Banlung

Saturday, 13 March

My legs are still swollen a lot (swelled up when we got to Bangkok and haven't returned to normal) and now my eyes are too, I look a sight!

After the usual breakfast - me my own coffee, roll, marge, jam, Dylan eggs and roll and Colin roll and cheese, we each got onto a moto at 10H00 and set off with the guide, Song, a 22-year old from the Rattanakiri province, a town 7 kms from Banlung. He had to get a job before finishing school to help support some siblings still at school. Now he's in the process of finishing high school. He took us to the Katiengh waterfall area first (along gravel roads), I was riding with him in front and Dylan and Colin with their moto riders behind, so they all got a bit dusty in our wake, together with dust thrown up by passing cars.

We drove past a rubber and cashew nut plantations. I realised that cashews are a big industry, as I've seen those trees all over. Song said they use the rubber to make roads?? in addition to selling it. Dylan and I then climbed a ladder to sit in a wooden howdah on an elephant called Kampoy. An American guy was on the other one called Kampen. Colin didn't want to ride an elephant and followed us on foot. The handlers sat on the elephants' necks and steered them by pushing on their left or right ear. Our handler also communicated with his elephant by means of grunts. The elephants were allowed to stop and help themselves to banana plants and grass. The pull off the outer banana leaves and strip off the juicy bits. They also like the tender bits of clumps of grass and bamboo shoots. It was very uncomfortable sitting on the howdah, which should have had a cushion. The elephants walk very slowly, often in the blazing sun, so we got very hot. We went back to the entrance after 1,5 hours and I gave the elephant a bamboo leaf and stroked her head. Then we walked to the Katiengh waterfall, which is beautiful with a curtain of water. There was not really anywhere to get comfortable, so we just took some photos, I had a quick wash and left. We saw some Cambodians in traditional garb at the elephants, the guys with the traditional diaper style loincloths over their scants with bows and arrows and Dylan said these were probably part of the "tribal village" experience we would have. We saw them again next to the Katiengh river and I asked whether I could photograph them, then they also wanted to pose for their own photos with us! Turns out they are students from Phnom Penh and it was their first visit to Rattanakiri and the woman who had arranged the trip suggested they put on the outfits and go have fun. The main spokesman was extremely outgoing and charming and well spoken.

It was very comfortable on the moto when we were on tar, but not at all comfortable going over bumps on dirt roads and swerving for ditches and looking away to avoidthe other drivers' dust clouds. It was already about 12H30, so Song took us to a small place to have lunch - the usual fried rice and port, the pork was very chewy, so I fed it to the little mommy cat, who had clearly recently had another litter of kittens. There was another +- one year old cat, probably her offspring, not too friendly. We then bumped up and down some more gravel roads to the next waterfall, the . The back of my head was starting to throw, my spine probably went out of alignment from the bad mini bus trip and now bumping around on the moto. Anyway, we walked down to the waterfall, truly beautiful, some locals were cooling off in the waterfall in their clothes. We walked across the footbridge, took some photos of Weyne who had arrived and which I'll email to him.

Then we rode to a small community where the women weave the traditional material and scarves sold by everyone. Takes them 2 weeks to make a scarf! which they sell for $5. I was really searching for something to buy as I can see how poor the people are, but didn't like any of the designs, which an old woman was busy with. I thought Song said she would have it ready for me tomorrow, but subsequently found out that would not be possible.

We rode up to the Eisey Pracham mountain to see the reclining Buddah which is not too old, built in 1996 by the Vietnamese. Workmen were busy fixing up the platform with tiles, ready for the Prime Minister's visit to open the Triangular Trade Fair between Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. The Buddah is next to what I think is a Bodhi tree, with the most beautiful blossoms, the Bodhi tree is very significant in Buddhism, the tree must have been planted first, as it quite large already. A woman and her two daughters were collecting the flowers which were on the ground, which they would apparently boil to extract the perfume.

We then went to the Yak Lom crater lake for a swim, $1 entrance, very popular with the locals. It was sublime to rinse off the sweat and cool next to the lake on the wooden platform, the water was not cold, probably about 18 deg C. I had forgotten my swimsuit in Kratie, so wore the long mauve SameSame T-shirt which just covered my maroon panties. Most of the locals jump in in their clothes, or the men put a scarf over their scants. The lake is very deep and I would not have dreamt of just jumping in. I sat on the last wooden step and then went into the water, still holding onto it. It was heavenly. Then Dylan arrived (some locals had asked him to join them for a beer along the way). He and Colin went swimming. Got back to Lake View Lodge at 17H00.

I took headache tablets, had some supper, I wanted Colin's previous night's meal of deep fried pork, but the waitress misunderstood and I ended up with a sickly sweet pork mixture with rice which I couldn't eat, I had two mouthfuls and left the rest for Dylan. I left them chatting to two German travellers and went to sleep.