Cambodia - first two days

Sunday night... in Kratie, Cambodia having left Laos yesterday.

First a couple of photos from Friday on Khong Island...

This is the agenda for the next four riding days... Stung Treng, where we spent last night, Kratie tonight, Kampong Cham tomorrow, then into Phnom Penh where we'll have a rest day. 

Yesterday was all on the highway. Not much traffic. Rough road surface. Hot. Humid... heard that before?

Initial impressions... surprise that the country appears noticeably poorer than Laos. Outside towns, there is no electricity. We saw several 12 volt batteries at the side of the road in front of houses - it appears that there is a pick-up, recharge, and return service. We passed one place with a generator going and a long line of batteries being charged. Satellite dishes were everywhere until here. Now they are much fewer and we saw some at places without outside electricity.

Today was a long day - 160 km and hot, partly on dirt roads, starting along the Mekong, then coming inland a bit to the highway. The highway was about half very rough dirt due to damage from recent rains. At parts, we were faster even than busses the road was so bad - and trust me, we are not fast in that heat.

After the dirt, the bikes and us both needed showers. Fortunately, the car wash around the corner from the hotel did a wash for 25 cents - well worth it.

 

mostly red dirt on Ursula's leg

the hotel, a bit of French style showing through, was a
welcome sight, on the river...

for a nice sunset across the Mekong

 Good night all... we'll sleep well tonight.