Kampong Cham, On the Mekong River

Today was a 5 hour drive from our Homestay in Chambok to Kampong Cham on the Mekong River, north of Phnom Penh.  Perhaps as a reward for having done the Homestay we are staying at a quite nice hotel with a beautiful view of the Mekong River.

Yesterday’s track:

A bit about the town:  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampong_Cham_(city)

After a shower and some rest time, Dylan, Paul, Kenan, Herb and I met behind the hotels for a bicycle ride.  It turned out to be about 20 km which, in this heat, was a task. But it was worth it. We headed to the bamboo bridge, a bridge over the Mekong made entirely of woven bamboo slats.  It is at least 300 meters long.  The bridge washes away each wet season and is rebuilt when the waters subside. It was a little unnerving riding a bicycle across the rattling clattering bridge.

On the other side we continued into the village. There was house after house built on stilts. The occasional cow wandered into the road.  The kids were a kick.  They’d see us coming and run up and yell “Hello!!!”  We in turn would yell “Hello!!”  back. Some would hold their hands out for a high- or low-five.

We rode past a Buddhist temple, and out into the country past corn and tobacco fields. We looped back to town on a partial dirt track, saw a herd of goats being brought in for the night. Then it was back across the bamboo bridge and back to the hotel, where we cooled down then met for dinner at the rooftop restaurant. I had shrimp and squid with vermicelli. Excellent!!!

Tomorrow, Siem Reap and the Angkor Wat temple complex.

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