Murph's adventures

Kompong Cham

aussiemurph81 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:26:00 GMT

Nice rivertown, used it to break up the bus ride from Phnom Penh to Mondulkiri (Sen Monorom). Went across the bamboo bridge on a bicycle to a HUGE island, with hundreds of kids yelling out "Hello!", which is always cool. Hired a very good mountain bike for 6000 riel from Mekong Lazy Daze bar for the arvo, the girls I went with paid $1 for old bicycles with faulty brakes, which was a bit dangerous for them on the way down to the bamboo bridge as its bumpy and steep and they weren't exactly Cadel Evans.

Cost 2000 riel for a 2-way pass to go onto the island and then be able to leave (can't I stay? - No.")

Also cost 2000 riel to enter the beach area, but later realised you can kinda swim anywhere if you just dump your pushie somewhere and climb down the side to the sand flats, its all pretty clean looking (although maybe there's a massive sandcrab waiting to drag you down).

Big market in town too.

Stayed at French owned Mekong Sunrise, which (take note) is the only place that keeps its doors open past 11pm when I was there, as the owner Cedric is a social guy who likes to stay up and have a beer, AND he had draft beer - hooray!!!

Mekong Sunrise also had good food which was cheap compared to the other places. Room was $5 with shared bathroom, pretty basic, would have taken upstairs for $7 but it was MASSIVE (basically the whole level, just split in half) , a good deal with hot shower but I was by myself and it just would have been weird (and unsociable) to have that much space to myself after sharing shoeboxes with others.

Nice place to cycle around, has a strangely huge bridge, and alot of infrastructure like sealed roads and paved riverfront, and streetlights. I heard it was where Hun Sen was born and apparently his brother is the governor of this place too. Got a lot of big mansion looking places too.

There are some other things to go to, like a big temple and a "man" and "woman" mountain, but i didn't go to the mountain after having seen so many "must see" attractions. Nice place to chill but so you don't have to do a straight 10hour bus ride from PP to Mondulkiri.

Kompong Cham

aussiemurph81 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:26:00 GMT

Cost 2000 riel for a 2-way pass to go onto the island and then be able to leave (can't I stay? - No.")

Big market in town too.

Mondulkiri : Sen Monorom - failed Bou Sra attempt

aussiemurph81 — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 20:47:00 GMT

Arrived late and thus in the dark due to a broken down bus that was replaced after only an hour an half wait (I was expecting about 4-6 hours, and was already crafting a bow & arrow with my Swiss Army knife and some wood and the elastic from some undersized underwear). So my guesthouse choices were limited in the dark as ones I wanted to check out where somewhere off in the dark past the barking dogs...

So stayed at Holiday Guesthouse through lack of other options, but the guide (who worked out of there) Prekachear (?) could speak English and said I could downgrade from the $8 double to the $5 single the next day. And recommended that I hire a motorbike the next day and gave me a "map". Room smelled of something weird, or stale, so I opened the windows and went to eat at a mansion up the road, with suprisingly cheap food.

then it was back to the sad ballads as per usual... I wonder if the band just wanna break out sometimes and play, rock, or ANYTHING else haha.

Went past the next morning and it looked worse than the aftermath of a Big Day Out (big musical festival), but luckily a large group of cows, and some environmentally minded dogs, had moved in to clean up the tonnes of scattered rubbish. If only they ate plastic.

Tried for about an hour to hire a motorbike at about 830-930am but either places were:

a) Missing staff

b) Had rented out their 3.5 scooters

c) Were trying to rent me a scooter whilst conducting home handyman auto electrics to get it started (otay otay!) which didn't inspire me with confidence for a 70km return drive

Luckily Prekachear drove by and stopped said hello and rented me his scooter. Off to Bou Sra waterfall I went. Stopped at the coffee plantation, which had amazing coffee and a talkative manager. Ate alot of red 4WD dust along the way. Slightly scary not seeing anything until the dust cleared then seeing a van appear in front of you overtaking the 4WD through the dust cloud. You have been warned!

Went onwards to the waterfall after confirming it was the steep narrow red dirt patch "road". According to the "map" it was a simple straight ride for about 30km. HA! The dirt tracks were at times indistinguishable, and came to 2 or 3 way intersections, in which each track looked equally unlikely. So after 1st gearing up some very challenging tracks, I began to think I was going nowhere except ah, lost. So I began leaving myself signs (saved me being lost in the bush) to make my way back. Took several different paths, including one that took me past a very suprised Khmer guy when I stopped to take a photo of the bush. "Bou Sra?" I asked, I just got a confused look. After about 20km of different paths, some near scooter drops and alot of slow going, I headed back onto the main road (made it!).

Went back to the coffee plantation for lunch (apart from the noodles everything is meant for families so that's why the other dishes cost 44000 riel!!!) and some more strong delicious coffee. Showed them the "map" to the waterfall and they couldn't stop laughing. They said I had to keep turning right all the time at the intersections, definitely not straight like the map said.

Made it back for a rest and some food.

I'd recommend either a guide/moto dop to get to the Bou Sra waterfall, unless you can find a 250 dirtbike and are an experienced rider (scooter in 1st gear is a slow, frustrating choice). And a GPS locator or some way of telling where you are because they are infintite paths that head off everywhere and all look the same.

Also take heaps of sunscreen, the tops of my legs were starting to burn. Oh and expect to come back covered in red dust. My long sleeve shirt was white, now its red.

Will post some photos of this misadventure soon.

Waterfall Luang Prabang

aussiemurph81 — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 14:29:00 GMT

Luang Prabang, Khang Sai waterfall (about 36km outside of Luang Prabang).

Bus Leaves Without Me! Interesting day!

aussiemurph81 — Thu, 8 Mar 2012 21:51:00 GMT

Caught a VIP bus from Luang Prabang after being convinced the VIP bus was the best option after talking to several travel agents (probably wasn't the best source of info).

Got a bus in the morning with White Elepant Tours. I wouldn't recommend them, although they do speak good English. Firstly when I got on someone was in my seat, although White Elephant Tours had promised me I would have my own seat. Turned out it was my seat, the girl just didn't have a ticket and had "claimed" myne. Had to argue with the young English girl just to get my seat - strange! Anyways all good.

Got off at first stop and the guy at the shop ripped me off 20000 kip (beware!) when I gave him a 50000 kip note (was all I had except for a 2000 kip note)for big 5000 kip water. Pulled him up on it but he says he doesn't have any 50000 kip note (he shuffled it before and gave it to his wife while he was giving change to another guy). Then she comes and yells at me which I thought was a bit uncalled for! Anyway I accept that I have been severely ripped off so I head up the other end and get some 2000 kip small water, no probs. Stopped to chat and say hi to some guys i met in the morning, then my bus takes off!!!

The guys tell me to jump on their mini bus as they have 3 spare seats (lucky! Must have been the only one in history, and we didn't stop to pick up 8 locals, a dead monkey, fish, raw meat, fruit, 10 bags of rice or 3 crying children).

On the way we pass my VIP bus, which is broken down at the side of the road (apparently for a few hours after).

Didn't get my bag back (?????) but luckily I only had clothes in it, and my camera and Ipod charger (replaceable). I always keep my camera/phone/passport/wallet etc on me in the bus. But I guess its lucky that it wasn't someone with a buig bag, I travel very light (3 pairs of shorts/3 shirts and chargers etc) so it was no big deal for me, but I guess be warned that your bag can go missing and sometimes buses do leave without you (I presume the girl jumpoed back in my seat so they thought it was full, either that or they just don't check, didnb't hear any beeping as per usual...

Anyways onwards!

Mui Ne, Vietnam

aussiemurph81 — Mon, 6 Feb 2012 20:39:00 GMT

Great long beach, was in the water all day at the beach. Weather was great! 2 cool places to go out further down past the main strip. Went to sand-dunes, but tour kept stopping at places (as per usual in Vietnam).

Accomodation is right on the beach at all of the places, restaurants are on the opposite side. Fresh seafood is great, and especially at the specific seafood restuarants at night right on the water, all seafood is live and you can pick which crab/lobster you want or which prawns you want etc - its amazing!!!

Lonely Planet for some reason doesn't mention South East Asia's biggest Buddha statue (!!!!) which is about 90minutes scooter ride out of Phan Thiet. Pretty amazing! Lying Buddha, at the top of a mountain.

Stayed for about 10 days the 2nd time I went, first time maybe 5. Weather was great both times.

Photos: Laos

aussiemurph81 — Sun, 8 Jan 2012 19:51:00 GMT

October 2011

Cambodia

aussiemurph81 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:19:00 GMT

Phnom Penh was busy, dirty, smelly but very interesting. Got hassled (offered?) tuk-tuks and motos everywhere you go, but just get used to saying "no thanks". Moto rides are pretty fun though, a little bit scary for a first timer i.e. how will i not fall off??? Went to Killing Fields, a sombreing experience.

so far sihanoukville has not been that great for me, the beach is fine and the seafood and food in general as well, but its REALLY touristy here. before 10am the place is peaceful and great but after that every tourist gets hassled by beggars and kids and everyone else trying to sell you things, it doesn't matter whether you are alone, with someone else, walking, sitting, in the middle of your meal or anything, you don't get 5 minutes to yourself to enjoy the place. Beggars are fine as they are polite and move on quickly when you say no, but the peddlars just hassle you for ages! As soon as you get rid of one another one comes with something different, alot of them are kids-they can all speak english. Plus apart from the beach there's nothing that interesting to do in the place itself.

Phnom Penh was pretty dirty and smelly but it was an interesting place, went to the Killing Fields (the place where Khmer rouge had their camps), was a sombre place but it had a really positive spin because the Khmer people have built a really tall temple(?) to house the skulls/bones etc as a commerative spiritual building to rest the victims in peace and respect. Still can't understand how "Duch" the man in charge could even debate a life sentence-over 8000 skulls are in that temple.

The museum is AMAZING, they have religious bronze and sandstone statues-some 3m tall, from as far back as the 7th century-still standing!

So I'm off to Rabbit Island tomorrow morning, go to Kampot by bus then a boat to Rabbit Island, should be very relaxing, if I don't like it I'll just keep on moving.