10 june 2008 Tuesday
Wow, after a 6 hour bus ride from Seim Reep I arrived on the bus and was expecting a tuk tuk from the Sunday guesthouse to meet me and take me there. they were not there. I was amazed and pissed. i waited and waited and then just caught another tuk tuk to the OKAY guesthouse. It was also listed in the lonely planet book as nice. Snooze you lose, guys! Will; they ever learn when someone makes reservations and you agree to pick them up at the bus and take them to their guesthouse....BE THERE!
Anyway, I got a room and then had a very nice meal at trhe okay resturant. I was done for the day.
11 June 2008 Wednesday
Phnom Penh is a city on the Mekong river. The next morning I had breakfast and took off in a tuk tuk with the same driver that had originally picked me up at the bus station. We did as city tour and then headed for a secret place. It was where the four rivers meet. There is an island there, well for now anyway as the rains have been slow to come but as they do come it will be covered with water. The height of the river swells enourmously I am told. It was a great view and there were many small Vietnamese boats and camp on the shore. I asked my tuk tuk driver (Sophie) was this a normal tourist site, he said I was the first. I asked why? He said they had never considered it important enough....humm I did. I said to him that he should do this short trip with a boat ride around the island. He also thought yes a good idea. So, I was drafted, to make it happen for future visits by tourists. I agreed to help. I had time. The day was over and I returned to Okay guesthouse for dinner and a movie.
12 June 08 Thursday
The next morning I arose early and headed for a cup of coffee and then was off on my tuk tuk (Sophie) to the Vietnam Embassy to obtain a visa for 3 months multiple entry/exit. Wooooooo $90 us. ow!! Man I don't want to buy the country.....doh! OK dine, I will pick up my visa tomorrow at 10am. Then, I realized just how hard it was to read my maps and book maps, I needed a magnifing glass.... yeah right, I will just run down to 7-11....not. OK I thought......ah so an optomitrist! Yea.. I found one but he had no clue or english but with great difficulty I finally got one....wo what a deal to endure. OK, we stopped and had a coffee and wrote out the plans for his new tour and discused his business end of it. He had much to do to arrange the boats and all and then we could make it an offical tour by their standards and rules. It was goodso far. We will continue when he gets all the arrasngements made officially. I will translate for him to english for the tourists and make his advertising flyers for the guesthouses. I am volunteering to do this.
OK, time for breakfast. Mummmmm good. Then I went across the street to use the internet....and here I am. So I will write more soon.....ok
29 June 08 Sunday
Well, it has been 3 weeks in this area of southern Cambodia and I have to say it has been interesting to say the least. I have many photos and stories, which would take too long to state here. Soooo, now I am departing for NE Cambodia. A (bus is 10 hours) day or so there and then to the border of Laos. I will take a slow boat from there to Pakse in Laos and visit the ancient tribes whose women still use tattoos all over their faces..... wooooooooo hummmm I also understand that they have some of the best mountain grown coffee in the world in Laos.... I might just have to try them all.... hehe From there I am not sure yet but will end up in Hanoi Vietnam soon after that 2 weeks or so. Well thats about it for now so see ya next in LAOS... thanks for tuning in!
