Kratie, the Mekong doorstep!

Then I headed to Kratie, another province stands by the Mekong River. It was a five-hour drive from Preah Vihear, and the journey was not really bad. I was accompanied with jokes and fun from my colleagues in the same car. And what really blocked my ears and isolated all my senses from the surrounding environment was my little pink mp3 player. It saved me from boredom and tiredness.

When I arrived in Kratie, it was just another new page of painting flipping just in front my eyes through the car's windows. From a very dried and warm Preah Vihear province, now I encountered a landscape filled with green leaves and wet ground. That was a very sweet welcoming scene that made me stuck to complain about the long drive.

The Mekong river contains its lowest water during this month, but this does not mean that everything around it should be quiet. The river bank was full of people jogging, selling varieties of fruit and food, eating, and chatting. (but I did not notice people smoking). Hotels were full of tourists, and this made taxi and tuk tuk drivers to force their machines rolling on days and nights.

I could not waste my time as I would stay in the province only 3 nights. I tried to get benefits and entertained from this fantastic atmosphere to release my stress from work during the day time. In the morning before the Sun rose, I jogged along the river bank with other colleagues. It was a perfect morning to get sweat out as river wind followed me as I moved. The sound of crickets in the grass lane forced me to take my earphones out. I could not describe it more than the peaceful mind I got after jogging.

My team, after a long day of meetings and field visits, found a secret place to enjoy. It was not a hidden spot that people there could not find, but it was just not an interesting and well-known place. It was the river sand, just at other side of the river. It was a five-minute drive by boat. We did exercise, drank beer, and had dinner. Our evening was not dark as the local villager brought his battery and light bulb to make the spot more or less like a saving-energy pub.

My happiness ended as the time to go back to the city arrived. But I had a wish before I returned. I wanted to bring at least some of the good things from here to my family. Instead of just sharing photos, I wanted to buy some food and fruit. I bought some Krorlan (sticky rice in bamboo) and grapefruits, which are among the best products Kratie could make and grow. I was right as my family did not complain about those stuff.

(Enjoy more photos here!)