34 km
The ride from Chlong to Kratie goes in three chapters. First 10 km good asphalt, followed by 10 km dusty dirt road (seems to be under construction, but no workers around), and then finishes off with the last 10 km good asphalt again.
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'Mon cle e (mumble mumble) la chambre, ~~ le port ~~ ferm้'. So I don't speak French, but sometimes you just have to. What to do? Cambodia is as we know and old French colony. Here and there one can see French leftovers like 'ecole de this or that' and 'gendarmeries'. When talking to older Khmers it is often better to try French than English.
The landlady at Mekong GH in Chlong adressed me only in French, and asked with optimism in her voice, if I am French. Fortunately I am not, and I have never studied her language. I was the only guest in her beautiful old wooden house filled with lacquered furniture in fine hardwood. The lady proudly showed me around all the rooms and the veranda overlooking the Mekong.
I moved in, had a shower, and when I went out for dinner I asked the lady for 'restaurant?' in as French an accent as I could. She explained and I had a passable 'chicken bhai' at a small little joint a bit up the road. When I came back I made up my journal and then went out on the veranda to enjoy the evening breeze. Before closing the door I felt in my pocket for the key, it was there. But when going back inside half an hour later I found only the key to my bike lock. I had locked myself out. It was around seven in the evening and dark already. I ran down to the lady and gave her the 'Mon cle e (mumble mumble) la chambre, ~~ le port ~~ ferm้e' -explanation. It took a couple of repetitions but then she got it. The timing was fortunate since she was just about to lock up downstairs and leave. I suppose she has another house somewhere and don't actually live here. She had a master key and soon let me in to my room and my key. It would have been a long night on the veranda had I not caught her in time.
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