The road tracklog
From Poipet to Stung Treng
from 16/10 to 19/10/2008

On October 16 I crossed the border of Thailand; controls had lasted less than one hour. Fifty meters further I entered Cambodia, controls were also fast. Both controls lasted one hour.
Surprised, surprised at the exit Poipet the road was asphalted, very new, up to Sisophon. Much change in eight months. I arrived in Battambang around 11 a.m., local time.
I went to Internet to update my website and to read my mailbox. Alas the speed of connection was very slow and the Orange working was deplorable. I can neither answer to my messages nor to inform my readers of the publication.
By returning to my truck Benoît’s business card invited me to contact him. I met him then we dined together. He is Northern Line Site Manager by TSO to renew the railway.

 
 
 
Poipet 
the 16/10/2008 

 
 
 
Road to Sisophon 
the 16/10/2008 

The 17/10 was a driving day towards the capital Phnom Penh in the rain of monsoon what does not forecast anything good for future days. Alas October is a rainy month. I found the city which I left eight month ago. The installation of the carpark of "Silver Pagoda" is completed. It is always possible to bivouac there.

The October 18 it was a long way from Phnom Penh to Kratie I had left as of early dawn. Seven kilometres before Kompong Cham in a village on the left, an arch indicates the entry of Wat Phnom Pros and Phnom Srei. A local legend tells that two teams, one of men the other of women built a stupa by night on their mountain by daybreak. The women lit a big fire, the men seeing the sunrise ceased work. The women had gained by a typically female stratagem. One kilometre before Kompong Cham on the right of the roundabout, an arch announces the entry of Wat Nokor built in the 11th century out of sandstone and laterite in the style preangkorian. The town of Kampong Cham does not have anything in particular except some vestiges of colonial houses and the bridge spanning the Mekong River Spean Kazuna Bridge. The town of Kratie at the edge of Mekong has also some colonial houses maintained more or less well. I bivouacked at the edge of the river in the centre town.

 
 
 
Wat Phnom Pros 
the 18/10/2008 

 
 
 
Wat Phnom Srei 
the 18/10/2008 

 
 
 
Wat Phnom Nokor 
the 18/10/2008 

 
 
 
Spean Kazuna Bridge 
Kompong Cham 
the 18/10/2008 

 
 
Colonial houses 
Kratie 
the 18/10/2008 

 
 
 
Sunset, Mékong 
Kratie 
the 18/10/2008 

The following day to 15 kilometres away from Kratie in the village of Kampi it is possible to see dolphins called freshwater Irrawaddy Dolphin – trey pisaut-. I rented a boat and during nearly two hours it was a photo safari. Alas the result is disappointing. They are very few and difficult to catch with a camera. I moved then towards Stung Treng where I lunched agreeably in Dara Restaurant of Mr French speaking Guy Trang having lived twelve years in France. Moreover when I asked for my way I always questioned old people in French who sometimes answered me in French.

 
 
Freshwater Irrawaddy Dolphin 
Kampi 
the 19/02/2008 

 
 
 
Freshwater Irrawaddy Dolphin 
Kampi 
the 19/02/2008