23rd

Couple of days on the road I stopped to photograph a boat being unloaded. They were carrying hud (I think that is what they may be called) blocks of fresh brick clay stacked about 7-10 high carried up this plank by some very fit guys. Along the road I had seen signs of brick making with various stacks of bricks in different stages. One guy came up to me and offered me to carry some bricks, I declined!

I have to backtrack to Sadec to pick up a different road towards ChauDoc where I can head to Cambodia from. The hotel guy reckons 25 km to SaDec, it turns out to be 23 which is quite close to his estimate. This is very worrying because he also said 200 km to ChauDoc which is a lot more than I thought and needs about 2 days ride. Sadec is a dusty little place, I stop off at a market, leave the bike with my stuff, jacket, helmet and walk into the market. I find a little stall where I am fed noodle soup with chicken, despite my best efforts to get vegetarian, then she gives me these nut-like hot things and I am thinking this is vegetarian why dont you cook with this. Then she gives me Jack Fruit, large yellow thing with segments inside shaped like big dates, quite nice. It turns out that the seeds from thise date-shapes are what she had cooked and I tried earlier. She is a bossy sort and we have a giggle with her and her neighbours who are interested in the foreigner as usual. From SaDec I an heading for Xuywen and I ask for directions and suddenly find myself at the entrance to a ferry! I clip this girls ankle while trying to buy my ticket staying on the bike. Later I gave her and her friends some sweets, appologised and was guided for a few kms by them. ChauDoc was only 48 Kms away, so I was relieved and able to take it easy and have a break or two and attempt to nap on a hammock. So in total actually the trip turned out to be about 120 Km, quite managable.

I stopped to get something to eat at the entrance to town and was taking some photos of the river life which ran under the bridge. one minute there is this guy washing his clothes and then gets in, takes his pants off and washes himself and walks away with all his wet clothes, some worn, some carried. The next minute a woman is washing her vegetables (or the vegetables served in a restaurant) in the same water. I have seen lots of people bathing in what looks like muddy water, the soap used seems pointless, they also wash all their food such as raw chicken in the same water. I have also seen dead dog floating in the same water.

I took some time to find this hotel which is apparently run by a Brit. It turns out it is now run by the locals. I mentions to the receptionist that I am trying to sell the bike or take it into Cambodia. She tells me the main border is impossible but I could try ThinBin which was my own guess too. I manage to get her to give me an Aircon room for $10 instead of $12. Later in the evening, there is a knock on the door and she tells me the manager wants to see the bike and I manage to get $150 from him for it. A lot less than I would have liked but it was a good idea to sell it as I then took about 2 days to recover.

I had for the first time managed to find a vegetarian restaurant nearby and had "chicken" with rice, very good indeed. The girl serving me is fully vegetarian and having problems finding a husband specially as girls cant show interest in men here.
There were a few buddhist nuns eating in the place too (I was overtaken at a toll booth couple of weeks ago by a monk on a moped which I thought amusing, by the way motorbikes dont pay toll here).

I bought a slow boat ticket for Cambodia for 7 a.m.

24th
There was a small group of us who kept getting delayed as one German guy kept wandering off to buy something or another on our way to get on the boat. 

One young French Couple, young German couple. Two Gernman guys, one very quiet young English guy, John (67 year old Aussie) and me. On the way we visited a fish farm, 255 of them on the river and major source of supply for the country. This one was 10x20 meters and 6 meters deep, housing 100,000 Talepia. Then we visited a Chen minority village, Malay Muslims specialising in weaving. The boat to the border Kaam Samnor,(along the river Mekong) was driven by one guy and the one after was owned and worked by a Cambodian couple. Lots of families and couples run businesses together. Got talking to John, has travelled about 50 countries, last in Vietnam in 1968 while in the Navy, delivering amunition to the forces. He had memories of being shot at while coming up the Mekong. That was a reason for the Americans to use Agent Orange to defoliate the forests to  prevent unseen attacks. He is travelling long term, he also recommends Tazmania as a good place to visit while in Aus. We have lots of chats about places he has visited. We are later booked into a hotel together, very quiet (inside anyway, my room is on top of this bar!) apart from rest of the guys, boring! The border is interesting, you stop first and the guide goes away with fees and passports to get the visa while you are paying double usual price for refreshments and luggage is sitting on a pier waiting for the other boat. Then you get on the boat, go up a few hundred yards, get off, climb up this really steep plank and go to have your visa stamped by the immigration people.

While waiting for our visas at the border I get a phone call asking about the Bike! Typical.

The ride was long but peaceful and gave me a chance to relax. Difficult to sleep due to wooden benches, sound of the engine and diesel exhaust fumes but I did try. I also sat outside, near the captain and took some photos, waved at the kids playing in or near the water. The total journey has been about 7 hours so far and 5 minutes before we get off to catch the minibus to PhnomPen the driver decides to offer us refreshments for sale! 

The driving here is similar to Vietnam, a lot less beeping which is not good, lots more cars specially 4WD!But far less motorbikes (Vietnam has 24 Million motor bikes, 4 million in Saigon alone)

In the evening we grab a bite to eat, I get a plate of fried veg with rice and couple of beers. We enquire about massage and we are given directions but we soon realise we are in the middle of the red light district and we head back to the hotel. John is leaving for SiemReap in the early morning. I intend to have a couple of days here, rest and see the city befor heading the same way. Siem Reap is the centre to explore AngkorWatt from, a phenomenal place for temples and Khmer history.

Vietnam

I quite liked Vietnam and the Vietnamese. I think they seemed friendlier even in the cities than what little I have experienced in Cambodia. There was also a lot more energy and industry in Vietnam. Everyone seemed to be working all the time and everything was a means of making a living. There will be a little restaurant (usually run by women) as the last place I stopped, and in the back you see women preparing chicken or doing seamstressing. Even on the river, some boats were factories or haulage vessels. These vessels as well as every business I have seen so far, is also where people actually live.

Vietnam
women tend to walk around what can only be described as pyjamas all the time, specially in the countryside.

the hand signal - this is given by holding the hand in front as ifwanting to shake hands, then waved as if showing the palm and back ofhand to the other person. Meaning: I dont know, dont understand, No,dont have.....