November 29
Well, today was a banner day. The van picked us up at 9 am and we headed for the border of Thailand and Laos. We had to go through Laos to get to the northern part of Cambodia. We made it in about one hour to the border and easily went through immigration and into Laos. Kissed our guides goodbye (figuratively speaking) and we immediately approached by a nice lady who offered a van to take us to the Cambodian border. How they know we wanted to go there is still a mystery but it was very convenient. After some bartering about price, off we went on the 3-1/2 hour trip to Cambodia. Good roads until about 10 minutes from the border when all of a sudden a what we thought was a detour sign directed us onto a dirt road most of which was still in the construction phase. About three miles of bad road brought us to the poorest excuse of a border crossing we had ever seen. This was right out of a bad horror movie. There was just a shack and a few people from the nearby village standing around. We were directed to the shack by a guy about 30 years old with very few teeth and a t-shirt with the word Police on it. He rather gruffly asked for our passports and opened a drawer with nothing much in it and rummaged trough it to find a stamp. Discarding a few old stamps he finally found the one he wanted and proceeded to look through our passports page by page. Without a word he finally grunted and started stamping. This really encourages great confidence in where we were and what was happening. The two ladies who drove us were standing talking to some of the village people but we were left standing wondering where we go now!!!!! No cars, no official people, no bus, no nothing.
We asked the ladies what we do now and she said in broken English, we go to BBBB and then to Ban Lung to get visa. Oh I failed to tell you that when we asked for the visa, the policeman said no visa, no visa. Then why are we here and what is he doing with our passports??????? Very disconcerting!!!
One of the village guys when he saw how troubled we looked said the car comes, $30 dollars to get visa. No car was there, nothing!!! All of a sudden around the corner, in a cloud of dust, came our savior, Tien. The van was a wreck, he was a wreck, but he knew what he was doing and proceeded to start loading our bags into the back of the van, not through the tailgate but through the side door and into the back seats. Needless to say, we carry a few suitcases. One for Aek, one for Larry, and one for Allen plus the camera bag, the food bag, two backpacks and a total of eight bags. Tien, while smiling, which was a good sign, continued to load the bags, picking them up like they weighed nothing. Fully loaded, off we went, we know not where!!!!!
Well, you all know the meaning of “First Class,” “Business Class,” “Coach,” “Steerage,” this was not on this list of knowns!!!! This was disaster class. The van was filthy, and squeaky, but thankfully the engine sounded like it was fine. The “road,” if you could call it that was nothing but two ruts in the grass and weeds. Overgrowth of weeds in the middle of the ruts gave a very clear indication that this was not a well-traveled road. I couldn’t help but thinking that I was glad that we were the first people to reach the border and not the second group!!!!!!
Bumping, bone-rattling, thumping and jarring, did not begin to describe the ride. Thirteen kilometers of “non existent” road though the country on our way to “what we hoped” to get our visas. We followed the two ruts for what seems like more than thirteen km and finally there appeared a gravel road. One left turn and another 100 yards or so of and there was another small shack and a pull down gate bar. Behind this shack was another building with about 10 guys playing cards and eating. Tien directed us to the house and we were greeted by a man in an old strapped t-shirt, looking anything but official. He did turn out to be a very nice man who incidentally had two daughters in the school where Allen taught in Siem Reap. Quite a coincidence but welcomed in this situation. We started to feel some comfort. We filled out papers and then the stamps and the payment of money (no extra money here like at some border crossings). After the visa, we had to move to the shack because seemingly the immigration officer could only function in his “office.” This was officious!!!!!
After this ritual and many stamps later, we attain joined Tien at the car and proceed on an hour ride on a dirty road but smooth and well maintained. He was a very good driver and as dusk and darkness approached, we were happy about that. After about an hour we saw a few lights and what appeared to be water and Tien pulled to a stop and he said “boat”!!! Oh shit! Where is the boat in total darkness and how do we slep our eight very heavy bags onto this boat and where do we go. Again Tien to the rescue!!!!!!!!! He unloaded the bags from the van and picked up the heaviest one on his shoulder and grabbed another and I followed with two bags. In the darkness it was not easy to see where we were headed but finally approached a narrow wooden plank attached to a very small boat. Tien walked the plank and put down the suitcases and I did the same after almost stumbling off the side. A very young boat boy then started to pull in the plank and I had to yell at him that there were more people coming. Out of the darkness materized Allen, Aek, and Tien again carrying more luggage. We all safely were on board and the plank was pulled up and in total darkness the engine started and we were moving. The river was supposed to be crossed by a bridge the Chinese were building but it was not complete. Later we found that it is to be completed in 2008. In the mean time this small shuttle carries people from one side of the river to the other. It only took about 5 minutes to cross but in darkness we had no idea where and what we were to do on the other side. Tien was in total control, however, and rapidly off loaded the luggage onto the dock. Thankfully we didn’t need a plank this time but I lifted my bad onto the dock and realized I had made a big mistake. By lifting and twisting the heavy bag, it was just right to twist my back and I felt something I didn’t like move on my right side. People were hurrying off and onto the boat and we were trying to figure and count the bags and wonder where we were. At least this side had a dim light and a dock. Tien was off and running up the slanted road up to the street so we followed as best we could. Aek was carrying the heaviest bags, Allen was doing his best and I was limping with three bags following. When we got to the top of the street level, Tien was still walking and we looked like the rose parade without the roses. A bedraggled group of tourists with far too many bags! As we passed a few outdoor restaurants, other people were pointing and laughing at the crazy people looking like they just were saved off the Titanic
Well, Tien, all 4 feet, 8 inches of him, knew exactly where he was going and got us to the “best hotel” in the city of Strang Than. “Best” is a very qualified word, but after his ordeal it was a bed and a shower, even though there was no hot water.
Filthy, tired, confused, disoriented, and my case, hurting, we showered and ventured out into the small “town” trying to find something to eat before total collapse. There were only sidewalk eating places and it was 9 am and the first one was crowded but the woman said she was closed for the night. We went on the second one and it turned out to be fine. Good food (fried rice with pork) again but there was one waited named Ra who was also a guide and we planned the next leg of our journey. He arranged a van to pick us up the next morning and in 3-1/2 hours we would be in Ban Lung. After dinner we all collapsed and had a very deep sleep.
Well, today was a banner day. The van picked us up at 9 am and we headed for the border of Thailand and Laos. We had to go through Laos to get to the northern part of Cambodia. We made it in about one hour to the border and easily went through immigration and into Laos. Kissed our guides goodbye (figuratively speaking) and we immediately approached by a nice lady who offered a van to take us to the Cambodian border. How they know we wanted to go there is still a mystery but it was very convenient. After some bartering about price, off we went on the 3-1/2 hour trip to Cambodia. Good roads until about 10 minutes from the border when all of a sudden a what we thought was a detour sign directed us onto a dirt road most of which was still in the construction phase. About three miles of bad road brought us to the poorest excuse of a border crossing we had ever seen. This was right out of a bad horror movie. There was just a shack and a few people from the nearby village standing around. We were directed to the shack by a guy about 30 years old with very few teeth and a t-shirt with the word Police on it. He rather gruffly asked for our passports and opened a drawer with nothing much in it and rummaged trough it to find a stamp. Discarding a few old stamps he finally found the one he wanted and proceeded to look through our passports page by page. Without a word he finally grunted and started stamping. This really encourages great confidence in where we were and what was happening. The two ladies who drove us were standing talking to some of the village people but we were left standing wondering where we go now!!!!! No cars, no official people, no bus, no nothing.
We asked the ladies what we do now and she said in broken English, we go to BBBB and then to Ban Lung to get visa. Oh I failed to tell you that when we asked for the visa, the policeman said no visa, no visa. Then why are we here and what is he doing with our passports??????? Very disconcerting!!!
One of the village guys when he saw how troubled we looked said the car comes, $30 dollars to get visa. No car was there, nothing!!! All of a sudden around the corner, in a cloud of dust, came our savior, Tien. The van was a wreck, he was a wreck, but he knew what he was doing and proceeded to start loading our bags into the back of the van, not through the tailgate but through the side door and into the back seats. Needless to say, we carry a few suitcases. One for Aek, one for Larry, and one for Allen plus the camera bag, the food bag, two backpacks and a total of eight bags. Tien, while smiling, which was a good sign, continued to load the bags, picking them up like they weighed nothing. Fully loaded, off we went, we know not where!!!!!
Well, you all know the meaning of “First Class,” “Business Class,” “Coach,” “Steerage,” this was not on this list of knowns!!!! This was disaster class. The van was filthy, and squeaky, but thankfully the engine sounded like it was fine. The “road,” if you could call it that was nothing but two ruts in the grass and weeds. Overgrowth of weeds in the middle of the ruts gave a very clear indication that this was not a well-traveled road. I couldn’t help but thinking that I was glad that we were the first people to reach the border and not the second group!!!!!!
Bumping, bone-rattling, thumping and jarring, did not begin to describe the ride. Thirteen kilometers of “non existent” road though the country on our way to “what we hoped” to get our visas. We followed the two ruts for what seems like more than thirteen km and finally there appeared a gravel road. One left turn and another 100 yards or so of and there was another small shack and a pull down gate bar. Behind this shack was another building with about 10 guys playing cards and eating. Tien directed us to the house and we were greeted by a man in an old strapped t-shirt, looking anything but official. He did turn out to be a very nice man who incidentally had two daughters in the school where Allen taught in Siem Reap. Quite a coincidence but welcomed in this situation. We started to feel some comfort. We filled out papers and then the stamps and the payment of money (no extra money here like at some border crossings). After the visa, we had to move to the shack because seemingly the immigration officer could only function in his “office.” This was officious!!!!!
After this ritual and many stamps later, we attain joined Tien at the car and proceed on an hour ride on a dirty road but smooth and well maintained. He was a very good driver and as dusk and darkness approached, we were happy about that. After about an hour we saw a few lights and what appeared to be water and Tien pulled to a stop and he said “boat”!!! Oh shit! Where is the boat in total darkness and how do we slep our eight very heavy bags onto this boat and where do we go. Again Tien to the rescue!!!!!!!!! He unloaded the bags from the van and picked up the heaviest one on his shoulder and grabbed another and I followed with two bags. In the darkness it was not easy to see where we were headed but finally approached a narrow wooden plank attached to a very small boat. Tien walked the plank and put down the suitcases and I did the same after almost stumbling off the side. A very young boat boy then started to pull in the plank and I had to yell at him that there were more people coming. Out of the darkness materized Allen, Aek, and Tien again carrying more luggage. We all safely were on board and the plank was pulled up and in total darkness the engine started and we were moving. The river was supposed to be crossed by a bridge the Chinese were building but it was not complete. Later we found that it is to be completed in 2008. In the mean time this small shuttle carries people from one side of the river to the other. It only took about 5 minutes to cross but in darkness we had no idea where and what we were to do on the other side. Tien was in total control, however, and rapidly off loaded the luggage onto the dock. Thankfully we didn’t need a plank this time but I lifted my bad onto the dock and realized I had made a big mistake. By lifting and twisting the heavy bag, it was just right to twist my back and I felt something I didn’t like move on my right side. People were hurrying off and onto the boat and we were trying to figure and count the bags and wonder where we were. At least this side had a dim light and a dock. Tien was off and running up the slanted road up to the street so we followed as best we could. Aek was carrying the heaviest bags, Allen was doing his best and I was limping with three bags following. When we got to the top of the street level, Tien was still walking and we looked like the rose parade without the roses. A bedraggled group of tourists with far too many bags! As we passed a few outdoor restaurants, other people were pointing and laughing at the crazy people looking like they just were saved off the Titanic
Well, Tien, all 4 feet, 8 inches of him, knew exactly where he was going and got us to the “best hotel” in the city of Strang Than. “Best” is a very qualified word, but after his ordeal it was a bed and a shower, even though there was no hot water.
Filthy, tired, confused, disoriented, and my case, hurting, we showered and ventured out into the small “town” trying to find something to eat before total collapse. There were only sidewalk eating places and it was 9 am and the first one was crowded but the woman said she was closed for the night. We went on the second one and it turned out to be fine. Good food (fried rice with pork) again but there was one waited named Ra who was also a guide and we planned the next leg of our journey. He arranged a van to pick us up the next morning and in 3-1/2 hours we would be in Ban Lung. After dinner we all collapsed and had a very deep sleep.
posted by LarryKiesel | 11:06 PM
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