CAMBODIA (2)
929 Kilometres – 21 Days
3 May – 25 May 2015
MAP
PHOTOS
3
May - Sa Kaeo, Thailand – Saophoan (Sisophon), Cambodia - 107 kilometres
Once
in Cambodia, the route headed east toward Siem Reap. The road was in good
condition and ran past stilted houses and dry rice paddies. I was going like
the clappers, trying to outrun the approaching storm, wondering if reaching Saophoan
without getting soaked would be possible.
4
May - Saophoan – Siem Reap - 107 kilometres
The following
morning, the route was, for the most part, in good condition, except for a section
that was being resurfaced. The dust was horrendous, and I had to use a buff to
cover my face. Luckily, this wasn’t the rainy season. Being early May, the
weather was scorching, and the mercury hovered around 40°C. To stay cool, I
occasionally wet my shirt, but it would dry within minutes. Like a diver
needing decompression, it felt like I needed an air-con room to “de-heat.”
I
passed by several rural communities and saw countless schoolchildren riding
their bicycles. It's heartening to see that in this country, kids are free to
go to school on their bikes.
Coming
from the countryside, Siem Reap, known for its tourism, appeared chaotic and
over-commercialized. In the rural areas, the cost of water was only 500 riel,
but in Siem Reap, some places charged as much as 4000 riel.
Ivy
Guesthouse had fan rooms but, unfortunately, the fans didn’t make the slightest
difference. At 11 p.m., the weather bureau reported that the temperature was at
30°C, but it felt more like 35°C. As it was noticeably cooler outside, I set
out to explore.
5
May - Siem Reap
By morning,
I searched for better accommodation and discovered a whole plethora of places,
all roughly in the same price range.
My main
reason for staying in Siem Reap was to explore the temples of Angkor Wat and I
purchased a three-day ticket. My first stop was Angkor Thom, the last great
capital of the Khmer Empire. Approaching the site, its magnificent entrance
gates came into view, flanked by 54 demons and 54 gods engaged in an epic tug
of war.
Inside
the gates, the old temple features 54 towers decorated by 216 enormous faces of
Avalokiteshvara (The Lord who looks in every direction), which (is said) bears
more than a passing resemblance to the great king himself.
6
May - Siem Reap
I
felt a bit unlucky when it came to capturing sunrises and sunsets. The previous
night's sunset was without colour, and this morning's sunrise was unimpressive.
However, I still snatched a few pictures as I rarely wake up at 5 a.m.
After
sunrise, I stopped at the stunning Ta Prohm temple, which became famous after
being featured in Tomb Raider. Unfortunately, the Cambodians were busy
renovating the structures, making photographing them difficult. However, this
work is vital to keep the temple standing. Fortunately, there were still plenty
to photograph, and I half-expected to run into a hobbit.
7
May - Siem Reap
An
additional day was spent exploring some of the more distant ruins in Angkor.
With my three-day ticket, I could explore in the morning and then return to my
air-conditioned accommodation during the day, only venturing out once the heat subsided.
8
May - Siem Reap - Kampong Kdei - 61 kilometres
After
three days of not cycling, I expected to be full of energy. However, instead, I
felt lethargic and struggled to get going. My path passed typical Cambodian
houses on stilts where people seemed to spend most of their time under their
homes. This is where they could escape from the heat and rain and eat, socialise,
and relax in hammocks.
Cambodians
traditionally prefer to sit on the floor or in hammocks rather than chairs.
This is a sharp contrast to other cultures where people usually rest or sleep
in the privacy of their homes.
Several
vendors were selling bamboo rice and dried fish along the way. I found the
bamboo rice quite tasty, as it was cooked in bamboo stalks over an open fire.
Further
along, I was surprised to come across an ancient bridge built between 1181 and
1220 AD. The bridge was built along the old road that connected the ancient
capital of Angkor to the south. It was impressive that the bridge was still in
use, even though a new road had been built to bypass it. The bridge measured 86
metres in length, 16 metres in width, and 10 metres in height. It had 21 arches
supported by 20 columns and was adorned with a 9-headed Naga balustrade.
Pedestrians, motorbikes, and bicycles all used the bridge.
The
guesthouse beside the bridge made a convenient overnight stop, albeit a tad
early. These village guesthouses made interesting stopovers. Rooms came at $6
and had a fan, en-suite bathroom featuring a squat toilet, and a mandi (a sizeable
concrete tub filled with water). The Cambodians were very diligent about complementary
items such as toothbrushes and soap. Even the most basic rooms offered a
toothbrush, soap, and the ever-present communal hair comb and I wondered who
the heck uses a communal comb? But, judging by the blackness of the teeth, they
were well-used items!
9
May 2015 - Kampong Kdei – Kampong Thom - 90
kilometres
Feeling
surprisingly energetic after feeling tired the previous day, I left much
earlier than usual. Cycling in the cool morning air was a pleasure. The road
was crowded with schoolchildren on bikes, which surprised me as it was a
Saturday. It made me realise that although almost all children attend school, how
they get there varies greatly.
As
on the previous day, the route passed by wooden houses on stilts. I heard the
usual "Sabadee falang" greeting coming from under the houses or
behind banana plants. The word falang (foreigner) appeared as a code amongst
the younger ones. Only one had to call “Falang”, and all the kids in the neighbourhood
would come running, yelling “Falang, falang!”
As
it was the weekend, wedding ceremonies were a common occurrence. These events
usually took place in pink and yellow marquees outside the family homes. I must
admit that my curiosity sometimes got the best of me, and I would sneak a peek
at these activities.
10
May - Kampong Thom
Rumour
had it that pre-Angkorian temples were scattered in the forest roughly 30
kilometres from Kampong Thom. After hailing a tuk-tuk, we set out in the
direction of the site. The ride was slow and took the best part of an hour.
Upon
arrival, I discovered various trails leading into the woods. It was great fun locating
these temples and exciting to stumble upon these ancient ruins. More than 100 structures
are scattered throughout the forest. The information board provided fascinating
facts about the area, stating that it was once called Isanapura and served as
the capital of Chena in the early 7th century. Fascinating stuff.
11 -
12 May - Kampong Thum – Kampong Cham - 113 kilometres
Shortly
after departing, my route passed an area where temple statues were being
crafted. The sculptures, ranging from big to small, were exhibited along the
road, featuring sitting and reclining Buddhas. Carving these statues was an
immensely dusty process that certainly couldn’t be healthy.
The path
resembled a never-ending village, with each house having a plastic contraption with
fluorescent lights to trap bugs. It appeared no one in Cambodia wanted to run
out of hors d’ oeuvres.
The
roadside rubber plantation looked lush and green, which made me feel like taking
a break in the shade. However, I have noticed numerous snakes over the past few
days and decided against such a move, especially after cycling over one earlier.
I
found the labour-intensive process of harvesting latex from rubber trees fascinating.
A 25-centimetre cut was made in the bark, leaving the bark to form a gutter for
the latex to flow into a cup tied to the tree below the cut. The latex was only
collected every second day from the same tree. It’s said the trees can be
harvested from about five years old and for up to 28 years. During the dry
season, the trees are not tapped and there was no tapping during my visit.
I
chose to stay overnight in the small settlement of Kampong Cham, situated along
the banks of the Mekong River. Finding a place overlooking the river was easy,
and I bought a beer, which I gulped down while enjoying the sunset. The town
was charming, and I stayed another day, devouring anything in sight and
watching the Mother River flow past. Life was good.
13 -
17 May - Kampong Cham – Phnom Pehn - 107 kilometres
I woke
early to witness the sunrise and took a few pictures. I’m not exaggerating when
I say that after snapping one shot, all the colours disappeared.
It’s
said that even the most mundane trip becomes an adventure when travelling by
bicycle, which was the case this day. Unfortunately, Google Maps didn’t indicate
a road along the river to Phnom Penh.
The
Mekong is a mighty river that flows 4,350 kilometres from the Tibetan Plateau to
where it eventually drains into the South China Sea in Vietnam. I thus assumed that
people lived and farmed along the banks of this mighty river.
My first
stop was at the bamboo bridge, which was strong enough to hold a car but felt
unstable and springy. Google was true to its word and soon the path petered out
and became a sandy track. I bounced along a dusty trail, past small settlements
where villagers were as surprised to see me as I was to see them. A few
laughed, some pointed, others stared open-mouthed, and the kids, as always,
called, “Hello, farang!”
Roughly
30 kilometres from Phnom Penh, my path reached a brand-new highway leading into
the city centre. Once in Phnom Penh, the Royal Guesthouse made a comfortable
stay. Rooms offered air-con, TV, a bar fridge and a bathroom with hot water,
all at $13. I consequently decided to stay five days. Exactly how the five days
would be spent was a mystery, but not having to pack up and move along was a
novelty.
The
traditional Cambodian dance show was a pleasant way to spend an evening. It made
me realise how much I’ve missed the theatre. However, my photography wasn’t up
to scratch, and I found capturing the fast-moving dancers in low light
challenging.
The
Killing Fields was depressing, and I had no intention of revisiting it, but I somehow
landed there. I believe it is impossible to visit Cambodia and not touch on the
genocide in this country. It makes you wonder how a country can go from the
mighty Khmer Empire of Angkor to the genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge. Nearly
all countries/nations/tribes had wars and killed countless people. At least
they wanted something from their “enemy”.
In
contrast, Cambodia killed their very own. In the relatively short period from
1975 – 1979, the Khmer Rouge managed to kill around two million Cambodians, and
it’s the sheer brutality of these murders which gave one the creeps. As a
result, a sombre mood prevailed at both the Killing Fields and at the former
prison known as S-21. This now innocent-looking school building was once the
largest torture centre in the country.
18
May - Phnom Penh – Traeng Trayueng - 90 kilometres
Being
8h00 on a Monday morning and with major roadworks underway, getting out of
Phnom Penh was an utter nightmare. Cambodians drive in weird and wonderful ways
as well as on both sides of the road. Not surprisingly, I had a minor collision
involving a motorbike coming in the opposite direction, which ripped my front
pannier. The pannier was held together by duct tape for the remainder of the
trip.
The
good road out of Phnom Penh didn’t last long and soon became narrow and rough.
At least the road had an excellent dirt shoulder. Route 4, heading south, led into
the wind, a bit of a double-edged sword as the breeze kept me cool but slowed the
pace considerably. Ninety kilometres out, the Chanreah Guesthouse rolled into
view and made a good enough place to spend the night.
The
restaurant across the street provided a delicious bowl of curry noodle soup. The
food was so good that I later returned to get another bowl. It was remarkable to
see how Cambodians stood together, trying to overcome their sad history. The guesthouse
owner built a substantial open shed, housing volleyball courts and snooker
tables. This was where the village kids came to play and practice. The owner didn’t
charge a single cent, and he didn’t even sell alcohol or soft drinks to cover
his expenses.
19
May - Traeng Trayueng – Veal Rinh - 93 kilometres
The
landscape became hillier as the route headed south towards the coast. Much of
the land in the country’s southwest is covered by the Cardamom Mountains, and one
needs to cross these mountains to reach Thailand.
Upon
arriving in Veal Rinh, I did not want to travel an additional 50 kilometres to
Sihanoukville to check out the diving, so I opted to stay at a conveniently
situated guesthouse.
20 -
22 May - Veal Rinh – Sihanoukville - 53 kilometres
The following
day, I travelled the short distance to Sihanoukville, where bungalow-style digs
at the Reef Resort sported a swimming pool and made perfect accommodation. The
owner offered an excellent deal, and although my initial plan wasn’t to stay
long, the price was too good to ignore. Unfortunately, the diving did not turn
out as well as expected and it was best to give it a miss. I did virtually zero,
apart from enjoying the swimming pool.
23
May - Sihanoukville – Koh Kong - By bus
Usually,
it rained hard in Southeast Asia and was soon over. However, it continued
raining this morning, and I was reluctant to get underway due to my broken
pannier. My lazy existence in Sihanoukville should’ve been used to fix the
pannier, but I forgot all about it. Although taped up, the tape had pulled
loose, and instead of fixing the bag, I hopped on a bus to the border and,
within a few hours, was in Koh Kong. How this move would solve the problem was a
mystery, as the pannier still needed fixing.
Biking
the same route twice wasn’t overly exciting, and I found it hard to get
motivated. After finding a room in Koh Kong, I half-heartedly attempted to fix
the pannier. As the pannier was beyond repair, putting everything in a
waterproof bag was easier. An internet search revealed an Ortlieb shop in
Bangkok, and I planned to check them out.
24
May - Koh Kong
Instead
of crossing the border into Thailand, a trip upriver looked far more interesting.
The excursion made a good change of scenery and was money well spent.
The
boat slowly puttered upriver for almost an hour and a half. From there on, an
overgrown trail led up the mountain to a waterfall; luckily, our guide had a
machete and could hack open the path. The landscape was lush and green, and the
weather was humid as we strolled through dense forests to reach the falls.
After a swim and lunch, we retraced our steps. Halfway, our guide scrambled up
a tree and returned with a sizable coconut for each. In no time, he chopped the
coconut open and even crafted straws from the reeds.
25 May - Koh Kong, Cambodia – Trat, Thailand - 108 kilometres
The
Cambodian immigration office was only 10 kilometres away across the Meteuk
River, and the Thailand border control was a short ride from there. As the rain
continued throughout the day, it seemed like the dry season was coming to an
end. Despite the rain, I cycled 100 kilometres to Trat, a town with a few basic
guesthouses. This also marked the end of my journey through Cambodia and
brought me to Thailand for the fifth time.
