Wednesday 8th December 2004
I have boarded the fast boat to Stung Treng. My stomach is suffering a bit this morning, so I have had to resort to taking an Imodium to ensure the journey doesn't entail any err accidents! I enjoyed the journey to Stung Treng. I sat out on the outside of the boat, which was quite an experience because there was nothing to really hold onto. I wedged myself in near the front and covered up with sunscreen and my faithful Tilley hat. This hat is a lifesaver. There is no better hat in the world for keeping the sun off your head. The wind completely disguises the ferocity of the sun's rays and my sun screen held up very well, keeping me relatively uncooked for the duration of the voyage.
The boat arrived at Stung Treng around 4pm and I walked from the port to the Praep Sor Guesthouse with Mr. Wannat, who runs it. He is very young and speaks excellent English. I walked around town and found an internet café to send a couple of emails and went to the Riverside Restaurant, which is a small rooftop restaurant overlooking the main street and out over the river. I got talking to an Austrian, a German and an Irishman. We shared stories of our travels and sank a few bottles of Beer Lao. I went back to the hotel and asked Mr. Wannat for some information regarding transport to Ban Lung in Ratanakiri Province. He told me he would take me to the taxi rank and sort out a ride for me. That would also give him a good chance to tell the taxi driver where to take me- The Mountain Guesthouse, which is his cousin's place! The ominous stomach pains I was having this morning had not resurfaced since I was on the boat, but after I retired to bed around 9.30pm the pain started. Nearly every travel story has a chapter about the dreaded stomach bug or sickness of some description and so, wait no more. Here is mine!
