So back to Cambodia on a 24 hours train through Thailand. I got to the border late at night continued to Siem Reap. I was reunited with my Spanish friend from Phnom Penh the next day to begin my search for volunteer work since my previous application fell through. My search began with a weeklong road trip through some beautiful provinces… productivity Asian style.

Kampong Chennag, is a province home to many fishing villages. I have seen many from the shore but never toured in a boat. We went around for 2 hours in a small wooden boat paddles by an amazingly strong old woman. The life is simple and hard. Everyone came out to wave, as they always do in Cambodia when foreigners are around. So many women in their pajamas and men in thier kormas, loved it. Loved the boat stores too!

Pursat was the second province to visit. It has an amazing river that runs through the town, but what makes this river special is the never strange piece of made land that is located in the middle of the river that looks like a boat. I have no idea what its purpose is, but it's strange and I like it.

Battambang, a province I already visited founded the purpose of this road trip. We were on a hunt for Cambodian cognac for a friend of a friend. We made it to a small winery where this entrepreneur of a woman has been making her own wine and cognac for decades. She runs the business by herself and takes so much pride in her products. After a quick chat, our samples became complimentary. A very nice and smart woman.

Lastly, we visited Pailan, a strange place. The only place in Cambodia where I did not see rice growing in the field that border the road. The reason for this is that they are still clearing the land for mines. Hundreds of thousands are still being removed. The worse invention my man I would have to say. There is a beautiful pagoda and a lot of old Khmer Rouge soldiers, very eerie feeling there. We did not spend the night, but it was a nice visit to the pagoda is all I can say.

The road trip on the motor bike during the rainy season made it so much better, with the lush green fields, rice everywhere, blue skies, with coconut trees doting the horizon. By far the most beautiful time to visit Cambodia,, even if you do get stuck in sporadic downpours, it's well worth it. I love this country for so many simplistic reasons. Once back in the capital I gave myself a push to move to Kratie (the town in which I thought to myself 'I think I could actually live here" the last time I was in Cambodia. I thought it would be a good place to start).