After two months in Cambodia it was time to ride my Vietnamese motorbike back to Vietnam. I said goodbye to the lovely Treetop Bungalows in Kep, then headed back the same way I went yesterday to the beach. The ride to the border was through lovely, peaceful countryside.
The ride to the border was short. I had my last sugarcane juice in Cambodia, then went to make the crossing. Crossing borders always makes me a little nervous, but I had my Vietnam visa, so I did not anticipate any problems.
Once again, the Cambodian border guards did not care about my motorbike. They quickly stamped me out. Before letting me drive into no-man’s land, a guard scrutinized my passport for a long time. I was worried he would ask me for money for my bike, but he eventually motioned me past.
I drove to the Vietnamese border station, parked my bike, and went inside. A guy in a uniform took my temperature and asked for a dollar. Was it a scam? It was only a dollar, so it wasn’t too big of a scam.
The guard behind the counter took his time stamping me in, but eventually gave me back my passport. I walked back to my bike, then did what the locals were doing and walked the bike through the border station. Nobody asked me to see my ownership papers, which is good, since they are not in my name.
Once past the station, I could read the signs again. I hopped on the bike, and made the very short drive to my first stop in Vietnam, the scenic coastal town of Hà Tiên. I checked into a nhà nghi (guesthouse), then had the rest of the day to relax and explore town.
