Another lazy day.

29/3 - Up and at 'em with a fruit salad to make up for yesterdays fry up. Off into town to try and phone up and book a trip to the bird sanctuary. I have seen booths by the side of the road with the area codes they can phone, but I have never seen a phone in them. I know why now. I stopped and asked a lady if I could phone the bird place and she handed me her mobile. I can't go anyway, it does not run trips over the weekend, so I blew that one. The boat to Battambong goes close, so perhaps I'll get to see some birds then.
Running around on the bike is great. I nip back and forth to the Guesthouse willy nilly now. Before when I left, it was for the day.
It looks like an early start on Monday to Battambong, so I'll watch the football tonight and pack tomorrow. That is pretty decisive, so that wont happen.
I took off on the bike to find the land mine museum, 5 or 6 Km out of town. I went along the riverside dirttrack for more look at the residential areas. There are houses on stilts one side of the river and big posh places the other side. There is a big imbalance in wealth here, more signs of the corruption. The river does not smell and I guess the sewage goes into it, as I saw a lady hoy a dish of water over her balcony into the river, on the poor side. I passed a load of school kids on bikes again, or rather they passed me. A couple of the little lasses were too small to reach the pedals for the full cycle, but they had the knack off perfect of waiting for the pedal to come around. One even had her younger sister on the back. A few of the kids give me stern looks, but I give them a smile or a Hello and there faces light up usually. I headed over a bridge to find the main road, as I must be getting close. I came out at the ticket office for the Angkor temples and the bloke pulled me over. There is no access without a ticket, supposedly. I told him where I was headed and he told me to carry on. I thought I'd check my direction with him. "The land mine museum is up here on the right?"
"Yes, about 25 to 30 Km."
Not on my map. It was about 1Km. They've moved it he told me. I tried to head on to the river and sit there, but he was not for letting me through now, so I did a U'y and headed back to town.
I am getting loads and loads of big, wide, happy, smiles as I cycle along. I do like the Cambodians.
I stopped to pick up a sliced mango from a roadside barrow and came to the conclusion that it is the blokes who are the scammers. I asked the lady how much and she indicated 2000 riel, then a bloke on the bike next to her, selling bread, said something to her and she said $1, 4000 riel. I frowned and the lady next to her who spoke fair English said 2000 riel. I had a bit of a laugh with the $1 lady, a good laugh and then a bit of broken chat and was off again. Out here and in town, there are loads of flat barrows with perrywinkles and cockles spread on them. They are the most common stall here. I would take a picture, but my camera has bit the dust. Too much abuse and lack of care. Into town for the obligatory coffee and cake, then back to the guesthouse for the necessary shower. Had a typical Cambodian snack, tomato bruschetta and then it is into town to see if there is an early kick-off. NO!! nightmare. It's enough to drive you to drink, so I had a beer, then an efix then back to Bar street for the 22:00/15:00 kick off. The lady boys have laid off now. A lady did come over for a natter and took pity on me when I told her I was staying in a $6 guesthouse. She invited me back to her $10 room. Why did she have to wait until the game had started??? I reckon I could have used my charm to get her to stay around, but thought I might watch the 2nd match, so played it cool and she left. In other words, I was dumped. After the 1st match I was deciding whether to watch the 2nd, when all the tables and chairs around me started to disappear, so I took that as a NO. I did sit on the bike outside a bar and watch the Sunderland highligts. Sitting on the bike stops hawker hassle, although one toot toot did offer to take me and the bike.
30/3 - Flo was definitely right about staying out of the big cities. I should have left Siem Reap yesterday. Not to worry, I have booked the boat ticket to Battambong for tomorrow, 6.00 pick up, so have packed. Off to buy a camera, mine keeps stopping and starting. Other than that, a day out on the bike sweating buckets, out for and Indian, very nice and bed early after saying goodbye to T.