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And I am happy to report that the scams alive and well on the border crossing seem to be limited to there. The people in town seem to be as honest and welcoming as normal. But it will be fun to to discover what has changed. This time I give the old Dugout motel a miss and book into the Koh Kong Bay Hotel on the riverfront, for just a few dollars more. Good decision!
At just a few months old it is really nice. As I drew up in my tuk tuk, I realised I knew exactly where I was. I remember being really excited last time on finding a French cafe that served decent lattes, and now the Koh Kong Bay Hotel is next to that. The reception area is a bit bare and grim and I had an awful feeling that the website pictures were a figment of their imagination, it looked very backpackery, but no, the room is amazing with a wonderful view of the river, the cargo boats going up and down and the Friendship Bridge towards the Thai border. And all for $45US a night and included wifi. There is one downside though, the hotel advertises itself as eco. Now I'm all for saving the environment except when it means the water is solar heated so the shower is tepid to say the least! Memories of Mexico.... I kept complaining to reception, they kept looking surprised and said they would send someone to fix it. Then they "is fixed", then I go for a shower and I still have cold water. I gave up! But there is a lovely small pool, a wonderful deck over the river and lots of squishy sofas and hanging chairs outside. And a decent glass of why why, at least we can thank the French for this legacy! I am sitting writing this on a squishy sofa after a good breakfast of fresh fruit, decent bread and good coffee (those French again...) overlooking the river traffic and watching huge cargo boats cleverly negotiating the narrow spans of the Friendship Bridge, really peaceful. And the free wifimeans I can also take a Facetime from Deryn in Delhi Airport as she stops over on her way home from Bangkok. I was thinking of going to Sihanoukville but this place is so nice I think I will just chill out here. A five hour bus ride each way for a place I have been to twice seems a bus ride too far! And it would mean a two day journey back to Trat to catch the afternoon flight. Also I was finding it hard to get a decent place to stay, again the perils of free wheeling and booking late in the busier season.
Walking out last night to find a mini mart for water I felt transported back in time again. Dark, dusty streets, the only lights coming from the small shops and roadside food stalls, one sporting a full on whole pig spit roasting! The noise of the motorbikes puttering along with their dim headlights (for those that actually had them....) showing in the mist of the exhaust fumes, it felt and smelled closer to Burma than Thailand.
More menu typos here too. I decided on "fish and ships" for dinner. The fish was seabass, and the ships tasted like potato.... I asked the usual stupid question about the ice as they appeared to be hacking it off a larger piece, normally a sign to be wary of. "Proper" ice is usually recognised by the shape rather than being hacked off a great lump. But the barman reassured me. "We have the water, we have machine to get rid of dirty then we have ice". Magic!
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