Shorty Kratie

First impression counts and Kratie really is not the best place to form any sort of image about Cambodia. It is by far the most dirty and filthy town i have ever been to. Flies and garbage flood the streets, dirty sewage water fills poth hole. Even as an adventurous eater, i have my doubts with eating street food here. My first dinner in Cambodia is to be had at a small hole in the wall "restaurant" with the rare english Phrase "Khmer food".

Even then, the place was filled with trash on the floor and 50% of the foreigner customers who dine there complain about the food portion and price. It is also here that i made my first very animated cambodian friend named Inchiangteh(thats how i heard it, not actual spelling). She works in the eatery and sat down to chat with me cause she thinks i look like a cambodian. She talks in the familiar Malaysia style english with the ubiquitous "You know.. Yeah loh" something i had missed hearing for a long time. Through the conversation, i understand that she had spent a few years working in malaysia as a domestic assistant(maid) and now return back home to work for her aunt. Through her, i learnt a whole deal about the life in cambodia.
My first cambodian friend!
First impression of Cambodia, everybody wears pajamas for the whole day....
First impression of cambodia. Filthy garbage fills the streets(actually only it happens only in Kratie)


There isnt too much to do in Kratie. 2nd day in cambodia, i was motioned by a moto driver, coincidently i needed a ride to see the sole attraction in kratie, the Irrawaddy dolphins. Turns out he dont see a single word of english. Thankfully with my list of words i gathered the day before and a whole series of body language(try saying dolphins without words), he managed to get me to the right place. For 3 of more people, it will be US$7 for an hour on the boat.Irrawaddy dolphins
Some boatmen are lazy and instead of using the oars, they continue to use the moto. Do your bit for the dolphins and ask them to switch it off.
Dont expect any kind of circus jump from the dolphins, all you would see is the back fin appearing for 1 second before disappearing into the water again. Almost impossible to take any picture of it
As a consolation, the sunset was nice.
I had wanted to stay longer if my driver would allow me. His bike was in such a bad condition with non working speedo meter, fuel gauge, mirror, foot peg and even headlights, so we had to head back before it gets dark

That is it for Shorty Kratie, stay tuned for the famous Siem Reap Cambodia next!