Back in Cambodia

In Kompong Cham for a couple of nights after a good bus ride. Very relaxed place on the Mekong, nice pagoda in town and an amazing bamboo bridge to an island. Apparently the government won't build a proper one so it's rebuilt every year after being washed away in the wet season.

Cycled around the area visiting temples and villages. The Angkor age temple had a recent one in the middle using the 1000-year old entrance and shrine and was a working monastery. Sat in another monastery and talked to some monks, also to some other Cambodians. Hard lives; very interesting. Country is drier and dustier than Xmas time.

Then on to Kratje past mile upon mile of rubber plantations and very rural areas where the main house type was a platform on stilts with palm leaf roof and walls.

Kratje would be a one-horse town if someone had a horse, but does have great sunsets over the Mekong. The reason for being here is the population of Irriwady dolphins 15km north, so we cycled out early next morning and spent an hour on a boat among them. Lovely to watch but very difficult to photograph!

The ride to Ban Lung put Ryanair to shame! A minibus for 15 had 3 extra tiny seats and set off with 23 on board, plus one child. Even the driver shared his seat! Luggage was stacked under the seats because there were 3 motorbikes (and a computer) tied on the back. But only 4 hours, most of it over dirt roads. No electricity in town for the first few hours but eventually got the promised hot shower.