Kratie

So Kratie does have an internet cafe. Two actually -- wasn't sure there would be any here.

We said goodbye to Brad and Jenn this morning (they should be somewhere over the middle of the Pacific right about now), and hopped a bus up here. Thankfully today's ride wasn't as exciting as yesterday's.

We were able to get up here early enough to go on a dolphin tour. We spent a couple hours on the river and spotted a number of dolphins. Sorry, no picutres. The Irrawaddy are not as playful or as sociable as their marine cousins. The surface just long enough to grab a breath of air before the next dive, making photography a giant pain. I think it's because they're a bit funny looking. Sort of like a cross between a porpise and beluga whale, they look like a dolphin or porpise, but have no beak.

On the way back our moto drivers took us to Phnom Sambok, a hill just north of town. It's the only high ground around, so it offers beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. There are approxiamately 350 steps leading up to a Buddhist temple at the top of the hill. We climbed every last one.

If all goes well tomorrow, tonight will be our last in Cambodia. Tomorrow, we take a minibus from here to Stung Treng, then hop into boat for the ride up to the border with Laos. After getting our passports stamped, we'll take another minibus into Vuen Kham to hop a boat to Don Det.

Don Det is a small island in the middle of the Si Phan Don area of Laos. According to our guidebooks, the island should have been wired for power last year, but I'm not going to count on it. We'll probably spend a couple of days there or on one of the other islands before continuing on to Pakse. We should have a couple of relaxing days ahead.

Enjoy.