Jungle river cruise.

Jen and I spent the past two days following Mr. Nee on his ranger patrols in one of Cambodia's National Parks.  I am not sure of the park's name exactly and, because names here are so long, I don't think it really makes a difference.  Still, of all of the foreign hikes in the wilderness we have done, this one was surprisingly more true to form than I was thinking it would be.  The river was clear and had fish tank type fish in it.  We did not see any animals or poachers, but no trash or guys living in the park either.  The first day we hiked 10 miles thru the jungle.  The second day we boated up river for a few hours and came back. 

The little town 3 miles from park headquaters where we stayed was charming.  Tourists seemed to be still sort of a new thing and the people treated us as more of a curiosity than a commodity.  A nice change for sure.  The town did still have a "king of the cabbies" and all local transport and market action ran thru him.  He was this small towns answer to Butch from rydell high in the archie comics for sure. 

As we were heading down the river I think I got why people work all the time and spend their leisure on boats.  At work you have to be able to stop on a dime.  When you are captain, you can glide to a stop at your whimsey.  No breaks makes you go at a comfortable pace that makes you relax.  Unless you like the speedboat rush that is. 

Our way out of cambodia involved a ride on a banana truck, a hitched ride in a picck up bed on cambodia's first interballistic missle and a twin scooter ride to the thai border. 

The overland border crossing between thailand and cambodia had its cast of characters.  Crazy heroin girl got on our shared minivan/taxi crying and sweaty.  She slept on the luggage most of the way. To Traat and became surprisingly lucid at every checkpoint.  Jen and I are sure she was "stashing" in other people's luggage as we went.  Takes all kinds.

The cambodians were really friendly and man are theytrying to make their country a tourist destination.  Any casual look into what those folks went thru will make a grown man cry.  That still does not make up for our getting ripped off by goof child on our second forest tour, but that is another matter.  Always pick the older of two potential guides.  Lesson learned.