Take me to the river

Last Sunday Ted, Vic and I travelled to Steung Treng, a province about 300 kilometers northeast of Phnom Penh. It was a business trip for Ted and I; we were there to supervise the field work for a study we’re working on. Vic, fresh from Manila, decided to tag along because he hasn’t been to this province. I haven’t been to Steung Treng before as well, so the trip was a welcome one.

The survey team rented a van while the three of us rented a car. We left Phnom Penh at 7AM, and the 6-hour drive took us past the provinces of Kandal, Kampong Cham, and Kratie. Vic brought some fried crickets and a tarantula in Kampong Cham and tried to eat them. I have eaten crickets in the Philippines (I’m from Pampanga) and I’ve also eaten a tarantula years ago, upon the prodding of my ex Kimrun. I didn’t want to try it again. Ted and I munched on cashew nuts, banana chips, and spiced tamarind instead. In Kampong Cham we also saw the Khmer equivalent of the bayanihan. A whole house was being moved. The difference from the Filipino style was this house was mounted on carts and pushed, not carried, to its destination.

We arrived in Steung Treng at around 1PM, and after a quick lunch we walked around the town center. Steung Treng is located on a high sandy bank overlooking the Mekong River, where it is joined by the Se Kong River. We went to the riverside and looked at the port. When we got tired walking we bought fruits and went back to our guest house and waited for Poeu (our survey monitor who knows the place) to pick us up for a late afternoon drive. Steung Treng is also about 40km south of the Laos border. We had brought our passports in case we get hit by wanderlust and decide to cross the border.

Poeu arrived at half-past four and we went to the bridge that crossed the Sae San River, towards the border to Laos. The bridge was new, built through aid from China. From afar, it reminded me of the bridge in Koh Kong that led also to another border crossing (Thailand). When we got there, however, I noted that that the bridge only had 2 lanes. The bridge in Koh Kong had 2 lanes also but it had 2 pedestrian/bicycle lanes on each side, plus viewing decks. The lack of viewing deck did not deter people (including us) from stopping by and looking at the view, which was quite nice. We took pictures as well.

For dinner we had some Laotian noodles, which was really delicious when eaten with iced coffee with milk. Steung Treng is also famous for its coffee. Before heading back to our guest house Poeu pointed out the venue of the survey the next day, a wat (pagoda).

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