Jens who travels light

After meeting Yianni I still head to Street no 9 and the row of local cafe/restaurants. It is even busier on Saturday evening. The only table is under a bright light and therefore my soup is flavoured by the delicacy of local bugs taking suidical plounges in the hot liquid. Jens, the German tourist sitting across me, was wise enough to change tables but I am the last one to arrive and I have not choice. Jens is travelling for 11 weeks across Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (lucky bastard!). In Germany he has his own business building display stands for conferences and events amongst other things. There are  many inventive people crossing my path here with multiple professions and activities, and Jens seems to be one of them.

He mentions the flashing lights on my bicycle and he laughs. 'People are very careful here' he remarks 'noone uses a light and I feel safer than I do cycling in Germany'. Is the German telling me to be less obsessed with safety?

He is heading to Battambang on Monday, to visit the beautiful countryside and the amazing bamboo railway. I have heard about this from other people. The railway tracks in the area have fallen in desrepair and bamboo trains have been built to use them for tourist but cargo and livestock transport as well. Apparently, there is no traffic control system and if two of the motorbikeengine powered bamboo trains meet one has to be dismantled to let the other one pass. This is not that difficult as they are very basic structures. Also the trains move at approximately 20 mph so they are not too hard to stop. The Government might be repairing the tracks to reinstate 'normal train' traffic. This will be the end of the bamboo railway. Battambang was on my list of destinations for this weekend. But as it is a 4 hour bus ride away, I have already decided that I don't want to spend Sunday on a bus. So if the Government resolves to repair the railway before I return to Cambodia I will miss the chance to experience this inventive form of transport.

Jens quickly becomes my role model for travelling light. He left  home with one t shirt and one pair of trousers. ' I have bought everything else along the way'. We chat and chat. He is still hungry and suggests we try the raw eggs, condensed milk banana pancakes across the street. But I don't think I can stomach that at this time of night. This is the first time I say no. So we part wishing 'good luck for each other' as the Cambodians do. Safe journeys Jens.