After crossing the border with Cambodia, one feels like entering a new story all together. Mind you, crossing the border is quite an experience, with many touts and hustlers trying to separate the adventurous traveller from his precious money. The area between the Thai Immigration post and the Cambodian Immigration post is like some sort of a free-trade zone, it's like the wild west in the south-east, magnificent! Take your dvd of Star Wars, or rent one, and view any chapter in which our heroes are stranded in one of the many freezones, Jabba De Hut (Is that spelled correctly? Do I actually care) and friends all over the place. It is a very thriliing experience, with all kind of goodies for the less moral traveller. In fact, there are some no-mans-land hotels and casinos in the small strip between the two borders. Legal or illegal doesn't count here, as there is no authority to question it. And once past the Interzone (Naked Lunch does come close to the experience), it is amazing to ride at a maximum speed of 40 kilometres an hour to Siem Reap, some 180 kilometres from the border. The road is a legend amongst many scammed travellers, as there are potholes that could make entire cars disappear if not avoided. Somehow the road is not being improved, even tough many other roads in Cambodia are improving at a high rate. Probably some bribes from local guesthouses are helping in keeping the road in such a bad condition. It allows them to make the exhausted travellers stay in their overpriced guesthouse, instead of arriving fresh and at an early time in Siem Reap. Travelling in Cambodia is quite a different experience all togehter, until three years ago nobody ever went faster than 80 kilometres an hour in this country, not because of some law, but simply because of the roads. I don't know if it is such a good idea to improve them, as yesterday I saw the meter go beyond the 140 kilometres an hour. This is the Highway from Pnomh Pen to Sihanoukville, 1 Lane in each direction, and no potholes. Many shabby motorcarts packed with sometimes 20 people, and all kinds of unnamable means of transportation crowd this road. At dark, and with tractors and the lot not having any lights, i felt rather nervous. I didn't know if I had to be happy because the experience would be over in less than 2 hours, or if I should wish the old days of bad roads back into this part of the country. Anyway, the drivers in general seem to be more cautious than in neighbouring countries such as Vietnam and Thailand. Thai drivers are a lot cockier, frantically driving at any maximum speed their vehicle and the traffic allows them. In Cambodia, people seem to have more time. Maybe they lost too many of their friends and relatives for the wrong reasons during their tumultuous past. It does feel safer to hit the road here. Another funny thing is the crossroads. Many people seem to be oblivious of the meaning of these funny lights above their heads. Red light doesn't slow them down. Somebody explained to me that indeed, many people driving a car or motorbike just buy their license, if any, and the practical side of traffic will follow by experience. If they do stop for the red light, it is because they see it for the first time, and wonder about it's presence. Same for the other colours. Indeed, the police seem to be very patient and when my driver once drove into a one-way street, he was stopped to be explained that the red signpost with the horizontal white line in the middle of ot meant that he could not enter this street. (there is only a couple of them in the capital anyway.) No fine was given, just a little lecture in traffic-signs. Wonderful.