times but they still enjoy it as much as the first time. I hope to encounter more Khmer curiousity as our travels continue, and I'll continue to approach them in hopes of having more Kompong Cham evenings.

Cafe Lao, Khmer ruins, and freshwater dolphins

We've followed the Mekong all the way down to the Lao-Cambodia border. Our first stop along the way was Pakse, the southernmost city of Laos. Pakse is 30 to 40 kilometers from the Bolaven Plateau, home to fertile soil, dramatic waterfalls, and high-grade coffee plantations. The plateau has always been farmed, but when the French arrived, they started planting coffee, rubber trees, and bananas. Eventually, the French left the plateau when Laos gained independence and the Vietnam war brought massive bombing as the plateau was seen as a strategic area to control for both Northern Vietnam and Americans. Still today, some land on the Bolaven plateau is being cleared of unexploded ordnance and is not farmable. However, for the land that has been cleared, Lao people are hard at word producing great coffee.

The plateau covers a large area and has some dramatic drop-offs formed by water. Among the most spectacular is Tat Fan, parallel streams plunging 120 meters down to a pool. The Tat Fane resort is conveniently located at the best overlook of the falls so one can enjoy a Cafe Lao, listen to crashing water, and enjoy the natural scenery.

There are so many worthwhile waterfalls on the plateau, it is overwhelming and a bit costly (each charges an entrance fee). We visited Tat Yuang.

I took a dip in the waterfall pool where the powerful water had eroded any land my legs might have reached. The current produced from the dramatic 40 meter falls was equally impressive. These two facts combined with the frigid water made for a short-lived dip. Above the falls, a picnic area was set where we enjoyed some tasty Lao oranges.

The following day, we traveled to the small town of Champusak. It is located 30 kilometers south of Pakse across the Mekong river. Previously, the town was home to Lao royalty, it was an important French colonial town, and it was home to a large Khmer-era temple. After crossing on a river barge to the town, we found a quiet village with a single paved road following the Mekong, a splendid location to spend a couple of days. Our first morning, we rented bicycles at our guesthouse and rode 9 kilometers to Wat Phu Champusak, an ancient Khmer temple and now a UNESCO world heritage site. The temple is thought to date back to the 5th century with lots of additions, renovations, etc. throughout the years. The entrance walkway was recently restored to a semblance of its previous glory.

The temple rises from the base of Phu Khuai (Mount Penis); it can be divided into three sections with steep stairways separating the sections. At the base of the mountain is the main causeway to the temple flanked by two nearly dry ponds. The second level contains two incredible pavilions. The lintels, carvings, and pillared windows of the pavilions put visitors in awe.

Unfortunately, the ruins are quite unsafe for entry;

there was only one entry point to one of the pavilions. A steep, long staircase up the mountain leads to the final level where the main sanctuary is located.

The view from the sanctuary encompasses the temple grounds, the surrounding villages and rice fields, and the Mekong river.

Located at the top is a sacred cave spring that even today provides fresh water. Unfortunately, one of the canals that once directed the water has collapsed and water erosion now threatens to destroy what is left of the wat. Archeologists, UNESCO, and locals are attempting to resolve this before it is too late. The danger was very noticeable between the perfectly healthy southern terraces (see photo left) versus the crumbling northern terraces (see photo right).

Besides the sanctuary and the spring, a trail led to rock carvings of elephants, a crocodile, and a Buddha footprint on the third level.

After a fantastic visit to Wat Phu and Champusak, we continued South to Si Phan Don (the 4,000 islands).

The area has three major tourist islands and many of the other islands are so small, the single tree shouldn't qualify as an island. We stayed on Don Det, an adjacent island to Don Khon which is a jumping off point to view the endangered Irrawaddy dolphins (estimates say there are maybe 300 worldwide and 100 living in the Mekong). During the dry season, the dolphins are primarily found in two deep water pools of the Mekong river. The pools are at the Laos-Cambodia border and just north of Kratie, Cambodia. Our guide book warned us that the best time for viewing the dolphins was early morning and late afternoon. This prompted us to set a 6 AM watch alarm which was completely unnecessary when your bungalo already comes with a 4 AM rooster alarm. We crawled out of bed, eyes half open, and arranged bicycle rentals to travel to Don Khon. Upon arrival to the northern tip of Dong Khon, I explained to Laura that we should travel the eastern shore of the island to reach the southern tip where boats awaited ambitious dolphin tourists. For kilometers, we weaved through gravel roadways, Buddhist wats, former railways, and rice field walkways until we finally came upon an unpassable river ravine. We re-examined my map more closely to realize the pathway abruptly ended before reaching the island's southern tip. Disgruntled, tired, and breakfastless, we returned to the northern tip and went towards the western shore. There, we found signs leading us to the dolphins and a well-known waterfall. At this point, it was too late for dolphin-viewing, but we did take in the powerful Tat Somphapit waterfall.

We grabbed brunch and renewed our strength by stretching out in our bungalo hammocks before taking a late afternoon boat ride to a rock island overlooking a Mekong river conservation area. This was the dry season home of the freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins.

Their appearance was unspectacular when compared to other dolphins, no aerial somersaults, no leaping through hoops, no flipper-like cackling; however, their brief appearances were magical nonetheless. Hopefully, the species will recover to delight future generations.

After a brutal bike riding day, Laura and I took a day to recover at our riverside bungalo.

Since we were leaving to Cambodia the following day, we had plenty of spare kip to splurge on Beer Lao and remain properly hydrated while swinging in a hammock!

Now, a break from the travel blog to discuss more random thoughts. First, the bicycles. This post had a bunch of bicycle rentals and these bicycles are like nothing I've ever ridden before. They have a single gear with a basket up front and a metal platform above the rear tire for carrying stuff. The brakes NEVER work, neither front nor rear. It is impossible to adjust the seat in a manner such that my knees do NOT hit the handlebars. The bike weighs so much that I can't lift it without two hands and my knees bent. To top all the common issues off, each bicycle has its own special issue. One had a pedal nearly falling off. Another had a chain so loose that a bump would pop it off. For two people who haven't seen a treadmill or weights for eight months, these bicycles feel like a tank. The roadways haven't helped us much either. Most have been more rugged and bumpier than any Colorado mountain bike trail I ever rode (I admit an unfair comparison since I did have suspension on my mountain bike). The one consolation prize all the bikes rewards us with, a thicker-than-my-sofa-cushion seat which means my bottom's just red, not black and blue, after a ride. Anyway, next time I write "We rode 9 kilometers.", that should be the equivalent of "We just completed running a marathon."

Spiders. I never thought any insect would scare Laura more than a spider. One spider scared her out of a squat toilet. Another tortured her while perched atop our mosquito net. But, today, we had our first cockroach and wow, did that ever stir up some action. I was daydreaming in bed when Laura stepped out of the bathroom, spotted our new roommate, and shrieked. As she backed into the corner of our room, I followed her stare to a large cockroach who had taken center stage in our room.

"Jeremy, what do I do?"

"Pick up my shoe and smash it."

Laura slowly hunched down to grab the nearby shoe. As she moved towards the visitor half-step by half-step, my grin moved towards my ears. Before she was within striking distance, Johnny Cockroach took off full speed under Laura's toiletries bag. The search was on. With shoe raised in striking position, toiletries, pants, and backpacks flew from the other hand. The floor was clear and the only place Johnny could have escaped was under the immovable armoire. Johnny lived for another day! Without television, it's great to get an episode of Tom and Jerry once in a while.

All of our Thai and Lao busrides have Thai love songs played at near max volume through just-functional speakers. I was trying to think of how one might simulate this experience in the US and I think I've got it. First, download that "Near, Far, Wherever you are" song from Titanic. Set the IPod to repeat playlist and make that the ONLY song on your playlist. Find an open-bed truck and install an unpadded wooden chair into the truck bed; secure it well. Next, hire an aggresive, redneck driver who will take the truck anywhere. Fasten yourself to the chair, tell the redneck driver "Pop me outta this chair or I'll tell everybody that you watch Oprah.", then crank the IPod volume. Enjoy the ride! This experience is being a bit too harsh; you can understand the words to the song.

Kilometer 8 has a whole new meaning now. We were at the southern bus station in Pakse, nicknamed the Kilometer 8 bus station, multiple times due to circumstances back home. The bus station is a huge dirt parking lot, half of which is market stalls and the other half is songthaew parking. The first time we arrived there, men grabbed our bags and us from the tuk-tuk and put us into the songthaew. This was 8:30 AM. We were attempting to make the 30 kilometer trip to Champusak. We proceeded to suffer in extreme heat and dust for hours. Each half hour, the driver would start the vehicle, beep the horn frantically, and adjust the vehicle enough so that more sun entered our side of the vehicle. Finally, the vehicle left at 11:30 AM and we arrived in Champusak at 1:30 PM. Five hours to travel 30 kilometers; that's hard to do! We had a total of three visits to the Kilometer 8 bus station and we logged six hours waiting in blistering heat and dust. Luckily, the dust made for a great sunscreen. If you ever want to make me cringe, just mention the words "Kilometer 8".