We woke up early in Long Beach on Phu Quoc. Had tea and coffee with the only open place to get food. I had 2 eggs fried in too much oil on a baguette with cucumber and carrot for breakfast. We got a taxi to the East side of the island, leaving from the port in Ham Ninh at 8:30. Many roads are primitive dirt, even major routes with heavy traffic. Our young driver seemed totally unfamiliar with the taxi's manual transmission, attempting to put the car in reverse on more than one occasion at 40 km/hr. I gave him shifting tips from the passenger's seat, which was very funny.
The rickety, narrow, concrete peer in Ham Ninh was long, and it we walked leaning forward into the strong wind and breaking waves. The ferry departed on time with a forceful rev of the engine, but the dock crew forgot to untie two lines, which went completely taught and began to fray in the middle. They yelled back and forth for several minites, the captain ultimately cutting the lines at the boat. The sea was choppy and the the boat rolled in large waves, making many people seasick. I took a dramamine and passed out with headphones in. We arrived in Ha Tien (still in Vietnam) at 10:30. All but 2 of the other passengers were on a packaged tour with taxis waiting for them. We hired 3 motorbikes with drivers to take us to the boarder, negociating down to 200,000 dong ($10). The 15 minute ride from the port to the boarder, Prek Chak, was green with rice patties, and nice scenery, a good way to say goodbye to a pretty country we had spent a month enjoying. The moto drivers have free access through the crossing and into Cambodia, whereas we had to pass through the Vietnam exit and Cambodia entry check points: one guard outside a booth at the entrance gate, one guard inside the building with the passport scanner, a 3rd guard outside at the leaving gate. Then for Cambodia: a guard in a booth where we filled out a first form requiring a passport photo affixed. I lost my envelope of extra passport photos with my journal in Saigon, so the guard said "smile!" and took my photo with a smart phone. He put the visa sticker in my pasport. Then on to another booth made of wood and tin like a saloon in a spaghetti western, with two policemen and an arrival/departure card to fill out. They stamped the passport and the cards 3 times each and stapled the departure card in my passport. Then on to a 3rd booth where we filled out a 3rd very similar form, and a man in a 3rd uniform checked our health. The exam consisted of taking our temperature with a modern electronic thermometer with a blue light that shines on the forehead like the Men In Black memory eraser. Laura and Sam had temps close to 37°c, but mine was 37.6 which is apparently feverish, in the sun at noon on a hot day during a nervous international boarder crossing by motorbike, carrying all my stuff. So he gave me a blue mask to wear and sent me on my way. Since there was dust everywhere and no pavememt, Sam and Laura each grabbed a mask, too.
Our motorbike drivers from Vietnam wanted to take us all the way to Kep, but for more money than a waiting Cambodian guy with an air conditioned toyota camry, so we took the car, and arrived by more dusty, dirt roads to lovely Kep in time for lunch.
After lunch, we hired a tuktuk and set off to visit a cave, and arrived in Kampot by sunset, a lively little ciry with roundabouts and French buildings.
Cambodia is quite different, in a good way. Despite the dust, I like it very much. The writing looks like Thai, very unique and unusual. The local money is Riel, but the ATM gives US dollars. Stores give change in US dollars, with Riels in the place of coins. January must be wedding month, we saw many wedding tents in different areas, with bright pink and yellow ribbons and bunting. The houses are boxy, wooden, 1-story on stilts, unlike the tall and narrow multi-story common floor plan in Vietnam. The people smile and wave. Dinner and drinks was $4, the hostel bunk is $3. I like it.
No comments:
Post a Comment