Stung Treng

FI'm staying at a small place, that educates young people in tourism. Youngsters, who otherwise would be on the street. Its a cosy place with only 4 rooms and with a nice view over the Mekong river! There is shared bathroom, so its just a room, but very nicely decorated! 

After a nice breakfast I walked out and passed the angry man who I passed in the dark Yesterday! 

I passed the market place, trying to find a travel agent. There were live chicken, fresh fish and meat all on the street. 

The travel agent was too busy so he had nothing to offer??? I went to a Guest House and they could offer a river trip for tomorrow, and after some time I decided to take that!

The river Mekong is fashinating!! With all the bosts fishermen! 

After lunch I rented a scooter and drew along the river to Mekong Silk Factory, where I walked around and saw the production, the colouring and the shop. Very nice products! A woman showed me around.

After that I took the long tour to the new bridge that will conect the tourism to Siam Reap in a more simple way. Its interesting how simple the people live here with houses of wood, often on stilts and everything is open in there homes, so you can see what they do in there usual day! Interesting.

Back again I felt like in the movie "looking for Pepes bodega". It wasn't easy to find a bottle of wine, but finally - french Bordeaux Reserve for 13 USD. Will be nice to the grilled fish I've ordered at my Guest House! A large bag with unsalted peanuts costed 1 USD!!!

Back to the Guest for a rest and waiting for the dinner! And after that the New Year!

The view from the balcony for breakfast! And its warm!

The angry man that I met Yesterday in the dark evening!

How much is the weight of this fish head?

Me and the scooter!

The colored silk coils

The woman making the silk threads! 

The looms! Beautiful colors!

This is a mans business on a tuk tuk - you can see him and the moto in the front!!!

I wish you all the best for the new Year!   -   Good health and a wonderful life! 

Always remember that you who reads this is a part of that small procentage that are having a very good life! There are so many people in the world living of 1 USD/day! 

                                      So Don't Worry - Be HAPPY!!!

Long day to Stung Treng

I was picked up at 7.15 for a bus leaving 7.45. I just had a yoghurt in the morning and off we go! They had told me it should be around 8 hours! After about two hours we made the first stop! I had an ice cream as I didn't find anything interesting to eat! Then I saw the spiders, grilled, I must try them before going home, but not today with a long bus tour!

We went on and around 11 the bus driver stoped and started to look in the engine! After 1/2-1 hour we went on again! It was many road works so it was very bumpy and dusty!

After another couple of hour we made another break and when leaving from there the bus refused to go further!! Those who should go to Kratie could jump over to another bus, but I had to wait for spare parts and then we could leave. 

Along the road there were many simple stilt houses, but nice in a way! We passed a lot of fields were they were growing something that I couldn't find out. We also passed a lot of rubber trees, and I rememberd that from my travel in Vietnam. We were close to the boarder to Vietnam! 

After all those break downs and bad roads we finally reach Stung Treng after 13 hours. I walked out in the dark evening and after a nice long walk along the Mekong River I finally reach the guest house and I was very welcomed. As I hadn't eaten I asked about food and they made a delicious noddle with vegies and chicken! 

Now its tome for the bed!!!

Spiders (and vactel eggs - I didn't see them before) Must try!

The bus driver working har on the engine and was succesful!

Stilt hous!!

Another stilt house - both shot from the bus!

What are they growing???

Phnom Penh

This morning after breakfast, I decided to visit The Cambodian Museum. I was at this place the first night looking at the show! The museum had very many old statues and showed a lot from Angkor Wat. I walked around the exhebition and then I left it for a coffee at the FCC Foreign Corespondents Club. I had a coffe and looked at the pictures at the walls about important things that have happened in Cambodia. 

A walk along the river took me to the Wat Phnom, located on a hill and dated 1373. Very nice decorations and buddhas. Down on the other side of the hill is the American Embassy located. Its a huge area and very large buildings. 

From there I walked passing a place were a lot of local office people had lunch. The food looked good!

Further on I came to the Central Market (Psar Thmei). Its is an impressive building and has a wolume inside like a Cathedral! I bought ear phones (lost mine at the night bus) very good ones for 8 USD and a par of reading glasses for 10. 

After this it was time for a relaxing Ice cream at Bonbon Café.

After that I went back for a rest and I passed all those food stalls and the banana shop!!!

In the evening I went out to "Chat & Chew" rest and had a very nice fish dish! 

Tomorrow morning i'll leave Phnom Penh for Slung Treng, in the north east of Cambodia, located at the Mekong River and not so far from the Laos boarder. It will be a full day on the bus! 

The statues at the Cambodian Museum.

Foreign Correspondents Club.

Inside Wat Phnom

The Central Market - like a Cathedral!

Local office people at lunch.

The Banana shop!

Phnom Penh - from the Kings Palace to the horrible S-21

This morning I went out along the river and after breakfast I came to Wat Ounalom, headquater of the Cambodian Buddhists. From 1443! The head of the countrys Buddhist brotherhood lives here, along with a large number of Monks! 

After looking around for a while I continued to the Royal Palace with the Silver Pagoda - impressive architecture and decorstions with many different buildnings! Lots of tourists as well!

I went out and after a short negotiation with a tuk tuk driver we were heading torwards Tuol Sleng Museum, once a school that was taken over by Pol Pot's security forces and turned into a prison known as S-21. It soon became the largest centre for detention and torture in the country. Between 1975 and 1978 more than 17.000 people held at S-21 were taken to the killing fields of Choring Ek. This museum has become a testament to the crimes of the Khmer Rouge! Like the nazis, the Khmer Rouge leaders were meticulous in keeping records of their barbarism. All the photo bare witness of that! 

During three years, eight months and 20 days, the Khmer Rouge controlled Cambodia. It started 7 January 1979 and due to the Cambodian Civil war it went on intil 1999. Time of horror!!! Hundreds of thousands of people were executed by the Khmer Rouge leadership, while hundreds of thousands more died of famine and disease. I was taken by seeing all those cruel behaviors!! Killing there own people in the name of comunism! 

I decided I needed a walk so I walked all the way back, which took about an hour! I passed the Monument of independence and the Monument of friendship between Cambodia and Vietnam! 

I came back to Yesterdays restaurant and sat down next to a man from Australia and we had a nice chat and a couple of beers! 

Back to 11Happy and a rest before going out to the river for a dinner in an Italien rest were they offered Moule Marniered, the Cambodian style. Tasty! On the way back I stoped at another rest for a banan/chokolate smothie! 

War Ounalum

The Royal Palace

The silver Pagoda

Beneath the small mountain in the Royal area!

S-21 located in a former school! Rooms for toture and investigations!

Photos of so many people !!!!

Representing the prison!

Monument of independence

Monument of friendship between Cambodia and Vietnam!

The restaurant is ready for the evenings customer!

Travel to Phnom Penh

This morning I had breakfast at the Guest House. The Swizz owner arranged it! Good!

Then I was picked up by a minibus and there was some other swedes also! At a stop I had some bananas and met a little nice boy waving at me!

We arrived at the night market and I had to walk about 800 m to 11 Happy Backpackers! I avoided all tuk tuk and moto drivers who wanted to drive me! 

I arrived and I got my room, very simple, but what could you expect for 9 USD/night!

Almost imidiatly I went out for a walk and my goal was to get a ticket to the nights show at Plae Pakaa, located by the Cambodian Museum! Its a play by young artist, music and art performances! On my way I stopped for a coffee and a banana skake. Got the ticket and went back to 11 Happy!

Layed down for half an hour and after a shower, on my way out fir the Show! Stoped on the way for a beer (6 SEK!!) and I also past the park nearby the royal palace! 

It was a nice show, showing the different stadges of life, birth, livilng, marriage and death! 

On my way back I stoped at a restarant and had some nice chicken Khmer food! 

This nice boy waiving at me!

I should have waited to do the haircut!

The mighty Mekong River!!

I saw the father and his 3 children well dressed up and asked if photo was OK when his wife came and they vere ready to go!

The musicians at tonights show!

The shoes of a real prince?!?

Nightlife on "my street" (hope its possible to sleep - not too noisy)

The last day in Sihanoukville

It's been a sunny, nice day today and I spent time on the beach trying to improve my tan.

Tomorrow morning I leave with a bus for Phnom Penh and I'll stay there 3 nights before heading north torwards Laos. 

The evening was as wonderful and I had dinner on the beach with clams BBQ and some ice cream as a desert!

It's been lazy, nice days here in this paradise on earth!

There was silver in the sea today!

The lovely sunset!!

The dinner place at the beach and my table!

 The clams and a beer!!

Christmas day - a lazy day on the beach!

The sun was shining when I woke up and I went for the long walk on the beach! Nice! Back to the Guest House, a shower and back to the beach for breakfast! 8.30 and I was almost alone on the restaurant! Nice breakfast! 

In the morning I booked my stay in Phnom Pehn from Saturday and three nights at 11 Happy Backpacker for a total sum of 27 USD! Quite OK! Then I also booked the bus on Saturday morning! 

Today has been a slow day on the beach and reading more about my continue travel, and about Laos! 

I walked along the beach and there are a foot path between the restaurants and the sea all along the beach! 

In the evening I was choosing my fish and they grilled it for me - tasted good! There are beggers and some blind singers and music players with a little girl leading them around, asking for money! 

Tomorrow is a new day and I'll maybe hire bicycle to take me around in Sihanoukville!

Morning at the beach!

She is carrying her whole business!

The foot path deviding the beach and the restaurants!

The evening just before sunset on the beach

I choosed my fish and got it BBQ and it tasted very good!

Christmas evening!

First of all - A very Merry X-mas to all reader of this blog! 🎄🎅🎆🎁

This morning I started with a long walk along the beach and a swim in the sea and it was warm and nice! After a shower at the Guest House, it was time for breakfast by the sea! A banana smoothie, coffee and toast and 2 fried eggs!

I was trying to find out when the Catholic Chistian church had their Xmas services and I had to take a tuk tuk to find out. Tonight at 5.30 OK! This and another Catholic church in Pnohm Penh are the only Christian churches in Cambodia! The "Khmer Rouge" destroied all the other during the dark years in the country!

The view from the church over the harbor was great!

Back and I went to the barber for a hair cut, as I didn't got the free one at the monstery, so this costed 3 USD! Acceptabel!!

I then had a lunch, ham and cheese omelett and a beer! After that Skyping with Austria, wishing a merry Christmas! 

Then it was time to take another tuk tuk to the Church! When I arrived there was a lot of people and the most charming Santas I met!

The ceremony was held on the Khmer language, but there was lots of music by the church musicians and choir! Very nice!

I left the church for the christmas dinner by the beach and I had a very nice squid with rice and vegetables! Almost like "sillen" ;-)) at home! As desert fresh fruits! Nice and tasty all of it!

Now its time for bed so good night out there and have a great Xmas!

The morning walk ending were people were waiting to get on a boatride for an island!

The nice view over the Sihanoukville harbor!

The enlighted beer - the sun made it glow!!!

The best Santas!!

The church musicians and the choir!

The fish on the Xmas table - tasted delicious!!!