Disoriented David : Last Week in Cambodia

As I begin a new country and a new chapter in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam, I'll briefly sum up my last few days in Cambodia.

As planned, after Koh Rong, I visited the northeast; specifically the province of Mondulkiri. The region is quite beautiful and looks fairly different from the rest of the country with rolling hills that appear almost European as opposed to flat countryside. While there I participated in a two day program run by an elephant sanctuary. On the first day we hiked a bit alongside the elephants and later joined them in the river as they cooled off. I had never seen an elephant from up close before and it was cool just experiencing their immense presence, almost gravitas, and I also later enjoyed channelling my inner Year 9, by texting my friends "I was at an elephant sanctuary, your mum sends regards". The following day we did a 25km trek through forest, jungle and villages of the non-Khmer indigenous tribes that inhabit the province. We were led by a local guide on a trail that wound through some fantastic scenery (and, unfortunately, also through some areas that have been devastated by illegal logging, thanks Trump) with a stream of explanations of local flora, fauna and customs. All in all I'm glad I detoured to Mondulkiri and I want to thank the PTA for organising the outing.

After Mondulkiri, on the way to Phnom Penh to arrange my visa and transport for Vietnam, I stopped by Kratie town, another sleepy riverside place on the Mekong, most notable for the freshwater dolphins that live about 15km upstream. I went to see the dolphins, which were nice to observe though impossible to photograph - It was like someone was tipping them off every time I tried to take a shot - but the most enjoyable part was actually the boat ride out on the wide, still river under a vast, peaceful sky.

So yeah, it's a short one this time but hopefully I'll post about Vietnam soon. In conclusion I really enjoyed Cambodia - from the sites to the friendly people, and I'm glad I took the time to see a broad swath of the country.

May your preferred candidate win in 2020.

Love David

P.S. A new entry in a game that's been dormant for a while - Buddha's for backpackers - The Buddha of bottom bunks