Trekking in Cambodia in the jungle in Mondulkiri, here is the story of Emanuela's experience during one of her many trips in the province of Mondulkiri.
When I left for Cambodia, I had only a mental travel plan, nothing organized.
One of the few stops was to visit the eastern part of the country, the Mondulkiri province, on which, on the net, I had found little news, apart from the various excursions that can be done on an elephant.
This is why I told myself that I would discover a lot on the spot.
Once you get to Phnom Penh I booked in the guest house where I was staying, the Mama Veary Guesthouse, the transfer to Sen Monorom, the capital of Mondulkiri: expected duration, five hours by minivan.
The vehicle was modern and new, about twelve seats, a bottle of water for each passenger included in the ticket, 12 dollars for five hours of travel which became seven. Because? Because the driver stopped countless times to refresh the premises that were on board.
The scene was very funny, every now and then they stopped in the bakery on duty along the road or at the street vendors who offered black eggs, strange fried things, dried fish and other local delicacies: all the while I imagined the impossibility of the same service from us on a scheduled bus.
Impossible to ask the driver " Hey, stop for a moment here as I grab a piece of focaccia on the fly".
Leaving the capital the landscape changes radically, it gradually becomes more and more grassy and wild, meet small towns, which are almost always recognized by the presence of a school along the roadside or a small hospital and then as you get closer to Sen Monorom, there are more and more hills. This area is in fact climatically different because it is cooler, located at 800 meters above sea level, in the evening it offers a bit of coolness.
In general the Mondulkiri province it is the least inhabited in the country, made up mostly of the Bunong ethnic minority, for this reason the tourism that is gaining ground in this Cambodian area is fundamentally linked to the help of local populations. The day before leaving Phnom Penh I booked for one night at the Long Vibol Guesthouse, 9 euros the single without breakfast.
The minivan dropped us off in what I discovered to be the central street of the village.
As soon as I got off I didn't have who knows what points of orientation apart from the awareness that, looking around me, the comforts of Phnom Penh were a distant memory. Some guys on mopeds came up to ask me where I was going and offer me a room, no taxis or tuc tuc, only mopeds.
So what are you doing? Climb with the first one who inspires confidence, show him the address while he loads you and your backpack on the scooter, strictly with only one helmet (for him) and hope to make it this time too.
The Long Vibol is actually a couple of kilometers from the main street and is a beautiful hotel surrounded by greenery. The boy on the scooter proved to be very affable and kind, he tried to sell me some excursions immediately and to "get rid of them" quickly I asked him for a note telling him that as soon as I settled I would eventually call him. The structure has a part totally to be built next to the restaurant / reception area, the owner is very kind and there is a restaurant service available until 23pm every evening.
Il coffee is awful, the only time I could not finish it but otherwise the few meals consumed have always been good and with very acceptable prices. The rooms are located in relation to the central structure, there are some very nice areas, green, well-kept and equipped with hammocks and benches to relax, which obviously I could not do due to the short time.
Getting up in the morning in total silence and having a view of the garden was nice, even if for a very short time.
After quickly settling in, I head very hungry to the restaurant, there was hardly anyone there, except for another westerner. Just at that moment a very Italian-looking girl arrives who, after chatting a bit with the owner, approaches and shyly asks me if I'm Italian too.
I know so Elisa, from Trento, who will be my companion in adventures and misadventures during my trekking in the jungle! We decide to go together downtown to get some quotes for our excursion which we estimate for at least two days. We walk the two kilometers on foot, it is useful to bring a battery because in the evening the darkness comes early (18,30 / 19.00) and the lighting is poor everywhere.
Along the central street you will find only two ATMs, some shops selling fruit and vegetables, a gas station and the typical Cambodian stalls. There is also the market, the Bunong tribe they come here to sell their products early in the morning, it is the typical colorful Asian market, the goods are mostly displayed on the ground or on the counters, it is very small and you will find it easily because it will take you half an hour to complete the central street .
We went to two agencies, located exactly opposite each other.
The WWF agency, an aesthetically perfect and well-kept headquarters, managed by Westerners and the Green House, located exactly on the other side of the road. We choose the latter because it gave us the impression of being decidedly more local, we were fascinated by the family management and also by the location.
La Green House in fact it is an agency, restaurant and guesthouse and has a lovely garden inside.
We spent our two evenings here, sipping excellent milk shakes. We tell them that we are not interested in mounting elephants or bathing them, we are interested in trekking for two days in the jungle and spending a night in a local village. They tell us that since there are two of us they can satisfy us, for one person they do not move, most foreign visitors take part in the excursion that includes the elephant option without program customization.
They ask us dollars 50 which includes a guide for two days, all meals and water, overnight at Bunong village.
We leave early the next day at half past seven, the Green House sends a pick up for us. L'recommended clothing as usual: hiking shoes, long trousers, bathing suit in the waterfall, towel, repellent, sunscreen and hat. I add the usual sheet bag.
The excitement is great and mindful of the wonderful experience I had in Laos and Borneo, a few years earlier, structured almost in the same way, I leave full of expectations.
The driver who drove the off-road vehicle speaks excellent English and explains that he will take us to a point and then from there we will continue on foot and see each other again the next day, we understand only at that moment that our guide is the boy who sits in next to the driver and does not speak very good English.
Patience: between gestures, smiles and mimes, we will be able to make ourselves understood and his kindness will be so exquisite as to make us forget that we were told that he spoke excellent English!
He tells us his name is Bruce, obviously it's not his name but it's what he uses with tourists. He is part of the Bunong ethnic group and he will be the one to intercede for us once we arrive in the village.
The first day's trek reveals itself exciting for nature, the many plants it shows us and the peace that is breathed all around despite the heat and fatigue. We also meet many Bunong who work the fields, we see the huts where they deposit their tools and we watch them from a distance take their lunch break sitting among the trees.
Bruce does the whole trek in flip-flops, I will wonder all the time how he doesn't slip and on his shoulders he carries a wicker basket full of water and food for the three of us. We proceed happily with our backpacks, chatting, laughing and listening to him sing a beautiful litany and incomprehensible that I will keep us company in those hours.
He gets us two sticks by cutting bamboo sticks for us and as lunch for that first day he will prepare one for us vegetable soup cooked inside the bamboo cane, once the fire is lit, rice as a side dish and very fresh fruit.
While he cooks we dip our feet in the cool water of the waterfall, we meet another small group of French and Australians who instead dive into acrobatic dives with their guide.
Finally, around sunset time, after six hours of walking we arrive at Bunong village.
The impact for me was disappointing compared to the villages seen in Borneo and Laos, less authentic in atmosphere and less aesthetically beautiful. It looks like a group of houses both in wood and in masonry, raised above the ground, with an area below where you can cook and store food and while the upper area has the bedrooms.
There are many private off-road vehicles, mopeds and bicycles that I see near each house, there is a central pavilion for community events and a small shop that sells a bit of everything.
Bruce takes us to the house where we will spend the night, all in wood, very nice, consisting of 4 small rooms, one for mum and dad and the other two for their eight children, the largest room is completely unadorned, with a carpet on the floor and suggests it is the area where the family gathers or spends most of their time during the day.
Elisa and I will sleep in one of the small rooms, separated by a curtain from the children's room and a thin wall from that of the parents.
As soon as we arrive we perceive the first discordant note of what had been a wonderful day, Bruce tells us that he will not stop with us that night and the next day we will return to Sen Monorom with his brother, the owner of the house, who will accompany us for the last day of trekking.
The first impression is totally negative, first of all if Bruce's English is really basic that of his brother is practically incomprehensible and his attitude does not inspire confidence. His way of doing things is too physical, his proxemics have nothing to do with that of the Cambodians with whom I had interacted until then.
We find it out of place.
Reluctantly, we salute Bruce and consumed dinner with the family, we remain alone in the house as they all go together to the wedding that is taking place in the central pavilion.
They prepare our beds and tell us that we will leave in the morning at half past seven to continue the trek.
We don't sleep much that night, we don't feel safe and the next day our hesitation will be amply rewarded by Bruce's brother who lies drunk in the room next to ours, with his wife with whom we communicate only by gestures and who makes us understand that he must sleep a little bit'.
We get nervous and after waiting a good hour for this gentleman, whose name unfortunately I can't remember, wakes up; we ask for breakfast but he asks us for some money to give it to us. We protest by saying that we had already paid for all our meals, it is clear that he is still disposing of his marriage hangover, the tension is now evident and there is no form of communication possible until I ask him to call the agency but he tells me he has no money on the phone.
At that point we only know that this man does not inspire any security in us and we do not want to be in the jungle with him but we do not know how to get out of it. Meanwhile, half past seven have become nine when a car magically arrives driven by the owner of the agency, the one from the day before, Mr Sam Nang, who gets out jovially and asks us how it goes.
We denounce what happened and ask to be taken away, the two men exchange a few words, after which we get into the car, very relieved, to return to Sen Monorom.
Mr Sam Nang he is mortified, he offers us breakfast once we arrive at the Green House and tells us that he tries to distribute the wealth brought by tourism to all the inhabitants of the community and those who trust these people but cannot have control over everything.
Shortly after, Bruce arrives, whom we greet with heartfelt eyes and takes us to make a long trek to the waterfall largest in the area. The day becomes fantastic again and the misadventure becomes a distant memory. We also see an elephant with its trainer resting peacefully in the jungle, we enjoy this image that seems to be a gift all to us.
After waterfall edge lunch, in an oasis of peace and tranquility, we return to the base, tired but happy.
This was the only moment of my trip where I felt a sense of danger and I am happy that I was not alone.
The Green House's goal of pursuing a sustainable tourism is commendable, just a little more attention to their collaborators would not hurt.
We will have a wonderful memory of Bruce, one of the most human and naive people known on the road, we will not forget his thanks for teaching him a few words of English and his sincere joy in discovering things related to our culture that for him were a real surprise.
He also asked us if we have cows.
We will leave from Sen Monorom the next morning with a bus that will take us back to Phnom Penh and from there to Battambang, of which I have told in another post.
The last night, after the trek, we spend it as a matter of comfort at the Green House, their hotel is located in relation to the restaurant but still remains in the center, the room for $ 8 for two it turns out to be absolutely dignified.
I specify that it is always with the Green House that we booked the minivan to Battambang, do it before leaving for the trekking because there are only two a day and there are not many places.
Disadvantage aside, this area of Cambodia deserves to be seen, in hindsight I am sorry not to have spent at least one more day there. Very different from the chaos of Siem Reap. of Phnom Penh, can offer unforgettable glimpses of the surrounding nature and make you come into contact with people who have all been, except one, of an unforgettable kindness.
