Day 184 (Sun 7 Jan) - En route to Cambodia

Up early and had breakfast with Pete.

Got on the bus that took us to a jetty where we boarded small rowing boats. It was bedlam getting onto them as they were all jostling one another.

We rowed ( [1], [2] ) through a floating village. Really good to see how the locals lived on their floating houses. Looked quite a sleepy, peaceful sort of place ( [1], [2] ).

We stopped at a small muslim village. The little kids were really cute as they brazenly tried to sell you snacks. Jo decided to dish out some coloured pens that her mum had given to her whilst in Goa. Within a flash Jo was surrounded by kids, who were all soon brandishing coloured pens and grins.

After walking round the village we transferred onto a larger boat that would take us to the border.

The boat moored up on the Vietnamese border where we waited whilst our guide sorted out the formalities.

After about an hour of hanging round we then walked across no mans land into Cambodia where our passports and visas were checked again.

Boarded another boat that would take us to Nek Long near Phnom Penh.

Got to Nek Long where we transferred to a bus that would take us all the way to P.P.

This bus was full of other people so a bit of a squeeze. Soon met two American guys, John and Mike. Soon us, Rachel, Pete and John and Mike were having a good old chat at the back of the bus. Both John and Mike sported quite extravagant mustaches. Turns out that they'd been traveling for a while and, probably after one too many beers, decided that they should see who could grow the best mustache.

Despite both looking like 70's pornstars, Mike suffered the added notoriety of having more than a passing resemblance to Borat. Judge for yourself!

Got to P.P. where we were dumped outside a guesthouse. John and Mike were headed off towards the lake area of P.P. and despite being knackered we all decided to go with them, as the guesthouse proffered was no good.

Soon we were all checked into the Happy Guest House. Never have we been in a place so aptly named.

Only 3 dollars a night so the room was lacking several basic amenities like a jacuzzi, a tv and a mini-bar. However, it did have a bed and an en suite toilet that you had to flush by pouring water down it.

The Happy has a very curious floor plan. You walk into it via the road and then seem to pass an internet cafe, through an alley that has rooms, through a corridor with small rooms leading off it and then into a wide open plan area littered with comfy chairs, hammocks, a big tv where peeps could watch whatever dvd they wanted, a bar and most importantly a pool table.

Soon we were all having a beer at one of the tables overlooking the lake. Our number had swelled by 1 as Estaban, an Argentinean traveler, had joined us.

We all went for a meal over the road where much quaffing of cocktails was done. For afters we retired to the lounge where we played pool and drank loads of beer and wine ( Borat, Sarb and Esteban, Sarb, Pete and Esteban ).

During this revelry the Happy little white puppy got in on the act. Not being able to drink beer and act foolish it decided to go on its own way and dig up one of the large potted plants. Each time the determined mutt was extricated from the pit it was digging it would have a play with whoever was around for a few seconds and then take a running leap back into the pot. Clearly a mutt that liked to finish what it had started and equally clearly young enough not to know that it was setting itself up for a bit of discipline training in the morning!