A few final words on Sra´Aem or better why I did stay there for two nights. I thoroughly enjoyed my room and the attached balcony, where I basically spent all day yesterday observing the daily routine of the locals. I find that extremely entertaining and embedded between a nice cup of coffee in the morning and a delicious meal in the evening I would always say: That´s one of the very reasons I am here for. There is one negative aspect about Sra´Aem though - the dogs. They were by no means aggressive towards me at daytime but large groups do gather at night, fighting each other, barking and howling. No way you sleep through that inferno!
Back to the market this morning for some bananas, then over to the coffee shop where I was already welcomed like a regular. Into the saddle at 9ish as there were only 80 km to be done and the forecast was perfect for cycling: moderate sunshine with a supporting northeasterly breeze. And that´s all I have to say about the ride. I am tempted to add it was boring as there was zero visual entertainment but I still had a good day, very much due to the friendly locals on the road itself or at the side of it.
When getting into Anlong Veng, the infamous place where Pol Pot and his no. 2, Ta Mok, lived and continued with their atrocities until the end of the 90s, I was aiming for the New Lucky Star Guesthouse which had been recommended somewhere on the net. Just before getting there I spotted the attractive compound of the Botuddom Guesthouse (google maps spelling) and decided to enquire about their rooms. The young owner has excellent command of English and offered me a corner fan room in the new building for 7.50 US$ (or 30000 Riel) which I happily accepted as the room is spacious, has a breathtaking balcony attached and the wifi is excellent too. I was still a bit hesitant as there is no hot water boiler in the bathroom but it turned out the "cold" water is actually coming out in a perfect temperature anyway. Lucky once again and I would be very surprised if you would find a better place in town in that price range. Anlong Veng itself? Same, same, no different. Dust, markets, shops, no sights. Like it or hate it.
My eating problem - a few more words on it with the following photo - was quickly solved too as there is quite a good restaurant in town. Just walk down to the roundabout, turn right and directly behind the Smart phoneshop you will find the Sien Hai restaurant. Now with a full stomach I will have to sit down and reorganize my route. I was planning to go to Banteay Srei tomorrow, stay two nights and visit the temple compound which is part of the Angkor Park. Now I learnt from two sources that they do only sell the tickets in Siem Reap plus there is definitely a shortage inaccommodation. The owner of my guesthouse called a friend who is a tourist guide down there and confirmed that information. He only knew one homestay at the ridiculous rate of 75 US$ in Banteay Srei. So I may continue going further west and then head down south towards Siem Reap, where I booked myself into a hotel with pool for four nights from Jan 26. I think I deserve a swim after all that dust recently.
That was my second dinner in the restaurant right next to the guesthouse: grilled squid and mixed vegetables. I told you about my problems regarding food in Cambodia and I realize I am loosing weight rapidly which a lot of people would consider to be a good thing. Not me as I feel the lack of protein has negative impact on my leg muscles. Therefore a trustworthy restaurant like the one in Sra´Aem is a real bonus for me
This is only a small fire on the side of the road but I believe good enough to bring my point across. Sometimes the smoke is so dense that I do stop and wait until somebody on a motorbike comes the other way as this is an indication for me it will not be going on for too long
