day 107 - Bavet to Neak Loeang

Saturday, 8 February 2014

We left Bavet early this morning after a breakfast of noodle soup at a little roadside stall. We were unsure what we'd find but the eateries in Bavet seemed to cater to the tourists who stop before or after the border and the food was very much like what we were used to in Vietnam. When it came to pay, we were amused to find the owner asked us to pay in US Dollars or Vietnamese Dong, when all we had in our wallet was Cambodian Riel. We had read that Dollars are widely accepted across Cambodia but we thought it was good to try to support the local currency. We had a small stash of Dollars in one of our panniers which we were able to use. So now we get quoted in US Dollars; convert that into Riel to pay; convert it into Dong to compare the price; and then convert that into Australian Dollars so we can understand it all! In a few days we'll be able to drop the Dong from that equation once we've got a better understanding of local prices.

As we were heading out of Bavet, we noticed a very long line of trucks stuffed full with people. Some of the trucks were heading away from a factory while others were making their way into the same factory. We guessed that we were looking at a change over of shift workers. There must have been thousands of people coming and going.

(Trucks full of people heading away from a factory)

Cambodia is largely a flat country and riding along highway 1, we could see far off into the horizon on either side with hardly a hill or a bump in sight. Unlike the busy highways in Vietnam, we found the traffic to be pretty light and drivers don't seem to use their horns nearly as much which is a nice change. The people are very friendly and polite and we received lots of "hellos" from children and adults alike. 

(One of many grand looking archways that lead off towards a temple or pagoda)

We had, what we think, was our first taste of Cambodian food when we stopped for second breakfast. The picture doesn't do it justice. It was rice noodles in a thick coconut and lemongrass broth served chilled with sliced banana flower and cucumber. Really tasty and refreshing. 

(Second breakfast)



(Children trying to knock coconuts out of a tree)

We arrived in Neak Loeang shortly after 1pm. It's a bustling town with a ferry providing crossings over the Mekong River. We had a great lunch at the market and then checked into a large hotel close to the ferry terminal. By 3pm, the temperature had reached 35 degrees so we stayed indoors for the afternoon before heading out again to explore a little and find dinner.

(A view from the hotel of the main street in Neak Loeang)

Tomorrow we will catch a ferry over the Mekong and then continue on our ride to the capital, Phnom Penh, where we'll stop for a rest day. 

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