so this morning i caught the bus from phnom penh, stupidly early as usual (7.30), and it was even late. i had the luck (tsk) of sitting next to a cambodian woman who thought it'd be a good idea to buy just one ticket for herself and her 5 year old child. who was hyperactive most of the time, and then when asleep would push his head into my side. how nice. i moved as soon as possible of course. when we stopped i saw the usual huge bowls full of fried insetcs. i also witnessed first hand a tiny truck piled up with bamboo furniture diving into a ditch, and then people managing to get it up and out of there (it was actually quite funny, and the driver didn't get hurt or anything). i met a couple of dutch people which was also nice, had chats about cambodia, laos, vietnam, stupid airline regulations, minibuses, share taxis, etc.
then i got to kratie (after 7 hellish hours) and oh, what a nice surprise! seeing the mekong in all of its magnificence (being rainy season, it's at its widest), and this lovely decaying colonial town. and the people! the further away you get from phnom penh, the nicer people are. no one bugging you for money or to sell you stuff, just 'hellos' and smiles and nice chats.
i've decided to stay here one extra day since a. i don't want to get up at 6 for the third time in a row and b. i was too tired today to go see the irrawaddy dolphins. so that will happen tomorrow, and then tuesday i will getting a bus to stung treng, then a boat to the lao border and finally another boat to one of the islands (haven't decided which one yet, i might skip don dhet which is the most backpacker oriented one... or i may go to all three... mmmh, decisions decisions).
tonight i'm having a couple of beers, eating nice food, reading my book and chilling out.
shame bloody mosquitoes are killing me...