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Today was a typical border crossing day. We were lied to by people touting transport on both sides of the border, had to pay off corrupt border officials, and, of course, it was slow. Not that we could’ve done anything about it, since it was a remote and infrequently used border. On the bright side, we met three Brit guys, an American couple, and an eccentric Belgian who were all heading to Ban Lung. So we actually arrived in Ban Lung tonight, rather than having to wait until tomorrow.
Factoid of the day: Corruption is so rampant in Cambodia that official positions are seen as an investment which is why police bid for their jobs. Despite already having out visas, we still had to pay the border guards to stamp us into Cambodia. No money, no entry. They said no to my request for a receipt too. Then in Stung Treng, where we switched to a van headed to Ban Lung, our driver had to pay three people to get out of the parking lot- a police officer, the guy who watched over the building complex (in a mafia protection sort of way), and some peon who was the lookout for the other two.