VIETNAM (4.1), CAMBODIA (8) THAILAND (17)
1
September – 10 September 2018
6
Days – 702 km
VIETNAM
(4.1)
2
September – Saigon, Vietnam – Svay Rieng,
Cambodia – 125 km
Departing
Saigon was on a Sunday morning and I hoped it would be an easy escape from sprawling
Saigon. However, no such thing happened, and I ducked and dived through the
traffic, ignoring traffic signs like a true Vietnamese. Eventually, Saigon
disappeared in my rear-view mirror, and I caught one last ferry ride across a
river. Unfortunately, another rough path was on the opposite side that later spat
me out at the Vietnam/Cambodia border. However, the crossing into Cambodia was
uncomplicated. Surprisingly, I was charged only the $30 visa fee and no extra, “for
their children”!
I
pushed on as I’d approximately 900 km ahead of me and only about a week to do
it. In Svay Rieng, a $5 room turned out one of the worst ever encountered, but
you get what you pay for and one can’t expect much when paying $5. Phew! Time
to hunt down food and beer.
CAMBODIA
(8)
3
September - Svay Rieng – Phnom Penh – 131 km
Cycling
wasn’t particularly effortless as a headwind hampered my efforts considerably. Rice
paddies rolled past rather slowly as I stuck to the main road in the direction
of Phnom Penh. That said, there are always exciting things to see, and on this
day, people made and sold flattened rice. At the beginning of the rice harvest,
some rice is set aside to be specially prepared and eaten during certain Khmer
ceremonies. Flattened rice can be eaten year-round but is often eaten during
special family gatherings.
The
rice is roasted in a wok, then put in a wooden cylinder and pounded using a large
pole. After the pounding, the hull is separated and discarded. Flattened rice
can be eaten dry as a snack (quite lovely); most families, however, add coconut
milk, sugar and banana.
Eventually,
my path crossed the Mekong River and I was surprised at the vast amount of
water flowing downstream.
My
arrival in Phnom Penh was in peak hour traffic and in a drizzle, not the best
conditions to bike into hectic Phnom Penh. Nevertheless, I made my way to Grand
View Guesthouse, where I met up with my lovely friends, Matt, Dan, Chop,
Phillipe and Teresa. Copious bottles of red wine were consumed and I later
stumbled to my room. Phew.
I
surfaced late sporting a (not surprising) headache and knew I wasn’t going
anywhere that day. The rest of the crowd was equally slow to emerge but were
ready for a few beers by evening.
5
September – Phnom Penh – Kampong Chhnang – 108 km
After
breakfast, I pedalled out of Phnom Penh, trying my best to stay off the busy
main road. In the process, I came upon the most unusual temples, Wat Sowann
Thamareach was one of them. I pedalled past carts laden with pottery, sold door
to door. Finally, I popped into the Vipassana Meditation Centre, where one can enrol
in meditation courses. I think one can also overnight there, but I pushed on. I
was slightly behind schedule and pointed my bicycle in Kampong Chhnang’s
direction along the busy and narrow main road. Barely 12 km from my destination,
dark clouds gathered and I wondered if it would be possible to escape the storm.
I picked up an unexpected tailwind and powered by the wind, flew towards
Chhnang. Amidst roaring thunder and streaks of lightning, I rolled into Kampong
Chhnang just as raindrops started falling and made it to a guesthouse by the
skin of my teeth.
6
September – Kampong Chhnang – Pursat 98 km
Feeling
lethargic, the day dragged on endlessly. I amused myself checking out the stalls
selling bugs (a typical snack in Cambodia) as well as, to my horror, skinned
Leopard cats. These beautiful wild cats are regrettably hunted as food and, I’m
sure, will soon be on the endangered list. I was more than happy to cycle into
Pursat, sporting a good enough room to overnight. Stalls at the market sold
heaps of fried crickets and I thought I’d post the recipe if anyone is inclined
to give it a go. Here we go:
Preparation
Before
cooking crickets, you should place the insects in a refrigerator until immobilised.
The cold air slows a cricket’s metabolism and prevents your food from hopping
away.
Fried
Pan-frying
crickets is quick and easy. Heat olive oil in a pan. Place the insects in the
hot oil and fry until brown and crispy. Drain the crickets, season to taste (a
pinch of pepper and a dash of soy sauce usually does the trick) and enjoy. You
can eat it as a snack or serve it on a bed of rice or noodles.
7
September – Pursat – Battambang – 110 km
What
a dreadful day of cycling. Not only was I into a headwind, but the route was in
a horrible condition. It became best to ride on the no-man’s-land next to the
road as it had been patched once too many times, making a rough and bumpy ride.
The lack of a shoulder and traffic added to the horrendous conditions. If not
in such a hurry, I indeed would’ve taken a rural track. Once in Battambang, I opted
for Hotel Royal, which offered clean budget rooms.
THAILAND
(17)
8-11
September – Battambang, Cambodia – Aranyaprathet, Thailand - 130 km
I
realised I was out of time and caught a train to Bangkok as I still needed to
take the bike for a service and fit a new tire. Catching a train with a bicycle
was surprisingly easy. Once at Bangkok station, I biked the short distance to
my usual guesthouse, leaving three full days to do laundry and take the bicycle
to the bike shop. However, my rushed departure from Aranyaprathet was mainly
due to me needing a Myanmar visa, a three-day process as Linda and I planned on
cycling this fascinating country.
12
September – Bangkok
Linda
landed in Bangkok, jet-lagged following a 27-hour long haul flight from Fort
Lauderdale and a considerable amount of chatting and beer later; we turned in.
