Woke up around 7am rather slowly and really in no rush went to the lobby to grab breakfast. I had my things packed and while paying for the room decided to just book a ticket through the service they had here to Kompong Cham. I had about 20 minutes to wait which went by fast before a minivan pulled up to take me with one other passenger inside. I was quite shocked to see the van but wasn't going to complain. We continued to pick up people until a nearly full van as usual, however we soon pulled into the bus station after fighting traic and I realized it was just a pick up service and I was indeed taking a cramped bus. Oh well, I got my seat and bad settled and just dozed off until the pit stop. Grabbing a pineapple, I just waited the time away being getting to sleep again and coming to in Kompong Cham.

    I got a quick ride to the river by a moto driver who spoke great english, which I really found helpful and makes things straight forward. You get a really nice time on the road, you can chat, etc. And so of coarse I was told the guesthouse ride was free and all he cared about was what I was doing tomorrow. So I decided to do the majority of things here tomorrow and would see one sight with him this afternoon after eating. I got my stuff into my room and headed next door to a nice restaurant serving western food. Still having close to an hour I decided to head over to the river and just watch the boats fish away. The old French lighthouse could be seen across the river, and I wanted to go up if I had time later.

    I saw him ride up in front of where I was staying from across the river and went to meet him and we got started. I was glad to be going around here with him as he started with the bits of info right away with the fact that the people fishing are Muslims living along the river catching there own fish since most meats are pork products here. I get info the entire ride, which passed some seriously amazing countryside and some of the greenest fields yet to be seen by me. The ride was not that long, getting to the base of the mountain before long. I was shocked and relieved to find out that we were driving up the road that went around the hill. I had gotten so used to walking hundreds of steps it was a welcome change. We pulled over still near the bottom to find a small tower from the 7th or 8th century from The Chenla Empire which later became the Khmer empire responsible for Angkor. It was interesting to see but it was small and little to do but appreciate the fact that it had alot of historical value for those interested in Khmer past.

    Getting to the top, I drive moto and all to the back of this crazy large flat top with alot of building on it. There were two small Chenla buildings the first being a red brick tower with some very old inscriptions inside and out. The interior had a really great head of Jayavarman VII, which although modern I really liked. The second was a square box which was strange, and my driver tells its from the 1st century which is actually before those people were a force. I think he was going to far back and was wrong, but who knows, what was clear was that this was older than anything I'd seen before and unique but not really special. I ound it rather plain after the first few seconds of interest from its shape.

    We then drove to a place by the cliff edge and parked where he invited me to explore the grounds while he sat in the shade and waited for me. I immediately noticed the view of the far reached of the Mekong river, with beautiful islands in teh center view and various types of plants and tress gracing every viewpoint. between 2 balconies was a set of stairs going down to a dock at the river. The entire staircase was flanked by trees and was really quite pretty. The islands and river were in the top portion of my view which was tunneled by the stairs straight down. I really wanted to go down, but it was hot and doing stairs after getting a ride up here just seemed wrong. To the left, there was a really crazy looking set of 4 small pavilion looking things around a pond. They had a clownish feel, not really sure how else to put it, but they seemed out of place. So after appreciating the view I went exploring.

    Before I made it into the heart of all the buildings here which I could from a distance, I stumbled upon the coolest monkey in the world. Sitting on a ledge completely alone ripping apart some food, he acted as if there weren't 50 people sitting nearby looking over the river view. I watched the silver black faced animal for quite some time just amazed by him. I was able to get quite close and really loved it. He was like nothing I'd seen before, never mind actually in the wild. He's not in the forest for sure, but he does go as he pleases and I found out he just comes here and monks fed him so now he comes when he's hungry. I couldn't be happier since I really enjoyed seeing him.

Heading into the heart of the large area up here, I'm just dumbfounded at the entire place. I have really no idea how I hadn't really noticed it all coming up but it was basically to me a mini amusement park with a buddhist monastery in it. Statue gardens sit next to monks quarters, giant fruit statues line the sides of towers and near temple grounds, various structures that have no place and I have no idea what they are, music playing... I could go on. The place just made me laugh really hard, like nothing I'd ever seen or could even have imagined. The giant mango overlooking in the river was quite nice lol. I walked around the rest of the grounds, getting barked and chased by the dogs that roamed the grounds, stumbling upon the crumbling remains of 2 more chenla towers with really nothing left. The entire place was really something and probably deserved more time that it got, but after I had my laugh it all blended in as you can only laugh at seeing so many fruits. On my way back to the bike I saw the monkey walking on 2 legs, yes 2, which was really awesome as the silver color made him look simply fake to me. A walking stuffed teddy bear, thats what he made me think of. I made my wait back to the driver who was sitting down resting so I joined him. He was having a drink a sugarcane and suggested I get one which I did and soon after tasted the sugariest drink ever, I know quite shocking since its sugarcane after all but really it was strong. We headed off soon after, and I must say I really enjoyed the time here.

    On the way back passing the just gorgeous countryside and that I'd passed along the way I was more than pleased when we pulled over becuase he wanted me to try a local fruit. It was along the countryside and across the road I could see endless green. After trying whatever it was I tried as I can't remember the name we walked over into the fields. The vast green was great made all the more so by the women tending the fields, the fox looking dog jumping through the fields, farming grazing cows... It had a real country feel to it, and man the dog was just so cool to see disapparing into the crops.

     Back on the bike a few minutes down the road we pull off the road again this time at a farm for growing fruit and of all things flowers. Walking on thin raised lumps of dried dirt along irrigation channels I stumble along until we reach the godly fields of flowers sitting in the water. I'm told there actually given to the temples and sold to various places for offerings etc. Looking at the vast field, I was in awe at the beauty of so many huge flowers all in one place. Getting close, the camera really brought out the detail that the eye has trouble seeing. Before they flower, they are acutally a fruit which although I tried, I actually felt guilty stopping on of these beautiful things from blooming....

    Back in town, I had dinner at the place next door again, Lazy Mekong Daze Restaurant addicted to there amazing western food. The spaghetti with Alfredo and mushrooms is particularly great, which I would have more and more after, but dinner tonight was chicken and potatoes. The highlight of my night was the full moon which was completely orange, the color of a sunset as the glow off the river made it change into a most beautiful color. In the morning the full tour of Kompong Cham, and looking forward to exploring this amazing riverside wonder of a town.