Start Introduction Golden triangle Luang Prabang Phonsavan Vientiane Savannakhet Stung Treng Angkor

Stung Treng and Ratankiri Province

 

Hans-Peter Nilsson lördag, februari 24 2007 22:39

Same, Same but different
A bit drunk today. Har precis haft middag med en knarklangare och en galen jugoslavosk poet. Mycket skall man vara med om. Uppenbarligen har jag tagit mig till Cambodia. Har dricker man Khmer Khmer liksom man i Laos dricker Lao Lao, same same but different. Hembränd sprit av överbliven sticky rice som man låter jäsa och sedan destillerar. Lite finkel men bättre än den Kinesiska varianten.

Pakse, som jag lamnade, ar en liten stad, 60000 innevanare men kanns betydligt mer levande an Savannaket som var dubbelt sa stor. Sista utposten med grans till Thailand. Igar gick jag sista reundan pa stan och traffade hela Savannaket ganget pa krogen. Nick var den mest interesanta, skribent for National Geografic, pa vag att gora en egen expedition ut i vildmarken dar civilisationen annu inte natt. Vita flackar pa kartan alltsa. Skulle garna foljt med och jag tror han hade haft gott fortroende for mig.

Anyway, hade inte tid och begav mig idag till gransen. Fyra timmar med public bus, idag en lastbil med sidobankar pa. Lustig passage. Val vid gransen fick man ta motorcyckel 200 meter fran emigrationen till immigrationen. Pa bada stallena fick man muta polisen med en dollar for att han skulle stampla passet. Tycktes vara standard procedure, och jag var beradd pa det, aven the locals fick betala. Sedan knappt en timme med 4WD genom skogsvagar av afrikansk standard. Skulle egentligen vara bat men jag tror att vattenstandet ar for lagt och dessutom ar det billigare landvagen. Sista timmen bytte vi till minivan med aircon pa asfalterd vag.

Medan Lao folk ar koola och gastvanliga ar Cambodianerna betydligt mer opalitliga. Kan man blasa nagon, gor man det. Kanns det som. Same same but different. 20 dollar kostade kalaset for att komma till Stuang Treng. Ockerpris naturligtvis, backvant kostar det kanske 2-3 dollar, men de vet att resenarerna ar stucked i ingenmansland. Same same but different, detta ar typiskt for cambodiansk mentalitet.

Framme vid staden fick man vandra nagra hundra meter till baten over floden bara for att inse att det var en bilfarja som gick nar den var full, kanske imorgon. Tillbaks till piren och pa ratt bat. Kom ratt till slut, hotell 5 dollar med TV och cold shower.

Hade nagra exotiska turister fran etiopien med pa baten, en helneger och en som sag ut som en replik av Sandra Bullocks pojkvan, vad han nu heter. Sag lite tuffa ut, inga man skulle vilja mota i en mork bakgata, men koola att snacka med nar man val kom sa langt.

Valutan har andrats till Riel, 4000 pa en dollar. Priserna ar ungefar som i Laos. Maten god, paminner mer om kinesisk foda, so far, och serveras med chopsticks vilket jag foredrar, har svart att ata med sked.

Pa den laotiska sidan ar vagen asfalterad anda fram till gransen. I Cambodia pagar vagarbeter och astaltering. Ger mig tusan pa att Kineserna snart bygger en bro over allt i hopa. Svedjebruk tycks vara vanligt i Cambodia liksom i Laos. Landet ar ganska platt. Branda falt kring vagen hela vagen ner genom Cambodia, traden verkar inte tas till vara som bransle ens. Jordbruket tycks inte vara riktigt efficient. Fortfarande bruna falt over allt, ris sassongen tycks inte borjat an. Trots narheten till Mekong ( en av varldens vatten rikaste floder) vantar man pa regnperioden.

Landskapet,jordbruket och huskonstruktionerna ser liknade ut men man kanner fattigdomen lysa igenom pa ett annat satt har. Same same but different.

Stuang Treng ar en riktig hala. Inte mycket turister. Gransen ar fortfarande inte internationellt etablerad och man kan inte fa visum har (fast det kan man visst i alla fall). Stora franska hotellbyggnader med gigantiska receptioner vittnar om en svunnen storhetstid (under franska styret?) som idag har decimerats till en 100 meter lang centrumgata dar hela utelivet ager rum kvallstid.

Fick plotsligt en ingivelse att bege mig ut i djungeln(, vilket var min ursprungliga plan. Har inte tid, but what eh ****.) Betalade 85 dollar (naturligtvis ocker) for tre dagar ut till nordostra hornet. Forst erbjods jag en tur for 80 dollar, gick till en annan guide for att check prislaget, 105 dollar, tillbaka till den forsta som da plotsligt kostade 60 dollar per dag! (=180 dollar). Hade da prutat ner den andra och vi far val se hur blast jag blir i morgon.

Villages, vattenfall, trekking och kratersjoar vantar. Vagarna osterut ar fortfarande bedrovliga ( ...in laos they grow rice, in cambodia they watch it grow...) och transporten ar taxi fyra timmar for att komma fram sedan, darav priset, och motorcykel transport for resten. Blir ingen elefantridning men det kan jag vara utan.

Kanske jag overlever...Hugs

 

Seventeenth Day
Arrived today at Stung Treng in northeastern Cambodia close to the Lao border. It was a different experience to cross the border here. The border crossing is not really internationally recognized and you had to arrange your visa in advance. The whole border area is a large delta, usually flooded during the wet season. Now it was dry and I arrived by car.

The Border Crossing
It was a complicated procedure though. I arrived at Voen Kham in the very south of Laos at noon. This was a very quiet border exit, just me and a local traveler. I had to bribe the passport officer with one Dollar , " 'cause it was sunday", to get out from the country. No big deal anyway. By a mysterious phone call I had to make a deal for the transit. Cost me 20 US Dollar. Of course much to expensive, but as you are stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, they are able to charge you whatever they want. Welcome to Cambodia!

The transit tour began with a short motorbike tour on a small winding path out into the forest. The border entrance was just a small wooden hut. Another buck was paid to get a new stamp in the passport. The journey then proceeded by a minivan with a cracked windshield cross the usually flooded jungle delta. Reminded me of an African safari. Quite a bumpy ride. Lasted less than a hour though.

When we then arrived at a newly built highway where I was picked up by a shining taxi with aircon. The cab was already carrying a couple of tourists coming from another mysterious crossing point I even didn't know existed. A strange couple that didn't have any really touristy approach. We later had, quite a few, drinks together during the evening. I then realized that they, of course, were drug smugglers. Made sense after all to meet them out here. 

Arrived At Stung Treng
After another hour on the highway, finished off with a short boat trip, I arrived at the town. The center of town felt almost abandoned.  I found a hotel in the backstreets. 5 bucks including television and hot shower. I really believe I was the only guest. The colonial buildings were in even worse shape than in Laos, and I immediately felt a less relaxed attitude down here.

Change of Currency
New currency by the way. Here 4000 Cambodian Riel equaled 1 US Dollar. Not of any big importance anyway, as the dollars served as local currency at most places in Cambodia.

 

 

Hope for the Future
The town has seen better days, probably it was more prosperous during the colonial era when it was an important connection point at the Mekong River, in the middle of the French Indochina. Today Stung Trung is cornered in the north and cut of from the capital by very bad road connections.

Just for Transit
Now as there is a border crossing opened to Laos, at least some backpackers and traders finds their way here. Maybe this will lead to a increasing activity here in future, but for now this is only a transit point for border crossing travelers. Of course, Stung Treng also serves as a jump off for people heading  for the northeastern provinces. Going Northeast from here was also my plan.  

 

Short Modern History of the Northeast Cambodia
During the Indochina war in the 60s, the northeastern provinces sheltered Vietnamese soldiers hiding from the American bombardment. When this finally came to a conflict between Cambodian government and the communist Vietnamese the communists simply took command over the area.

During the 70s terrible Khmer Rouge regime the northern provinces was much spared compared with the rest of the country. In the following 80s, as Vietnamese forces pushed the Khmer Rouge eastward, the area became the safest in the country.

 

Mekong River at Stung Treng. From the right is a river Tonlé Kong coming down from the eastern Provinces and connecting to the big river. A new bridge is being built over the Mekong by Chinese contractors.

 

My mistake
I was in a hurry as I had spent to much time in Laos and I know I did some mistake here. Usually my advise to everyone is to avoid arranged trips by travel agencies. Usually you'll do better by arrange your trip by your self, using public transports and finding your own hotels.

Expensive trip
Being in a hurry it's a easier to buy a complete package, and so I did. The cost for two nights in the remote province of Ratankiri was 85 US Dollar! Besides, this was the cheapest alternative as I got offers of both 100 and 120 dollars.
Almost a Rip Off
As I questioned the price, the agent augmented that he had to arrange a car driving 4 hours on bad roads, paying the hotel 20 bucks a night and pay a local guide for three days, bla bla bla. Turned out that we were nine people in the minivan going northeast, I guess I paid enough for all of us, the hotel was nice but charged 5 dollars a night, 15 bucks in the agents pocket, and the guide was more of a motorbike driver than a guide, not very interested to serve information about anything. As I said, welcome to Cambodia! I never experienced this mentality in Laos or Burma, and specially not in China. But ,as said, my own mistake.

Personal Thoughts
Anyway. I don't care that much of the money and I don't envy them earning some decent money. But, I don't believe it's a good way to built a national economy by ripping off tourists. It's better bone by build a production industry and and other long term investments. Besides it must create social tension when an uneducated teenager earns 20 dollars a day as a motorbike driver. 20 bucks is a like a ordinary monthly earning. Who is then interested in going to school?

 

Ratankiri Province

 

Eighteenth day
Minibus in the morning hour heading for Ratankiri Province, and the capital Ban Lun. Three or four hours on dirt roads. Even worse in the rainy season as the dust then turns into mud.

 

At Ban Lun
Nice hotel in Ban Lun. Big restaurant in the open air. Not many visitors. A small alter revealed that the owners was Chinese Taoists. the northern territories holds a lot of minorities including groups of Upper Khmers and Vietnamese.

 

 

Simple life
A new road is under construction connecting the province with the south part of the country. Gem mining is a prosperous business up here but, and I guess they are eager to developed this.  But so far this place is quite isolated.

Still they do have motorbikes, gas station (sort of), healthcare (sort of) and cell phone vendors! At the cell phone vendor you could also buy some ounces of rice or order a beer at the restaurant.

 

 

 

The Center
The village has mostly a low and not very dense buildings, giving a countryside atmosphere. Still it's the capital of the province. A few higher buildings are shattered around the centre, giving an odd impression. Same buildings looks like survivors from earlier settlements, same looks unfinished. Maybe part of the older buildings were bombed away.

The market place is lively but not very sophisticated. Villager from all over the neighborhood comes here to sell their merchandise.

 

Boeng Yeak Lom, the Circular Lake
One of the tourist attractions around Ban Lun is Boeng Yeak Lom, a mysterious circular lake. Probably an old volcano that also attracts the local population for a Sunday excursion with the family. 

I spent some hour walking around the lake, and also had a short bathe. Not really recommended, I guess, as still standing sweet water crowded with people should be considered as a high risk bilharzia threat all over southeast Asia.  I survived anyway.

Monkey business
At the lake I also met a French guy living in Cambodia trying to build a NGO of his own. At the market he had bought a young monkey. I guess the mother was killed and sold as food and the kid was to small either to eat or release back into the forest. Anyway he was entertaining all the hotel in the evening.

 

Hans-Peter Nilsson måndag, februari 26 2007 22:05

Dirt Roads
Har varit några snabba dagar. Tillbaka i Stuang Treng. Åkte ut till distriktet Ratankiri i nordöstra Cambodia i går morse. Det tog 4 skumpiga timmar med minivan för att nå byn Ban Lung. Mycket dammiga grusvagar som forvandlas till lervalling under regntiden. Naturligtvis är två dagar för kort tid att hinna med något mer konstruktivt besök. Men jag kom hit i alla fall och fick nosa på miljön

Besokte the Crater Lake igar eftermiddag. En cirkelrund vulkanisk skogssjö orsakad av en meteriorit? Ja, lite motsägande men nån mer vetenskaplig förklaring gick inte att fa. Idag besokte jag en avlagsen minoritets by, en timme pa motorcykel med min guide. Tillbaks igen och gjorde en timmes tur genom skogsvegetationen på en elefantrygg och tittade på nagra vattenfall. Knappt nagan skog, snarare gamla gummiplantager som börjat vaxa igen. Det går inte att komma längre ut i djungeln på så här kort tid.

Förutom ris, majs och grönskaker är just gummi och Kashewnötter bland de viktigaste produkterna här på landsbygden. En ny väg är på gång att öppnas nästa år och då kommer nog mycket att förändras här.

Inte for att man skall generalisera men visst tycks folket vara ganska bekvama, synnerhet har uppe. Inte en veranda med självaktning som inte har en hängmatta eller två, kanske också en hammock. Och överallt ser man en arm eller ett ben som sticker ut.

På mitt hotell och restaurang tillbringar personalen storre delen av sin tid i dessa, och reser sig gaspande nar man vill bestalla nagot. Det mesta maste man bestalla tva ganger ocksa. Till och med elefanten var tamligen ointresserad att arbeta idag och stannade ungefar var femte meter for att ata bladverk fran traden eller sa bara stannade han.

For att spara en dag korde min guide mig in till stan idag pa motorcykel. Inte utan vanda fran min sida, 4 timmar rena terrangakningen. Munskydd fick jag kopa hos farmaceuten i Ban Lung. Sista timmen i morker. Bade han och jag hade ont i ballarna efterat och var helt igendammade. Han fick bra betalt. Överhuvudtaget, på två  dagar har spenderat lika mycket pengar i Kambodja som på två veckor i Laos .

Annars ar det första gången i mitt liv som jag ångrar att jag inte kör motorcykel. Här i Laos och Cambodia hade det öppnat många möjligheter och gett en frihet att ta sig långt ut i pereferin.

Phnom Penh imorgon.

 

 

Village on the country side

 

 
Nineteenth Day
Second day in Ratankiri I had a excursion to a remote village.  It was inhabited by a group of Krueng, Upper Khmer, not speaking Cambodian. It was not possible to take pictures of the people, but you could go freely around in the village.

Agricultural life
They made their income from agriculture with Cashew nuts as main profit. Life seemed unexpected well organized out here. The children went to school, at least 4 hours a day, starting already at 6 am as they then was supposed to help their parents working in the fields. A clever compromise between old tradition and modern life. The youngsters was marriageable at 15 years and at that time they got their own small hut, rounded for the girls and square for the boys, where they could try out their upcoming partner.

Enhanced standard
A well built water pump, secured by a cover of concrete and with the waste water drained far away from the source, revealed that serious attempt had been made to rise the living standard in the area.

 

 

 

Elephant tour
Out on the countryside I forced myself to hire an elephant for a short trip through the forest. Just for the sake of it.

Old, stubborn and lazy was he, the elephant. But finally we reached a waterfall in the jungle. It would have been marvelous - if there were any water. Well, actually I liked it anyway. It had a curved shape am you could go behind the waterfall.

 

Back in Stung. Another sunset over the Mekong River
Back in Stung Treng in the evening. I did the ride back to the town on the back of a motorbike. 5 hours on dirt roads. Saved me one day but got me totally covered with mud, in my nose, in my ears, in my pants, don't to mention my backpack - it's still dirty. This was a typically Cambodian experience.

 

Phnom Penh

[Kommentar: Jo, Phnom Penh. Jag gjorde ett besök där men dessvärre blev jag bestulen på min kamera på vägen därifrån. Att bli av med kameran är väl sin sak men fotografierna i den grämer mig lite. Således fann jag det inte intressant att publicera någon webbsida därifrån, men här följer i alla fall en blogkommentar.]

Skapad av Hans-Peter Nilsson onsdag, februari 28 2007 17:38
 

Phnom Penh ar en trevlig överraskning. Mycket negativt har ju annars skrivits om staden. Det är en lagom stor stad, full av liv och rörelse. Mycket trafik men ändå inte kaotiskt. Man ser en hel del turister men de försvinner i mängden, så livet präglas främst av lokalbefolkningen, butikerna, marknaderna etc. Ända saknas inte attraktioner för turisterna.

Jag anlände i går eftermiddag, efter nästan 9 timmars bussfärd från Stung Treng. Idag har jag vandrat nästan hela dagen, besökt museet vilket var forvanansvart givande, köpt lite sovenirer, en bussbiljett till imorgon, fikat tre gånger (man skall ju inte överanstranga sig i hettan) samt druckit en fruktshake. Såg också en stupa tillägnad fru Penh (not a joke), som var den som engång i tiden hittade fyra gömda buddhafigurer vilket genast tolkades som ett gott omen for att anlägga en stad här.

I en andra runda besokte jag Kungliga Palatset med vackra takmalningar och guldfargad tron och utsmyckningar - mycket praligt, samt Silverpagodan dar golvet ar klatt med 5000 kg silver och harbargerande en guldbuddha dekorerad med diamanter. Bland det anda de maoistiska khmererna lamnat kvar av kambodjansk kultur.

Blev en pizza ocksa med mosarella och salami, den första västfodan på 3 veckor, nästan i alla fall. 7 dollar, är naturligtvis hutlost men har rullar pengarna snabbt som sagt. Kostade mig också några dollar till de gatuförsaljande barn som flockats utanfor turistrestaurangerna.

En del tiggare finns på gatorna och tusentals ganska enerverande tuk-tuk och motorcykelchaufförer. Men dom är ju i och för sig ganska bra att ha till hands när man väl behover dom, chaufforerna alltsa.

Något besök på the Killing Fields blev det inte. Har lite svårt att frossa i alla hemskheter. Men i kväll visas en film om de Röda Khmerernas framfart vilket skall bli intressant. Så får jag min beskärda del i alla fall.

Imorgon blir det en annan slags huvudstad, Ankor. Huvudstaden i Khmerernas gamla emperium från 1200-talet. Ungefär så gammalt so Malmö alltså.

 

 

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Hans-Peter Nilsson