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NZ is in the rear-view mirror: http://www.RideDOT.com/nz :D |
When the fun stops, stop! Or at least pause a while, even find work to remind you why you stopped working!
I've loved reading through this whole thread, and would love to read more but there's no point in riding on if you've had enough. I was working in "long distance travel" (overland journeys by truck)for 11 years. 9 Years now since I stopped, and although I miss it every day, I still remember why enough was enough. Hope you have a good break, and look forward to reading more if the itch returns, but if it doesn't, thank you both so much for sharing this journey, and well done for the immense effort it must be to keep up the commentary. Ride safe, Simon. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/377.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map377-L.jpg Thailand! We meet once again.... Having spent the whole of last winter in this country, the familiarity of everything around us is like slipping on a pair of old well-worn shoes. All the smiling Sawadee-Kah ladies are still here! On the Songthaew ride to our rented apartment we pass by the old blue-white-and-red oil-drop logo of the PTT gas stations, the curly Thai script (that we can't read) on every sign, the 7-11s on every street corner... 55555! OMG, remember 555? The last time we felt this sense of homecoming was when we returned back to Mexico after spending a month riding around Cuba. We've parachuted back onto the resort island of Phuket with only the tiniest subset of our warm weather riding gear, leaving behind the majority of our stuff with our BMWs back in Croatia. The only other thing we brought with us is our bathing suits! :) Because it's friggin' hot once again! No more running from Old Man Winter. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3006-L.jpg The very first thing we do is visit the storage unit to liberate our Hondas And once again, we're mobile on two again! They're so shiny and clean! I'm so glad we gave them a wash before we put them away. It's like unwrapping a brand new bike! We wheel our gleaming machines out into the parking lot, reattach the battery terminals and then thumb the starter on Neda's bike. Ka-chk Ka-chk Ka-chk BRRRAAAP! YEEEEEAAA-boooooyyyyy! We were a bit nervous that nine months sitting without a battery tender would have left our batteries flat. It wouldn't have been the first time... My bike's turn: Ka-chk Ka-chk Ka-chk.... Ka-chk Ka-chk Ka-chk... uh oh... Stick the bike in 2nd, clutch in and push the bike down the parking lot. Pick up the speed to a light jog. Dump the clutch, jump on the seat and thumb the starter at the same time... SAWADEE-BRRAAAAAP!!!! I love small-displacement motorcycles!!!! Ever try to bump start a 1200cc twin? It's not going to be anywhere as easy as this! I remember trying to bump my R1200GS once. I had to stick it in 4th gear. And start rolling it from the top of Mount Everest... |
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Neda is back to cross-stitching Now that we're taking a break from our travels, Neda is bump-starting her cross-stitching once again. While we were busy frantically riding all over Europe, her hobby had to sit on the back-burner (which is not a good place to put cloth on) neglected. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3020-L.jpg Did I mention we have a swimming pool? Those bathing suits we brought are being put to good use everyday! We are staying in a much better class of accommodations in Thailand these days. For our camping money, we are now living like KINGS! Speaking of which, the King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, just passed away last month. The whole country is in mourning since he was so beloved. His son has now taken over the throne, but I get the sense that the people don't like him as much as his father. But no one can say anything out in the open or out loud, for fear of being put in prison because of the leste majeste laws. I'm not going to say or write anything either. You can go Google it yourself. I like our life here in Thailand, Sawadee-Khrap. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3014-L.jpg If you ask her, Neda will tell you that Thai food is her favorite food in the whole, entire world. She is savoring every meal time here Not to go back to that money thing again, but in Thailand, we can afford to eat out every single meal, every single day. Our apartment has a small kitchenette, but it's basically unused. There's a certain relief to not having to watch your budget like a hawk all the time. It's like finally being able to exhale after holding your breath for such a long time. Sawadee-AAAAAH... |
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So... life is not all peaches and cream in the Land of Smiles... I've hurt my back somehow. I can only walk for about half-an-hour before I have to find a hard surface to lie down flat on my back. And no, this isn't some lame excuse to get out of hiking! It's excruciating. I've never felt this kind of back pain before in my life! I think it's from sitting on an airplane for over 24 hours. I did some research on the Internet to try to find exercises to relieve the pain. And I spent about four days on the floor waiting to see if the pain would go away. It didn't. Sawadee-Crap. So we looked up a physiotherapist in Phuket. I don't really have a medical plan or insurance while we're in SE Asia, so I was a bit afraid of the cost. In Canada, you'll pay about $100 per session for physio. I asked the Thai doctor how much to fix me. He told me for an hour and half of heat therapy, TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) and deep tissue massage, it would be $15. My back was fixed in four sessions. I went for six sessions just for fun. Happy endings for all involved! 5555! We're going to live here forever!!!! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...IMG_6876-L.jpg While I treated my back, Neda was treating herself in other ways Like mo-fo-ing KINGS, I tell you... |
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Phuket Nights One thing we've got to get used to again is how early the night falls here. At the equator, the days are exactly 12 hours long, no matter what time of year it is. Which means, it starts to get dark around 5PM and the sun always sets at 6PM, give or take a few minutes depending on what month it is. We are out one evening to meet up with Trevor, a fellow RTW motorcycle traveler. He just so happens to be in Phuket at the same time that we are! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0095-L.jpg Going out for drinks with Trevor and his friend, Julie, who's visiting him here in Thailand Trevor has the distinction of meeting up with us on five different continents now! First in California at a motorcycle travelers meet, then in Panama for the Stahlratte crossing to Colombia, then we put him up at our place in Croatia and he returned the favour in the French Riviera, then he smuggled illegal alcoholic drinks into Morocco for us and now he's here in Thailand! How cool is that?!?! Trevor's originally from Australia, so if he ever goes back home, we'll go pay him a visit and make it 6 for 6. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SCN3010-XL.jpg Trevor borrowed a CB500 during the time that he's here. Big bike for Thailand! He's leaving to go to the airport, flying to Pattaya to go meet his dad, so we have a farewell brunch and then give him and Julie a proper Thai-motorcade escort out of Phuket. |
I remember when we last left Phuket back in the spring, we were so sick of the heat in SE Asia that we gave a pass on the world-famous beaches on the island. Didn't even visit once. But now we're totally in the mood for some sun, sand and surf!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3087-L.jpg Hop on the bikes to go to the beach The beach is about 20 minutes away from our apartment. Okay, so just because we're Thai-Affluent, doesn't mean we're Stinkin-Phuket-Rich. Beach-side places are significantly more expensive than places in the interior of the island. Plus we have bikes anyway, so we don't mind riding all over the place. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3029-L.jpg Our favorite beach that we go to all the time is Kata Beach, near where we stayed in the spring time Ah, the smell of the salt sea air! The visual treat of the bluest of blue skies meeting the golden sands of the beach. The sounds of... Russian being spoken everywhere?!? There are a lot of Russian people in Phuket. There are more people speaking Russian than English on this island. It's actually quite uncanny... So Neda is out playing in the waters and I'm getting a little sun on my UK-Food-Pregnancy-Belly when this old Russian guy sitting next to me, with a much-larger Borscht-belly than my first-trimester Cornish-Pastie-Tummy, strikes up a conversation. In Russian. It's not like I don't understand Russian, which I don't. It's also that he's had about two too many bottles of vodka this afternoon. With my limited Croatian knowledge, I'm trying to piece together what he's slur-mumbling to me. So then he tries sign language. He points at me then at himself. Okay, "Us". Then he points at Neda out in the waters. "Zena?" he asks? Ah, that's Croatian for wife. "Da. Zena." I reply. Then he points at an older woman further down the beach. She's face-down on a blanket, tanning herself. "Zena", then he points to himself. Okaaaay.... Slowly I begin to understand. Either he wants to trade Zenas or he wants a foursome! Whut!?! EWWWWW! NOOOOO! GROSS! "Dosvadanya! Dosvadanya!" I quickly move my blanket further away down the beach. EW! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3043-L.jpg "Dosvadanya, tovarisch!!!!!" |
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My zena, having the time of her life! Oblivious to all the Slavic pimping activities going on behind her back https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3080-L.jpg If you look up the word, "Frolic" in the dictionary, this is the picture under the definition Despite the gross Russian encounter, Kata Beach has become our go-to spot for sun and sand. Every couple of days, we stuff the beach blankets in the top case and spend the late afternoon on the beach when the sun is not as high and hot. What an idyllic life! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3062-L.jpg One afternoon, we head to Kata, despite the forecasts predicting rain. It's not going to rain! |
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Then the skies darken and we're racing back home to beat the showers! 555! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3090-L.jpg We found a great crab place, just down the street from Kata Two weeks here and life is good in Phuket. However, this was never meant to be our final resting place. Phuket is cheap for a resort town, but it's not Chiang-Mai-cheap. Also, we've got a life that we've started to build up in the mountains of Thailand. We like beaches, but not every single day. The weather is more temperate up north. Plus, we are motorcycle-people and the twisty roads in the north are calling out to us. This little vacation has been nice, but now it's time to get back to our real life. We've got to relocate both ourselves and our little motorcycles 1500 kms to the north. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3093-L.jpg First things first, we bring our suitcase to the post office and mail it Chiang Mai. Total cost: $8... 55555! Okay. One final push - a road trip to northern Thailand - and then we can finally take that loooooong extended break from our travels that we've been talking about forever. |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/378.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map378-L.jpg Well we've been tooling around Phuket for a couple of weeks now, I think we're ready to hit the road and kick-start the Chiang Mai lifestyle. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3094-L.jpg The security guard at our condo building takes one last picture of us before we head out I think we're the only ones in the building with "big bikes". She's seen us go in and out while we've lived here, and we've nodded and smiled at her as we've ridden by. On our last day, she sees that our bikes are all loaded up and she asks where we're going. When we tell her, she exclaims: "Oh, Chiang Mai! Very far!" Motorcycles are not long-range vehicles in Thailand. Getting off the island and onto the main highway that spans the length of Thailand is a real slog through an unending, uninteresting urban jungle. No pictures. It does allow us to get used to touring with the CRFs again. Our two week rest in Phuket got us used to riding on the left... again. Plus we've got our packing routine established from last season, so we're hitting the ground running. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3099-L.jpg At a gas stop, we make some adjustments to our ghetto-make-shift motorcycle seat cushions The CRFs are terrible for touring:poor tank range (we have to gas up every 175kms), buzzy at highway speeds, poor pickup when trying to pass at highway speeds. But the biggest pain in the ass (LITERALLY) is the horribly uncomfortable banana seat - a product of Honda's Torture Device Division. We spent the whole last season ridng all over SE Asia in acute discomfort. So before leaving Phuket, I did some research on all the ways we could alleviate the pain. The problem is that the seat is too narrow and the edges dig into your sitting bones. The Airhawk cushions we bought did nothing to widen the seats, so no joy there. :( So I read one guy's solution was to build a little fabric seat widener that lay across the stock seat. It had pockets on each side which hung over the edges of the seat which you could insert empty plastic water bottles inside. So the seat cover + 2 water bottles hanging off either side created a wider flat surface for your butt. We achieved almost the same effect by stuffing empty water bottles into the Airhawk seat cover. We'll let you know how that works out... |
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After our seat stuffing experiment at the gas station, we suit up and get ready to continue. And that's when it starts to rain And not just rain. It comes down in buckets. Like a proper tropical torrential downpour. Sa-Wha-Dee-Faaa.... And it *has* to happen on our very first day on the road, right? Can't have given us just one dry day for us to get used to moto-traveling again? Thank you, Thailand. So very RideDOT.com... We wait a bit, glancing up at the sky every few minutes. The rains don't look like they're letting up, so we decide not to wait for it to pass. We reluctantly pull on our rain suits. Onwards, straight into the driving rain! Ugh, the suits are so hot and stifling in the tropical heat! We might as well be riding without the rain suits because we're sweating so much. Within minutes of leaving the gas station, there's more sweat inside the suit than rain on the outside! Gross. And then a mere 15 minutes later into our sausage-suited rain ride, the water works from above abruptly end. Aaaaand we're drenched in sweat. If we had only just waited... Damn you, Thailand!!! :) https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3114-L.jpg A couple of hours outside of Phuket, the scenery begins to get interesting We are entering the Khao Sok National Park. Although we haven't traveled that far today, we're staying here for the night because we want to check out some of the interesting scenery. Yes, FOMO strikes again. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3113-L.jpg We found a place deep inside the dense jungle of the park. Just kidding, we were right off the highway |
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The place we're staying in had these great bungalows in the jungle. They're called Jungalows. I just made that up. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0100-L.jpg One of the most distinct features of Khao Sok are these towering limestone mountains shrouded in trees. They rise up all around us. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0110-XL.jpg Neda is loving being surrounded by nature! |
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The next day, we head out deeper into the park. Amazing riding past these huge karst formations! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0121-L.jpg We take a little detour to get off the main road. We have dirt bikes after all! Despite all the aforementioned drawbacks to riding these small motorcycles, sometimes it's nice to just shoot off the well-worn path without a second thought. Beautiful scenery all around us! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3123-L.jpg Back on the main road, northbound |
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Aaaand it rains again... Seriously? Is this the way it's gonna be all the way to Chiang Mai?!? We leave Khao Sok National Park behind us as we head further north. We've done this road once before, when we rode all the way south to Singapore. Now, doing it in reverse, we already know what's in store for us as we traverse the narrow strip of land joining south Thailand to the north: Nothing but highway and urban sprawl; gas stations and roadside restaurants. This is going to be our life for the next few days: https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...eep_ride-L.jpg https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3150-L.jpg Stopping for food in Chumphon |
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We're still far enough south that there's a prevalent Muslim population, which means: Malaysian food!!! I love roti canai! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3141-L.jpg Further north, we stay overnight in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Too cloudy to visit the beaches! Going for a little ride to find food https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3152-L.jpg Roadside vendor. Eat, Sleep, Ride! The urban sprawl becomes more dense as we approach Bangkok, and we take care not to wander onto the highways because motorcycles aren't allowed to use them in the big city. I remember we almost got caught and fined the last time we were here! |
North of Bangkok, we turn east and head into Muak Lek District in Saraburi.
From the road, we see dairy farms for the first time. There are cows everywhere here! We must investigate. And by investigate, I mean eat. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0128-L.jpg We check into an awesome resort-style accommodation in the town of Mittraphap In Thailand, the most popular online booking service is a site called Agoda.com. Lots of affordable, yet luxurious places! Mittraphap isn't really on the farang radar list. The people working at our resort don't speak English and they had to phone someone to come in to help check us in. We used Neda's translation app on her phone: the Thai text-to-speech translations worked quite well. It's amazing to think all this technology wasn't as readily available when we first started our trip back in 2012... The resort is beautiful! Very bucolic. We're booked here for a couple of nights. The only other people here are another younger Thai couple. They arrive the day after we do. I think they're up here from Bangkok for a short weekend vacation. The big city is only a couple of hours away. We exchanged some polite Sawadee-Khhraps and that was it. I wish I knew more Thai. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0142-L.jpg Walking around the resort, spying on Neda. She is immersed in her cross-stitching I should really be working on the blog. Meh... I think when we get to Chiang Mai, I'll try to catch up then. :) https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0136-L.jpg Neda's cross-stitching is really coming along! She actually started this one last year in Thailand, but basically stopped when we were in Europe |
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In the evening, we ride out to the main village near the highway to grab some food, just 5 minutes away Muak Lek district has a thriving agro-tourism thing going on with all the dairy farms in the area. The rolling meadows around here make for a perfect place to raise cattle and the farms have been here since the 50s. They supply most of the milk products for the rest of the country. The most popular thing for tourists to do here is to visit a steakhouse, and there are so many in town to choose from. This is actually quite unusual, because we've been in Thailand for so long and they're not really known for beef or steak, not like Alberta or Argentina. It's a shame that we're not here in the new year. There's a National Dairy Cows festival held every year. It's a country and western theme and there's a part where they get dressed up like cowboys and put on a show, complete with lassos and cattle rustling demonstrations. It looks quite fun! Eating steak is quite fun too. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3157-L.jpg I found this steak place online, it had some pretty good reviews It was okay. The meat was kind of tough. I ordered it rare and it was over-cooked... The most interesting thing that happened that evening was this policeman who came in after we did. He seemed to be a pretty important person, everyone in the restaurant greeted him and he seemed to know everyone and walked around like a real big wig. He walked over and sat down with the family sitting behind Neda. Maybe he was like the town sheriff? Come to check out the only two farangs in Mittraphap? All he needed was a white cowboy hat! I wish I knew some Thai so I could eavesdrop! :) Still it's fun speculating and making up stories in your head. |
The next day we were talking with the one staff person who spoke Engish at our place. When we told her of our so-so steak experience, she recommended another restaurant, Big Joey, just around the corner.
I like the name! I had a good feeling about this place. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3163-L.jpg So we pay a visit to Big Joey that evening. Looks nice so far! Hopefully they won't call the sheriff on us tonight! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3165-L.jpg Jackpot! So juicy and tender! And done perfectly as well! Excellent presentation too. Would highly recommend to anyone. Funny thing is that it's not even listed on Tripadvisor or any of the farang sites... So glad we got a local to show us where to go. As you can see from the picture, Neda didn't feel like having steak two days in a row. But hey, when in Muak Lek, do as the Muak Lekkens do! Let them eat steak! I'm having my steak and eating it too. Steaking my claim? NO! Claiming my steak! Driving a steak through my arteries. One missed steak can ruin everything. Oh steak, can you see? By the dawn's early light... |
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Okay, back on the road, though more urban landscape https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3170-L.jpg I always make fun of Neda when she carries the groceries hanging off the end of her handlebars like the locals do! This picture typifies Thailand for us. The 7-11 in the background. The blue-red-and-white PTT gas station logo. Neda doing her best smiling Sawadee-Kah-Lady impression... That's all going to change for a little bit while we make just a small-teensy-weensy detour... |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/379.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map379-L.jpg So we're off to Cambodia today! It's a bit of a detour from our trek to Chiang Mai, but this was originally on our SE Asia bucket list, just that we ran out of steam last year. We're a bit conflicted, because although we really want to see Cambodia, we're not sure if we're up to touring and sightseeing quite so soon after our Europe burnout. But on the other hand we did buy motorcycles in Thailand expressly for the purposes of being able to ride to other countries, so there's a bit of pressure to make use of the bikes while we have them... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3172-L.jpg Our last stop in Thailand, check out our funky digs We've stationed ourselves in Prasat, about 45 minutes away from the Cambodian border, to prepare for our crossing. As is customary, we try to do all border crossings early in the morning when we're fresh and the weather is cool, but also to give ourselves plenty of time in case anything goes wrong, and in the case of Cambodia, plenty of things *could* go wrong: There's an air of nervous tension between us because of all the research we've done. Cambodia is one of the most difficult countries to ride into. On the forums and on social media, there are so many reports of corrupt border officials giving overland travelers a hard time, denying them entry despite having all the correct paperwork. And in the worse cases, horror stories of vehicles trapped in the No Man's Land between countries - unable to get into Cambodia or re-enter Thailand again, predatory officials offering the owners paltry sums to take their vehicles away. They specifically target the non-ASEAN riders with foreign-plated vehicles. Having Thai bikes should alleviate most of the pitfalls. At least that's what we're hoping... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3176-L.jpg How do you prepare for crossing into Cambodia? Well, first you have to modify your motorcycle... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3173-L.jpg Riding with Daytime Running Lights is illegal in Cambodia, so I have to pull the fuse to the headlights I've read that the Cambodian police pull over non-Cambodian motorcycles and fine them on the spot (ask for bribes) for having Daytime Running Lights. We're just trying to mitigate any problems beforehand and try not to give anyone any reason to stop us. I just have to remember to plug the fuse back in again if we're going to be riding at night... |
The main overland crossing is at Poipet, on the highway between Bangkok and Siem Reap. At that crossing, we've heard of officials insisting on a Carnet de Passage (Cambodia is not a Carnet country) and requiring a special permit from the government offices in Phnom Penh. Some travelers have had to leave their vehicles on the Thai side, take a bus to the capital to apply for and wait for this permit and then return to the border...
So we chose this smaller, rural crossing of O'Smach in the north because we've read that the Cambodian officials here were more lax about letting foreign vehicles through. It' a bit out of the way from the main highway, but again... forewarned is forearmed. It's a bit frustrating and unnerving to enter a country where the rules change from crossing to crossing, as well as day to day. Timely information has never been so important. The Internet has been a boon to overland travelers. Still, even with all the research we've done, I am plenty anxious as we approach the cluster of buildings that mark the border between Thailand and Cambodia. We park the bikes and go through the overly-familiar process of getting ourselves and our bikes out of one country and into the other: Step 1) Stamp ourselves out of Thailand Step 2) Export our motorcycles out of Thailand Step 3) Stamp ourselves into Cambodia Step 4) Import our motorcycles into Cambodia Step 1 was dead easy. The Thai border officer quickly checked to make sure we hadn't over-stayed our visa and with a swift KA-CHUNK, our passports were marked with an exit stamp. Sorry, no pictures. We were nervous enough as it was, didn't want to give anyone a reason to stop or deny us entry! Okay, Step 2: Getting our bikes exported out of Thailand. This shouldn't be a problem, we did it in Malaysia, the process is simple. So, here's an additional tip I read about getting into Cambodia: tell the border guys that you're only going to stay in the province that you enter in at. So if you enter in Siem Reap province, tell them you're only going to the city of Siem Reap, because otherwise you'll need a vehicle permit to drive to another province, like Sihanoukville. Which means leaving your vehicle here and traveling by bus to the capital to get that permit... So that's what we did. But unfortunately we told this to *THE WRONG SIDE*. The Thai customs official asked where we were riding to. "Siem Reap", I replied confidently, my well-rehearsed lie rolling off my tongue like honey. We were planning on going much farther than Siem Reap. The Thai official typed some stuff out on his computer, printed out a vehicle exportation form -- you're only allowed to take out a Thai vehicle out of Thailand for a month, it's a bit of weird rule... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3182-L.jpg Before we left the booth, I checked the form A couple of things immediately stood out. First, our tiny CRF250Ls have grown in size. They're listed as CRF1000As. We now have Honda Africa Twins! Sweet! :) Second, we were only given two weeks export permission. What? Normally we're allowed to be out of the country for a month! I questioned the Thai official, "Is this right? Only two weeks? Why not 30 days, like before?" He replied, "You are only going to Siem Reap. Not far. Only two weeks." NOOOOO!! I was so worried about getting into Cambodia, I was not expecting to be screwed by the Thai side exiting Thailand!!!! Why did I tell the Thai official we were only going to Siem Reap? He didn't care how far we went inside Cambodia?!?! DAMMMIT!!!!! I tried arguing for the usual 30 days, but the official wouldn't budge. Now we'd have to rush through the whole of Cambodia in two weeks. We don't rush. It's not what we do. Plus we are still travel fatigued. Suddenly, this whole Cambodia side-trip didn't seem like such a good idea. But it was too late. Us and our motorcycles were already stamped out of Thailand. We were in between countries, in No Man's Land. |
We trudged over, dejected, to get our visa-on-arrival at the Cambodian office. Step 3. The guy at the office overcharged us $37 for a $30 visa. I read about this. You can put up a fuss and after a lot of time and hassle, they will eventually charge you the right amount. A real proper scam they pull on *everybody* that passes through.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_5933-L.jpg I think it evens says $30USD right on the visa itself...SMH But at that point, we didn't care. We were too crushed by our two-week limitation imposed by Thai customs. Whatever. I glanced at the new visa glued inside our passport, stating that we are allowed to stay for 30 days. *sigh* Unfortunately our bikes are only allowed out of Thailand for 14 days. :( Anyway, the real hard part was now here. Step 4: Getting our motorcycles imported into Cambodia. We gathered all of our vehicle papers and the Thai exportation letter to bring to the customs office. Filled out the importation form and made sure everything was sorted and in order and handed the neat pile to the Cambodian official working behind the counter. He didn't even look up at us or come out to look at the bikes. Just glanced at the papers and waved us through. No fees. No questions about where we were going. No additional paperwork. What? Just like that? All that worry and we were just let in like that? |
Okay! Suddenly our moods lifted and we felt much better. Especially riding quickly away with O'Smach getting further and further away in our mirrors. We were in a brand new country! We're excited, once again! Such a roller-coaster of emotions...
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3188-L.jpg Putting some distance between us and the border, just in case they realized they were supposed to give us more of a hassle getting in Oh yeah, they drive on the right-hand-side in Cambodia. So much switching in the last year, our brains are getting a bit frazzled. But still, being in a new country is always exciting because we're interested in seeing what will be different than the place we just left. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3183-L.jpg One thing remained the same. We still can't read the squiggly Cambodian script (Khmer). It looked exactly like Thai script to us... So we continue to be illiterate in Cambodia. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3190-L.jpg 12 kms into Cambodia and I still can't believe how easily we got in I guess sometimes it pays to do your research. Next time, we'll have to tell the Thai customs guys we are going ALL OVER CAMBODIA AND SE ASIA! Give us the 30 days! |
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We pass by what looks to be the official vehicle of rural Cambodia. So many of these on the road https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3537-L.jpg It's just basically a trailer attached to an engine. 100% function, 0% form https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0164-L.jpg Neda stops to readjust the plastic bottles inside her seat cushion. It's not really working out well for her... Thankfully, Siem Reap is only two and a half hours away from the border. And we take lots of photo stops. |
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The northern route cuts through the marshlands, lots of crops here and animals graze not too far from the road. Neda tries to get an ox's attention... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0150-L.jpg "Why are you throwing rocks at me, human?" Just kidding!!!! She was just throwing rocks into the marshes. She's actually quite an animal lover. Because most of them are quite tasty... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3196-L.jpg We pass through several small villages on the way south The standard of living is definitely lower than Thailand. A lot less industrial, at least up here in the north. Our "big bikes" are getting lots of stares and a few Cambodian kids (mainly the boys) give us the thumbs up as we ride by. |
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We stop to watch these fishermen https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0173-L.jpg They were casting their nets into the marshes and then diving in to collect their catch. Neat stuff. One guy found it very amusing that I was taking pictures of him fishing. I smiled and waved. He gave me a look that I think in Cambodia might be the equivalent of "SMH" and then went back to what he was doing... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0176-L.jpg And then we found a larger body of water and tons of fishermen there. I wonder what they were catching. Speaking of which, we were getting hungry. It was a long day and we wanted to reward ourselves with a nice sit-down meal in an air-conditioned restaurant. Treat ourselves! |
Villages turned into larger buildings, tractor-engines turned into cars, in no time we found ourselves swallowed up in the big city of Siem Reap.
A lot of people think Thai traffic is chaotic. Cambodia is worse. Motorcycles get much less respect on the road here. Cars whiz past with no room to spare, expecting you to get out of their way. But the biggest difference from Thailand: honking. I did not notice how restrained Thai drivers were with their horns. Not so in Cambodia. Everybody beeps here. It wasn't as bad as India, but definitely a big change from where we just came from! We pulled into the first touristy restaurant we saw in Siem Reap. We were in the mood for seafood after watching all the fishermen earlier on. When we sat down to look at the menus, we realized that despite all the research we had done on how to get into Cambodia, we actually didn't bother finding our what currency they use here. The stuff looked pretty cheap, 30-50 something for a meal. If the currency is like the Thai Baht, that's like $1-$2 for a plate. Not bad. We asked the waiter what the exchange rate was. He told us everything on the menu was priced in US dollars. Excuse me? $30USD for a plate of seafood in Cambodia?!? This was the first restaurant we went to in this country, so we weren't sure what to expect. Cambodia had already ripped us off for the Visa, we were *NOT* paying $30USD/plate for food. We've never paid $30 for food anywhere in SE Asia! We beat a hasty retreat back out into the streets of Siem Reap. At least we learned that they use USD here, so we don't have to exchange currency. Is Cambodia really that expensive though? https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0181-L.jpg We rode further into town. Close to our hotel, we stopped at a shopping mall with air conditioning. :) Ahhhh, air conditioning.... Inside the mall, we found one of those family restaurant chains, like a Kelseys or Applebys. Very western, but we didn't care. It was cool inside and it had nice comfy booths where we could spread out all of our gear. A quick check on their prices revealed that Cambodia is not that expensive. Food costs a bit more than Chiang Mai, around Phuket prices... It was like $10 each for a nice sit-down meal. I suspected we were paying more for the air-conditioning! Street food would probably be less than half that. I can't believe that first restaurant. Probably tried to sucker in the tourists who stop at the first restaurant they find in Siem Reap. Crazy! |
We did splash out on a nice and fancy hotel for our first couple of nights in Siem Reap though. You can tell how nice it is by the welcome tray they serve you when you check in.
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3198-L.jpg Welcome tray = nice hotel https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3208-L.jpg After checking into our hotel, we ride around Siem Reap in the evening to pick up some groceries And... I forgot to plug in the fuse for the headlights for night riding. Very unnerving riding around the dim back streets of Siem Reap, lit only by the lights of the stalls on the side of the road. Gotta be more diligent about that fuse. |
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After relaxing in our hotel room for the day, we venture out into the haze of the late afternoon to explore Siem Reap when the weather is not so hot https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0631-L.jpg Pub street is *the* backpackers destination in Siem Reap. Lots of hostels, diners, pubs and nightclubs all in one place here https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0621-L.jpg Grabbing some drinks and doing some people-watching from a restaurant right on Pub Street We are really liking the Angkor Beer, named after the Angkor Watt temples just outside of town. We also tried the "Cambodia" brand beer, but didn't like that too much. So far, Cambodian beer is better than Thai beer! But not as good as BeerLaowDark... So refreshing on a hot day! |
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Haha. Batman Rickshaw https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0625-L.jpg Trying some Cambodian food https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0632-L.jpg Walking around the streets of Siem Reap Tomorrow we hit the temples! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/380.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map380-L.jpg Angkor Wat is the largest religious monument in the world. So we've given ourselves a few days to visit the entire complex, which is made up of several sites about 15 minutes north of the city of Siem Reap. It was a bit confusing finding out where to pick up tickets. The office is in a building somewhere between the city and the temples, and the signage is not very good. We rode up and down looking for the ticket office. We got a three day pass for $50 each. Pricey! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0185-L.jpg We've read that the main temple, Angkor Wat, is best viewed at sunset So we hid out in our luxurious hotel room, waiting out the hottest time of the day, to venture out in the late afternoon, a couple of hours before sunset. Parking is free for motorcycles! We just pulled up to where all the taxis were and stashed our bikes between a couple of tuk tuks. Camouflaged! I love traveling by bikes! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0188-L.jpg We met some of the locals of Angkor Wat The site that the main temple is on is huge! The grounds are 1.6 square kms and it takes a long time to walk from the parking lot on the outside of the moat surrounding the site to the actual temple itself. Also whoever is recommending visiting the temple at sunset is telling everybody they know, because it is friggin' crowded! I guess it is the #1 tourist destination in Cambodia... |
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We try to time our walks through the temples in the lull between tour groups https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0198-L.jpg The lull between tour groups The city of Angkor was the capital of the Khmer Empire from the 9th to the 15th century. These temples were built in the 12th century. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0213-XL.jpg It is not just a tourist site, it's an active temple as well. People come here to pray and burn incense sticks. Angkor was founded on political and religious ideas from India. This explains why this statue has multiple arms, which indicates that it's a Hindu deity. The Khmer were a Hindu/Buddhist religion. |
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So I found out that these monks don't live at Angkor Wat, they all make pilgrimages to visit the temple https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0231-XL.jpg Another tourist, just like us. But dressed more snazzy... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0235-L.jpg Interacting with the monks |
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Walking a bit further away, we get a chance to snap the world-famous shot of Angkor Wat reflecting off the pond in front of the temple. This is the picture on everyone's Instagram feed What those Instagram photos never show you is where you have to stand to get the shot: https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0402-L.jpg Seems so peaceful and serene in front of the camera, doesn't it? I am fascinated with tourism. Having traveled to many of the tourist hot-spots, there's often a sharp contrast between the marketing of a destination and the reality. Everyone's picture of the Greek island of Santorini shows the solitary blue domes on spartan white buildings against the wide-open Aegean Sea. There's never any other people in the shot. But the reality is that there are thousands of sweaty tourists all crowding each other trying to take that spartan shot. And *all of them* continuing to perpetuate the marketing myth that Santorini is a peaceful, solitary getaway! Stonehenge backs up right against a major highway. In Pisa, we took more pictures of the tourists miming than the leaning tower itself. I've heard that the Sphinx in Cairo is being crowded by McDonalds and shopping malls (I still want to see it though!). But everyone wants a picture of how it was a hundred years or a thousand years ago, when there weren't cities and highways, shopping malls and parking lots, and acres of concrete, glass and steel all dominating our landscape. I find that so interesting. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0252-L.jpg Here are two more of those sweaty tourists, lined up to get their picture taken in front of Angkor Wat We've visited many of the "Top Ten" tourist spots in almost every country we've traveled to. Although we dislike crowds, there is a reason why these places are so popular. Angkor Wat is magnificent, due in part to the sheer size of it, but also all the way down to the well-preserved old grey stones and the odd monk walking around in orange robes (odd as in few, not weird). |
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Neda spent a lot of time taking pictures of the lily pads on the pond in front of the temple https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0253-XL.jpg A horse is parked in front for more tourist picture opportunities. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0259-L.jpg So this is a thing now... We've kept this blog going for so long that it's not only just a diary of where we've been, but it's also become sort of a historical record of worldwide fads and trends. Back in 2012, we returned from a six-week trek to and from the Arctic Ocean in Alaska, and our friends in Vancouver informed us that Gangnam Style had become a thing while we were gone... So let this be a record. As of right now, "dabbing" is a thing. Personally, I find it a bit odd. (Odd as in weird, not few) |
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More traditional dabbing going on here https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0290-L.jpg Dabbing our sweaty foreheads because of the heat https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0320-L.jpg Ah ha, the light is getting good! |
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Sun is approaching the golden hour and everyone is flocking outside https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0335-L.jpg The crowds outside the temple https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0370-L.jpg Are these monks also walking outside to get a shot for their Instagram account? Not joking! I've seen a few monks tapping and swiping on their smartphones. So apparently it's allowed. I've heard that they have special Buddhist SIM cards for their phones. There's a guy who sells it to them, he's called the Chip Monk... (insert obscure Asus Zenfone reference here) |
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Temple silhouettes against the setting sun https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0380-L.jpg Take our place in line across the pond https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0400-L.jpg Gotcha. You're going on Instagram now! We're saving the best temples for tomorrow! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0346-L.jpg |
Just read your intro on Wild dogs, glad that things turned out ok
Wayne |
I too find it odd (as in weird) that people want to visit the places they've seen stunning pictures of just to take similar (but usually of lower quality because the timing is not as perfect) pictures themselves. Strange to prefer the view through a 2" screen!
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/381.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map381-L.jpg Mention the Khmer temple: "Ta Prohm" to anybody and they'll just stare back at you with no recognition. Then say "the temple from Tomb Raider" and their eyes will light up, their heads will nod and they'll normally drop a comment about Angelina Jolie's body... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...L/image7-L.jpg So we're visiting the Tomb Raider temple today. Or I should say, we're visiting the temple *VERY EARLY* this morning. Just like the Internet told us to go to Angkor Wat for sunset, we read that the best time to go to Ta Prohm is first thing in the morning, to catch the sunrise over the temple, but also to beat the crowds. They recommended to arrive for the opening at 6AM, and then watch the sunrise half and hour later. So we drove in the dark at 5:30 in the morning, no headlights because I keep forgetting to plug the fuse back in. Who knew we'd be doing so much night-time driving?!? Also... it's COLD at 5:30AM! We arrive a few minutes before 6AM. The dirt parking lot is entirely empty. Awesome! We hate crowds. It was hard to find the entrance because there wasn't anyone lining up. We walked around the whole temple. By the time we came back to the parking lot, it was after 6AM. Still nobody at the entrance? The sun was starting to rise and we were standing around waiting all alone in the parking lot. Well, not entirely alone. A stray dog came over to visit us. He looked at us quizzically. "Yeah, I don't know what we're doing here so early, either..." Around 6:45AM, a security guard drove up in a pick up truck. We asked him when the temple would open. He replied, "7:30AM". DAMN YOU, INTERNET!!!!!! You owe me an hour and a half of sleep! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0436-L.jpg First one through the entrance of Ta Prohm. And just one other couple (we'll just call them Mr and Mrs Smith) who arrived at 7:30AM. Obviously their Google-fu was better than mine... |
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The temples were interesting, but people visit Ta Prohm to see this: trees! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0476-L.jpg Or rather, they want to see the roots of these trees creep down into the stones of the temple So photogenic and creepy! They look like alien ooze has dripped from an interstellar faucet above, cascading over the tops of the temples and then petrified over time. Hm... that almost sounds like the plot of another Angelina Jolie movie... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SCN3230-XL.jpg Looking around for interesting things to take pictures of |
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So cool-looking!!! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0510-L.jpg The roots have clambered all over the temples walls, gaining purchase in the nooks and crannies in their thirsty march for nutrients, soil and water The Khmer Empire fell in the 15th century and Ta Prohm was abandoned, left behind for the jungle to consume. Over time, these trees sunk their roots into the limestone to extract the moisture out of it, crawling all over the structures. Today, there is scaffolding in place all around parts of Ta Prohm, as restoration work is ongoing to reclaim parts of the temple back from the greedy Ents. But they've left just enough of the tree roots to maintain the mysterious and atmospheric creepiness. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0598-XL.jpg Hey, look who came in to join us! Our friend from (VERY EARLY) this morning! We nicknamed him, "The Bone Collector" |
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Anywayz... back to the treez I also found out that it's not one type of tree invading the temple. There are a few species that botanists have identified. I like the name of one of them: the Strangler Fig. That totally sounds like the title of an Angelina Jolie film. I'm going straight to IMDB to check... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0518-L.jpg The roots are so Maleficent-looking https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0519-L.jpg Yes, we actually went inside the temple, instead of gawking at the trees. Neda is looking for a Tomb to Raid. |
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Inside, we find another alien covering the temple with its own ooze https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0577-XL.jpg Inside Ta Prohm's narrow passageways https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0609-L.jpg Barriers have been set up to prevent people from climbing all over the tree roots. They're now just as important as the temple is. Especially to the tourism industry! |
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I read that these trees are all decayed. I dunno, they look pretty alive to me... The tree roots are everywhere. They pop up out of the ground in between the stone tiles. I was just thinking to myself, if you weren't looking down, you could trip over one. And just then, I see Neda stumble ahead of me. She immediately grabs her right ankle and cries out in pain: "OW OW OW OW!!" She hops over to a bench and we sit down to survey the damage. She reassures me that it's just a light sprain, but on the walk back to the bikes, she's visibly limping. I hope that she'll be okay to ride. Thailand is demanding that we return in just 12 days (tick-tock)! I felt horrible for Neda. We probably weren't going to be doing any hiking for a while, either... Hmm, is it a bad thing that I went straight there...? It's funny (funny peculiar, not funny haha) that on this trip, she's injured herself so many times, just not while on the motorcycle: She's sliced open a tendon in her finger while using a can opener. She's slipped a disc in her back playing beach volleyball. I wonder if I should mention that she had to give up playing Candy Crush because she developed Carpal Tunnel Syndrome...? Girl, Interrupted her game-play by bad wrists... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0620-L.jpg Our bikes, right where we left them, alone in the parking lot with no other cars around... We spent over an hour at Ta Prohm, and only a few other tourists came in. Everyone else slept in! Or their Internet told them to come later on during the day! So here we were, still early enough in the morning not to be stinking hot. We were originally going to do the third temple, Bayon, the next day. But since we were here anyway, we rode over. It was only 5 minutes away by bike. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0773-XL.jpg On the way to Bayon, we saw this From our education at the Elephant Sanctuary, we now know that it's bad for the animal to carry people on its back like that. Poor guy... :( |
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More free parking for our motorcycles. And we have shade too! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0739-L.jpg Inside Bayon temple The name of the temple is a mispronunciation of "Banyon", a type of fig tree that takes root in the cracks and crevices of other trees or stones. It's also called a "strangler fig"... Ah ha! But there are no Angelina-Jolie-alien-ooze-movie-props here. If Ta Prohm is known for trees, then Bayon is known for: https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0659-XL.jpg Faces The upper terrace of Bayon is home to the "200 Faces of Lokeshvara". Lokeshvara was a bodhisattva, someone who has attained Buddhahood. Bodhisattvas are a popular subject in Buddhist art. I guess they are kind of like the Saints in Catholicism. Also, is it me, or is the word, "Buddhahood" one of the funniest words you can say out loud? |
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There are lots of these giant stone towers on the upper terrace, containing two, three or more often, four faces - one on each side of the tower There are over 200 smiling Lokeshvaras carved into the 37 towers up here. There might have been more stone towers (maybe up to 49 of them), but some of them have eroded and crumbled away over time. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0674-L.jpg Although the faces are supposed to be of Loeshvara, some people think it bears closer resemblance to the king of the time, Jayavarman VII https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0682-L.jpg Kickin' it in da Buddhahood |
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Another smiling face in the temple. Looking up at the Khmer stone faces, both in real life and on the blog page! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0728-L.jpg A shrine set up inside Bayon https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0754-L.jpg Riding away from Bayon |
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Saying farewell to the Angkor Watt complex I asked Neda what she thought of Angkor Wat. She replied, "You know the temples are amazing, but what made it special was that we were riding around them on our motorcycles!" Totally agree! What fun! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/382.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map382-L.jpg We've spent three amazing days in Siem Reap visiting the temples at Angkor Wat but now the countdown on how long we can stay out of Thailand is slowly ticking down menacingly. We're feeling like there's just so much to see, and not nearly enough time to see it all. Ugh, I thought we came to SE Asia to get away from FOMO, but it followed us all the way here! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3262-L.jpg Leaving our hotel in Siem Reap We're riding further south into the country. The scenery alternates between rural - the odd rusty tin-shacked house on stilts overlooking the road - and then every so often it opens up into a larger town. The water levels must rise fairly high that every house needs to be on stilts! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3270-L.jpg Speaking of which, we stop for a water break |
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We've seen so many of these colourful tents on our way through Cambodia People in formal attire file into the tent, and we figure it out: it's a wedding! We've timed our arrival in SE Asia for the dry season, which is also the peak season for weddings in Cambodia. All those tents were people getting married! It's like June in North America! And just when that thought crossed our minds, you know, the idea that we arrived in time for dry season... it started raining. Argh. Back into our sausage suits! :( https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3274-L.jpg A couple of hours into our rain ride, we stopped in Kampong Thom for lunch https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3275-L.jpg Saw someone familiar at the booth. The sign above reads, "Psychiatric Help: 5¢" |
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Had some yummy fried rice as we waited out the rains from inside the restaurant The rains continue as we hop back on our motorcycles and continue southwards. It's another two hours of wet roads till we arrive at our destination for the evening. The tiny town of Kampong Cham. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0791-L.jpg We are actually staying on the outskirts of Kampong Cham https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0800-L.jpg The hostel where we've booked lets us park next to their scooters and their Christmas tree, which is right next to their Buddhist altar! :) |
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The view from the rooftop terrace of our hostel I really liked staying in this rural village far from the big cities. In fact, I am liking Cambodia a lot more than Thailand. It's a lot less touristy here, and I like observing local people going about their day-to-day life, without feeling that everything was centered around accommodating the tourism industry. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0810-L.jpg Kampong Cham is right next to the Mekong River. We watch fishermen out on their wooden work boats. Not to say that there is no tourism here. Just in this area alone, Mekong River cruises are a very popular tourist attraction, from day excursions on simple sampans to week-long holidays on huge, modern luxury liners. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0787-XL.jpg Watching the neighbourhood kids play with some balloons |
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Neda liked the bright co-ordinated pyjamas that all the ladies wore when they were out shopping in the market Then I looked at our mud-stained riding suits and wondered how these ladies didn't get their pyjamas dirty while scootering through the wet roads?!? https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0796-L.jpg Not the most people I've seen on a scooter at one time... By far... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0811-L.jpg Getting ready to leave Kampong Cham the next morning. Roads are still a bit wet. |
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On our ride out of town, we see more houses on stilts https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0822-L.jpg I didn't know what crops these were until I did some Internet research. These are water hyacinths, and they're not a crop, they're a weed. Although they look quite pretty, this fast-growing species are everywhere, invading the waterways and making it difficult for boats to pass. The oars of passing boats chop up the plants, propagating them further. Water hyacinth harvesting is mainly like plucking weeds from your garden, but there are some companies that pay Cambodian women for the stems of the plant. They dry them and make wicker-like handbags and other accessories. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0824-L.jpg Invasion of the water hyacinths! |
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South of Kampong Cham is an odd structure. A bridge stretching across the Mekong River made entirely out of bamboo! We have stopped in Kampong Cham specifically to see and ride this bridge. Every year, at the start of the dry season, villagers construct this 1km long bridge entirely out of bamboo to cross the calm waters of the Mekong River to the island of Koh Paen. From scratch! Since we're here at the start of dry season, this bridge is probably only a couple of weeks old. It is quite a marvel of engineering. Bamboo is quite plentiful in Cambodia and is very strong. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0835-L.jpg Here, a horse draws a heavy load across the bridge, but we saw cars and even large trucks crossing! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3285-L.jpg Our turn! I follow Neda as she slowly descends down the muddy path (because of all the recent rains) to the shore where the bamboo bridge begins Holy crap, what an experience! The minute our wheels hit the bamboo, it felt like we were riding on a waterbed. There's two distinct sensations as you make your way across the narrow pathway: 1) the clackety sound as the bamboo creaks under your bike and 2) an undulating sensation as the bridge sags underneath you, and you can feel the same sag when other vehicles pass by you as well. Very unsettling! |
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At several points in the bridge, they've built pull-outs to allow larger vehicles to get by The bridge is not only for transportation. We have to dodge scooters parked haphazardly along the length of the bridge, it's owners just abandoned them to go fishing off the side of the bridge or to go diving into the Mekong, hunting for cockels. Is it safe? *shrug* There are no guardrails. And I've read reports of some less skilled riders who've lost control and dumped their scooters and motorcycles into the Mekong River. But it seems to be fairly sturdy and if you're going slow enough, no reason to go over the edge by accident... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0851-L.jpg Totally enjoying such a unique way of crossing the river This bridge is not a permanent fixture. In June, when the rainy season arrives, the waters of the Mekong River will rise and become more turbulent. Either the villagers will dismantle the bridge, or more often than not, the Mekong will do the job for them, washing it away. Hopefully there will be nobody on the bridge when that happens. However, I've read that by June, six months of wear and tear on the bamboo will make it a risky proposition to cross anyway, turbulent river or not! :) And then another six month wait, until construction will begin anew on the next Bamboo Bridge of Kampong Cham. |
What's it like riding on a bridge made entirely out of bamboo? Here's a short video of the obstacles you'll face 2018 Addendum: We've just found out that the time we visited was the final year for the bamboo bridge. They've just completed construction on a permanent concrete bridge about 2 kms north of the bamboo bridge. A Google Maps picture shows the site of the old bridge vs the new one: https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...o-bridge-L.gif The annual construction of the bamboo bridge has been going on for decades, but now it looks like modern times have caught up to Kampong Cham and have won out over the old ways. It's a shame because I think the bridge brought a lot of curious visitors to the area, and now hotels and restaurants in town will suffer for it. Normally the Mekong River washes away the bamboo bridge every June. We're so glad to have gotten a chance to ride on it before the tides of history washed it away for good. |
Is there anything stopping the locals from building the traditional bamboo bridge anyhow? It seems like the sort of event that might continue on ....
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Since the government built a permanent concrete bridge, most of the traffic would use that, and no locals would pay the $1 toll to use a rickety bamboo bridge. So, unfortunately no incentive to rebuild that bridge every year. :( Quite the feat of engineering, though! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/383.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map383-L.jpg We are journeying south, towards the capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. Some of the interesting things we see along the way: https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3289-L.jpg We thought we carried a lot of stuff on our BMWs. This guy is wider than the truck in front of him! We don't need any signs to realize when we were approaching the city limits. The urban density explodes all of a sudden and we find ourselves surrounded in the hot Cambodian afternoon's traffic stew, thousands of cars with even more tiny scooters thrown in the mix with large trucks. And us, in the middle, being stirred, jostled and bullied by all manner of vehicles. In the hierarchy of bad traffic, Phnom Penh ranks right up there with the worst. Two-wheelers are definitely the third-class citizens of the road, being cut off and honked at by cars and trucks. Maybe it was because we had spent so much time in the smaller city of Chiang Mai, but we miss the relative calm and politeness of Thai traffic. Even downtown Bangkok was not as bad as this! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3290-L.jpg Our first stop: Visa Run Duties We had entered Thailand on a one-month visa exemption and left right when it expired. When we return, our plan is to stay in Thailand for as long as we can, so we are applying for a two-month visa at the Royal Thai Embassy in Phnom Penh, and then extending it for another month when we are in Chiang Mai. That should give us three months total. And we definitely need that uninterrupted rest! Unfortunately we had read that the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh was very difficult to deal with because they receive so many border runners from Thailand. In order to by-pass all the hassles, we were encouraged to use fixers. In all of our border crossings, we had never employed fixers, but with all the research we had done, it seemed justified in this case. Our fixer thumbed through our passports, noting all of our Thai entry stamps. Thankfully, we were under the limit that would arouse suspicion from the Thai embassy. As of last year, the new limit is two back-to-back border runs via land per calendar year. We had only done one in Laos last year so we were safe. The Thai government seems to be cracking down on long-term tourists in their country. Unfortunately, we want to be two of those long-term tourists... It's such a screwy situation: The Thai border regulations require that our bikes return back to the country very soon. Just not the people who rode them out! They have to beg to be let back in. Our fixer told us to return in 48 hours for the final verdict on whether we'd be let back in the country or not. Just like the name of our fixer above, we are keeping our fingers crossed. |
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Pulling into the relative safe harbour of one of the side streets where our hotel is located. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3293-L.jpg Ahhh, the peace and calm of our cul-de-sac hotel https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...IMG_5091-L.jpg The hotel staff actually let us park in their staff garage next door. How nice! |
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We got a wonderful room on the roof-top. This was our view! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0862-L.jpg On our street, there are a few restaurants which we sampled over the next couple of days. This roof-top place was one of our favorites One of the things we wanted to visit in Phnom Penh was the Genocide Museum. It's located right downtown and was only 10-minutes away from our hotel, so we quickly hopped on the bikes and made our way over. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0871-L.jpg Barbed wire lined the walls surrounded the Tuol Sleng High School I had just recently watched the movie, "The Killing Fields", and I had done a lot of reading about the history of the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot's paranoiac genocide of his own people. I went in with a lot of information. Once this new communist government seized power in 1975, they villainized anything to do with the old regime. Anyone having anything to do with the former government, merchants, doctors, teachers and intellectuals were imprisoned and labeled enemies of the state. Schools and hospitals were closed down. City dwellers were expelled out into the countryside. The idea was to turn everyone in Cambodia into farmers to realize the communist dream of equality. The problem was, nobody knew how to farm and many people in country starved to death as a result. Hundreds of thousands of "enemies of the state" were sent to torture prisons to confess to crimes of sedition, spying and undermining the new government. This meant anyone who showed any intellectual leanings: a higher education, the ability to speak a foreign language, even those who wore glasses, were sent to these prisons. In the movie, The Killing Fields, the main character had to pretend to be simple-minded to escape being imprisoned. |
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One such prison was Tuol Sleng High School, notoriously renamed Security Prison 21 (S-21) by the Khmer Rouge This facility held 1,500 people at a time, to be starved and tortured until they confessed to being a spy. Once a confession was extracted, they were sent to The Killing Fields to be exterminated. An estimated 3 million died during the Khmer Rouge's reign between 1975 and 1979. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0875-XL.jpg A bedframe where prisoners were shackled to and tortured until they confessed Some paintings on the walls showed the types of torture methods the Khmer Rouge used. Electric shocks were administered to prisoners tongues, their fingernails pulled out with clamps, organs were cut out of the body while the prisoner was alive. Dried pools of blood had congealed beneath these beds when the torture prison was liberated. I found it deeply ironic that such atrocities were committed on the high-school's cheery yellow checkerboard floor. It felt so incongruent. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0887-L.jpg A crude and gruesome diorama outside on the former school's grounds depicting torture Over 17,000 people passed through Tuol Sleng's gates. And only seven known survived. Many of them were Cambodian, some Vietnamese, a handful of westerners. Of them, a young American Kerry Hamill, was captured when his yacht sailed into Cambodian waters in 1978. Like the Nazis, the Khmer Rouge kept detailed accounts on everyone they tortured and killed. Hamill was recorded as confessing to serving under Colonel Sanders. He used his home telephone number as his CIA operative number and listed close friends and family as CIA contacts. Hamill's wry confession while under torture was a reminder that the KR needed the flimsiest of reasons to kill their prisoners, no matter if they were innocent or not. |
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Barbed wire covering the prisoners rooms, preventing escape or suicide Pol Pot grew increasingly paranoid of anyone who would threaten his new regime. Even high-ranking members of his own cadre were eventually imprisoned, tortured and killed. Towards the end of the regime most of the prisoners were members of the Khmer Rouge itself, suspected of being enemies within the organization. Crazy. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0896-XL.jpg Part of the torture was being imprisoned in standing cells, unable to sit or lie down https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0903-XL.jpg A memorial plaque with some of the victim's names in Tuol Sleng The sign on the memorial stupa reads, "Never will we forget the crimes committed during the Democratic Kampuchea regime". |
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https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0900-L.jpg A very depressing but eye-opening visit to the Genocide Museum https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0874-L.jpg Also depressing is this sign... seriously, people?!? *SMH* In the spirit of also recording what's popular today: Pokemon Go is a thing. A really big thing. |
The next day, we visit another site: the Choeung Ek Genocidal Centre. It's about 17kms south of Phnom Penh.
Prisoners that had confessed in the torture camps around the country were then taken out to the countryside to be exterminated - "Smashed" in Khmer Rouge parlance, for the preferred method of bashing victims to death with ox-cart axles to save bullets - and buried in mass graves. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0916-L.jpg Choeung Ek used to be an orchard but is now the site of over 8,000 bodies Huge depressions in the ground mark where bodies have been dug up. Sometimes during a hard rainfall, more bodies will still be discovered. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0915-L.jpg This was a part of the ground where 450 bodies alone were discovered https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0913-L.jpg Visitors have left thousands of colourful prayer bracelets to remember and honour the dead |
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This tree was the most depressing part of the genocidal centre Part of the KR's policy was to immediately kill children and infants of suspected spies, for fear they would grow up and retaliate against the state. In keeping with the regime's policy of saving bullets, babies were held by their feet and their heads were repeatedly swung against the tree until they died. Oh my god, that was so disgusting, disturbing and depressing. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0910-L.jpg A large Buddhist Stupa is erected on the grounds https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0939-XL.jpg Inside are over 5,000 skulls of the bodies unearthed at Choeung Ek, categorized by sex and age |
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Also are recovered fragments of bone, categorized into acrylic boxes Evidence of the regime's violence on these skeletons are labeled, "Evidence of bullet", "Evidence of iron tool (impalement)", "Evidence of tooth treatment (dental torture)". https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0943-L.jpg The dead stare back at us, both as a reminder and a warning against anything like this happening again |
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https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map384-L.jpg It's always a bit nerve-wracking not knowing whether you'll be let back into the country or not. Although we were reassured by our fixer that the Thai embassy would approve our visas, in the back of my head, I was already thinking of back-up plans involving breaking out our clean European passports. Fortunately this wasn't required. Our fixer came through and we admired the brand new Thai visa page glued onto the inside of our passport. We're allowed to come home! :D https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3294-L.jpg Getting ready to leave the hotel in the morning. The lady behind us looks like she wants to join our motorcycle gang! We try to leave early enough to get as much time riding done before the searing afternoon sun beats us up. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3296-L.jpg Unfortunately, Phnom Penh traffic has other ideas for us. We're so done with big cities. Take us back to the countryside, please!!! |
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It takes us over an hour, but finally we're free of the big shitty. Yay! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0954-L.jpg Neda is loving being back in the countryside again. We stop often to check out the scenery. We've been in Cambodia for over a week now and it's long enough to make us realize what we like: it's the rural life. Besides Phnom Penh, Cambodia has been our favorite South East Asian country thus far because it hasn't been as industrialized as Thailand or Malaysia. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0959-L.jpg Everywhere on the sides of the road, we see rice and beans being dried on the hot asphalt |
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Cows and other wild life are given free reign over the fields and the road https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0984-L.jpg Panniers. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0988-L.jpg Rice fields make neat patterns |
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We stopped to watch this pig on the right suckle its piglets https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0996-L.jpg And then she just flopped onto her side and let her kids drink greedily. :D https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...itter384-L.jpg One of my favorite pictures of Cambodia After 4 hours of riding south of Phnom Penh, we reach the south shores of Cambodia at the seaside resort village of Kep. Cambodia is for the most part landlocked, only having access to about 400 kms of shoreline, squeezed in by the Thai and Vietnamese border, which is less than 30 minutes away from where we are. |
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Koh Tonsay boat terminal, looking out into the waters of Chhak Kep Bay https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0039-L.jpg In the distance, we watch an interesting row boat go by. He was rowing like he was telemark skiing, pushing the oars by moving his whole body forward till he was almost on one knee! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0014-L.jpg There's one reason why we made a pit stop at Kep... |
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Kep is known for not just for its delicious seafood, but for their fresh peppercorn. So delicious!!! The peppercorn is grown locally, here in the Kampot province. Kampot peppercorn is so famous worldwide that it is has its own certification, kind of like the Neapolitan Pizza we had in Italy. True Kampot Peppercorn has to be grown in an organic fertilizer made from a mix of cow dung and bat guano. That ain't cheap shit, Batman! So far food in Cambodia has been like a blander version of Thai food. Not that remarkable. I've ended up ordering a lot of fried rice. But the peppercorn crab here was the best meal we've had in a while! Well worth the ride to Kep! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0044-L.jpg Another of Kep's tourist attractions: the White Lady Statue If you Google the White Lady Statue, the pictures you find will see her in different states of dress. The locals, who are quite conservative, will sometimes clothe her in a modest dress, but the coastal winds will eventually blow it away over time (or so they say). Other times, she'll be clothed in a bikini top or a fashionable wrap. The time we visited, she was naked again. Very popular for selfies with the tourists. The name in Khmer is "The woman who waits for her man". She's a Cambodian woman waiting for her fisherman husband to return back from sea. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0028-L.jpg Kids playing football on the white sands on Kep Beach... with a volleyball There are a lot of young people in Cambodia. During their reign, the Khmer Rouge exterminated 1/5th of the country's population. Today, almost 70% of Cambodians are under 30 years old, and 30% of the population is under 15 years old. |
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The coolest monk on the beach! We saw him taking a selfie with the naked white lady statue! :D https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0080-L.jpg More cool monks hanging out by the side of the road https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0036-L.jpg We spend the late afternoon walking up and down the beach. Neda finds a little starfish! |
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One of the fishing boats coming in. Is the White Lady Statue's long wait over? https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0082-XL.jpg Everyone waiting for the sunset https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0078-XL.jpg End of another beautiful afternoon on Kep Beach |
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Sun's getting low, so time to find a place to sleep https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0089-L.jpg We are heading to Kampot, less than an hour away from Kep Beach. Neda navigates some rough waters https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0097-L.jpg Finally, arrived at our place in Kampot! What a long day! So thankful we are out of Phnom Penh! |
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/385.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map385-L.jpg It was a pretty long day of riding out of Phnom Penh yesterday so we fell asleep very early. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0101-L.jpg Which means I'm up early enough to see a sunrise. A rare moment for me! We are staying in a beautiful colonial-style villa just outside of Kampot. It's got lovely balconies with a nice view of the Kampot River below. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0128-L.jpg Breakfast on the balcony at our Cambodian villa |
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Watching the neighbour's kids play in the yard https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3305-L.jpg Leaving Kampot. Getting an early start to the day, trying to get most of the riding done before the sun gets too hot We head west. Just a few minutes out of town is a place where we've been told to visit, especially because we were on motorcycles. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3308-L.jpg At the foot of Bokor Mountain, we know we're in the right place because we see a squad of sportbikes readying to make a run up to the summit. This is the best piece of tarmac we've ridden in Cambodia, twisting and winding up over 1000m in vertical elevation. This new road is courtesy of the Chinese, who are making a significant investment in Cambodia. |
Here's a short video of part of the Bokor Mountain run. Count how many assholes try to run Neda off the road.. That's just the way they drive in SE Asia. Same as in many parts of the world we've traveled to. India, Albania, Russia, etc. *shrug* https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3311-L.jpg On the way up, we see a huge statue sitting cross-legged looking down over the mountainside. We must investigate! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0219-L.jpg This 29 meter high statue is Lok Yeay Mao, protector spirit of travelers. I like her already! We found out this is the same naked white lady on the shores of Kep that we saw the day before. They sculpted her with clothes this time, so nobody can disrobe her in the middle of the night... |
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Near the summit, we stop to admire the scenery below. Looking down into the Gulf of Thailand. It's windy and COLD up here!!! Bokor Hill Station was originally built by French colonists to escape the heat of Phnom Penh. I'm glad they did, because we are suffering from severe heat exhaustion every afternoon! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0182-L.jpg Bokor Palace Hotel, a magnificent building built by the French in 1925, long since abandoned. The ruins are just as fascinating! It's a popular place for tourists to visit, walking around inside the empty structure of the old palace. There are other abandoned colonial ruins up here as well, some near the palace, others a bit further away. Very creepy and eerie inside! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0190-XL.jpg We visit another smaller hotel near the palace and do some poking around The French abandoned their hill resort in the First Indochina War in the late 1940s. They came back after the war was over to open a new casino in 1962, but had to abandon Bokor once again in the 70s when the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia. |
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Speaking of casinos, part of the Chinese investment was this huge casino at the top of Bokor It was completely empty. There were more people visiting the colonial ruins than at this casino! How many billions of yuan wasted on the building and the road? Well, not completely wasted, it was a fun ride up! Thank you, China! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0208-L.jpg This small temple nearby looks brand new as well. I think it's Chinese too, because of the writing on the tops of the doorway. Possibly to serve all the Chinese tourists that are not flocking to the casino... And then back down the mountain into the waiting arms of the hot Cambodian afternoon sun. :( https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3313-L.jpg Stopping for one of many water breaks along the way The next logical place to go to would be the beach resort town of Sihanoukville. But we've heard it's a lot like Phuket and the Full Moon Party islands of Thailand. Lots of farangs and bars and nightclubs. Not our scene. So we're bypassing it and heading further north up the coast for more a more authentic Cambodian experience. Speaking of farangs, I found out that they call us "Barangs" in Cambodia, because the Khmer language does not have any "F"s and they can't pronounce "Farangs". This is ironic because the Thais can't pronounce "R"s so they end up pronouncing it "Falangs". Neda thinks the word "Barang" sounds funny, so the entire time we're in Cambodia, she calls every foreigner a "Barango" like Mango... "Barangoes, barangoes, everywhere!" LOL! |
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Crossing the very new bridge into Koh Kang Koh Kong, or as the Khmer call it, Krong Khemarak Phoumin, is the capital of the most south-west province in Cambodia. We are literally minutes away from the Thai border. It's a frontier town, known as the Wild West of Cambodia and it used to be a hub for smuggling, gambling and prostitution because of its isolation, with access only by boat or air. Remnants of the defeated Khmer Rouge retreated to Koh Kong and were active in the region as late as 1998! The Thai government has funded a bridge and a border crossing from Hat Yai province and just recently in 2015, the road from Koh Kong to the National Highway of Cambodia was completed. This has opened Koh Kong up as a hub for eco-tourists because it's the gateway to the heavily forested Cardamom Mountain. We blend right in with all the granolas, us with our gas-sipping, lawn-mower-engined Honda dirtbikes! Kinda... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0246-L.jpg Shacks line the sides of the river in Koh Kong https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0248-L.jpg Life on the river |
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"Honey, I'm home!" https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0257-L.jpg Neda is still fiddling with her make-shift plastic bottle seat. Just not comfortable https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0273-L.jpg Sittin' on the dock of the bay |
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Fishing boat on the shores of Koh Kong https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0295-L.jpg The sun is slowly setting over the mountains across the river https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...SC_0264-XL.jpg Everyone is watching the sun set |
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I sparked up a conversation with a fellow Barango, also taking pictures of the sunset She lives in Phnom Penh with her boyfriend, and was in Koh Kong for a vacation. They were only in their 20s, and left the UK to find jobs in Cambodia and travel around SE Asia. Very adventurous for their age! Sometimes I wonder what our trip would look like if we had done it 20 years ago instead of now. It seems that most of the people we meet on the road are either 20 years younger than us (gap year travelers) or 20 years older (retirees). Very few people leave mid-career to do a trip like this. I suspect the lack of peers our age means that this was either a very smart thing to do or a spectacularly bad idea... :) |
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Relaxing in a bar by the river with a cold Black Panther beer, our new favorite beer in Cambodia! So we found a new favorite beer, it's a dark stout which is rare to find in SE Asia. The owner of the bar, a Cambodian guy of Vietnamese descent, is also an avid motorcyclist and we have a great chat about bikes roads in the area. We're watching the sun go down and I happen to notice one of the mounting braces holding up my top case had broke. Yes, the same one Malaysian Cigarette Smoking Man fixed last season! Dammit! Not again. The roads we are going to do tomorrow won't tolerate a broken mount. My topcase will fall off for sure. This needs to be fixed before we leave, and we have no idea where to go to fix it. The owner of the bar came out again while I was inspecting the back of my motorcycle. He took one glance at the broken mount and told me, "No problem. I know someone who can fix it. Come back tomorrow morning." What a stroke of luck!!! |
I found the genocide museum profoundly moving and haunting. It's the only place on my travels where I just couldn't bring myself to get my camera out. We sat in the little cafe opposite for about an hour before either of us could start talking again.
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Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/386.html
https://photos.smugmug.com/Motorcycl...L/map386-L.jpg The next morning we make our way back to the bar to try to get my bike's topcase mount patched up. We had a quick breakfast there and the owner asked one of his workers to take us to the workshop. So we followed him on our bikes as he drove a few kms into town and dropped us off in front of an open building where they looked to be welding scaffolding. Nobody spoke any English, so we had to pantomime the problem. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3329-L.jpg One of the guys stopped his welding to take a look at the mount, then he went to work fashioning a new piece We watched from the convenience store across the street while we sipped a Coke. He was done in less than half an hour and he called us over. Looks good! I asked him how much for the job, but he didn't seem to understand. So I just gave him $5 and he seemed happy with that and went back to welding his scaffolding. Quick and easy, and we're back on the road! If only all our problems could be solved like that. Today we are tackling the infamous Cardamom Mountains. This heavily forested jungle is probably the last unexplored place in SE Asia, with no discernible routes or means of access through it. Until the Chinese arrived. Of course. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3338-L.jpg The start of our Cardamom Mountain adventure The Chinese have built several hydro-electric dams in the Cardamom Mountains, to the dismay of conservationists trying to protect the rainforest, the endangered species that live within it and the indigenous people who depend on the land for food and sustenance. One of the endangered species on that list is the Siamese crocodile. Wat? Crocodiles! Sounds dangerous! |
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There are less than 1,000 indigenous Khmer Daeum villagers living in the Cardamom Mountains https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0319-L.jpg Conservationists argue that the dams will flood their farmlands, causing hardships for the poorest peoples in Cambodia The road that we're on is a well-graded gravel road, and the steeper sections of the path are reinforced with twin strips of concrete for the trucks and construction equipment to travel up and down. It's rather ironic that access to the interior of the Cardamom forest is funded by the Chinese hydro-electric dam projects. This road has opened up the rainforests to many eco-tourists and hikers who want to experience the beauty and the untouched nature of the Cardamom jungle. And also motorcycle riders as well... BRRRRM! Outta the way, Granolas! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0345-L.jpg Thank you once again, China! |
Our route goes from the very south of the Cardamom forest in Koh Kong to the very north, near Krong Pursat. The forest is the largest in SE Asia, with over 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) of mostly untouched land. And 300 kms of dirt riding through the middle of the forest! Glad we've got dirtbikes! Also glad that it hasn't rained here in a while!
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0306-L.jpg We pass many of these houses on stilts. I wonder how high the waters get during rainy season. Or maybe they are preparing for the Chinese flood? Okay, that's not funny... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0360-L.jpg Heading further into the heart of the jungle We pass by many buildings that are part of the Chinese hydroelectric dam complex. Some residential buildings probably built to house those working at the plants. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0380-L.jpg There are many dams built by the Chinese inside the Cardamom, this bridge takes us to one of the smaller ones |
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Sitting on the bridge, checking out the dam The war between the Chinese and the conservationists is not the only one waged in the Cardamom Mountains. In 1979, when Pol Pot was defeated, what was left of the Khmer Rouge retreated to these mountains. Here they continued to fight battles with the local villagers until almost the 1990s. The last of the Khmer Rouge were finally driven out in 1998, and the indigenous Khmer Daeum were able to reclaim their land once again. The Khmer Rouge left behind nasty presents: Landmines. Landmines and crocodiles?!? Who's idea was it to ride through the Cardamom Mountains? We're not the only ones who have concerns. While Angkor Wat saw a record 2.2 million visitors this year, only about 1,000 people visit the Cardamom Mountains in the same timeframe. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0395-L.jpg Random signs and scenes from the Cardamom Top Left: Danger Zone! At first I thought this was a warning sign for active landmines! Then the writing below reads, "Waterfall". Don't fall off the edge, Granolas! Bottom Left: There was a monk in one of the restaurants we were at, he was telling us how they hand-make these monkey bracelets. Monk. Monk-ey bracelet. I know they don't speak very good English, but surely someone must have clued them in to the obvious wordplay here. Anyway, Neda ended up buying one of these Monk-ey bracelets. Cute, eh? Bottom Right: Monk-ey crossing sign. Seriously! Better than a Crocodile crossing sign. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0402-L.jpg Posing in front of one of the pretty lakes inside the Cardamom Forest |
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This red soil we're riding on is highly fertile and is used to grow rice, bananas and yes, cardamom too https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0454-L.jpg I don't know what kind of crops these were, but they were cool-looking. Better in close-up! Like rows upon rows of green popsicle sticks! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0429-L.jpg We reach a bigger dam, worthy of a picture This isn't the Lower Stung Russei Chrum Dam that was advertised on the sign at the entrance of the Cardamom Mountain, though. I checked online and that one is huge and not accessible by the dirt road we're on. Probably deep within private property, far away from angry eco-terrorists. |
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Past more Khmer Daeum villages We saw some of the villages had set up local hostels for the granola hikers, if they wanted to sleep in stilt houses on their way through the Cardamom Mountains. That's pretty cool. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0461-L.jpg One of my favorite pictures from our ride. Neda staring up in wonder at the forest around her At a certain point in the road, past all of the Chinese dams, the well-graded hard-pack devolves into a pot-holed, washboarded mess and there's more red soil and less gravel on the ground. The Chinese have no further incentive maintaining these paths. From hereon in, we travel the way the Khmer Daeum villagers do. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0469-L.jpg Concrete bridges are a Chinese luxury. The sign reads 10 tonne limit. What did I have for lunch and will these wooden slats hold?! :) |
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Consulting the GPS, doing a quick check on time Our little motorcycle maintenance detour this morning took a chunk out of our ride time. I'd like to make it to the main village in the middle of the Cardamom Mountains before nightfall. Because you know, crocodiles and land mines and all... https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSCN3474-L.jpg On one of the steeper climbs, the way gets a bit muddy. The Chinese would have totally put concrete strips down right here! This part of the Cardamom is getting a bit exciting. We're basically riding on packed soil, no gravel to be seen anywhere. In the dry sections, Neda up ahead is roosting me with a cloud of red dust. In the hilly areas, the water settles at the bottoms of the road, and the soil turns to thick and slick muck. There are many *oshit* moments when we think we're going to come off our bikes in the mud. Fun. But a bit sphincter-tightening. But fun... Butt fun. |
And then it gets worse. The mother of all deep and slimy mud patches lies ahead of us. Being the gentleman I am, I radio Neda, "Ladies first!"
https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0491-L.jpg Up ahead, I watched Neda struggle in the mud. I make sure to take lots of pictures for both of our viewing enjoyment later. Well, okay... Mainly for my viewing enjoyment... 555 Neda's no longer having any fun. Halfway through the bog, the back of her bike started fishtailing left and right like a dog wagging its tail. I could see her rear tire was clogged with mud and spinning in futility. She was making no forward progress at all, but instead was digging quite a deep hole beneath her rear wheel. I hopped off my bike (after taking many pictures - priorities!) and helped her push hers across all that red goop. It's always good having someone go ahead of you so you can learn from their folly. You can see my solo successful attempt in the video below. Like a MF-ing Boss, I tell ya! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0495-L.jpg Neda's rear wheel. Zero traction from these knobbies. While we were inspecting our rear wheels and taking pictures of our fun in the mud (it only becomes fun again after the hard part is over), we heard the sound of engines revving behind us. A truck was stuck in the same bog we had negotiated our bikes through. Another car was stopped at the top of the hill before the mud bog started and that driver was attempting to help push the truck through the slop. But to no avail, the truck was too heavy and the muck too deep. https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0498-L.jpg I walked over to offer my help as well to push, but the truck driver was already on the phone calling a tow truck He thanked me and I wished him luck. Travelers always look out for one another! |
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Following the hydro-electric lines deeper into the heart of the Cardamom Mountains These electric towers and the lines reminded me of our ride up the Dalton Highway, following the Alaskan pipeline to the Arctic Ocean. It seems that the energy industry is always paving the way through the wilderness. Literally. We're about an hour away from our destination for the evening, the town of Pramaoy right in the heart of the Cardamom, when we see two crazy Barangoes riding towards us on tiny 150cc motorcycles. We stopped to chat with them. They were Italians and they had rented these scoots from Siem Reap. Like all travelers do, we quizzed each other on the roads that we each had just done. They told us that north of Pramoay was smooth sailing, good gravel roads. In turn, we told them that they had a lot of mud waiting for them on the way to Koh Kong. It was late in the afternoon and they probably only had a couple of hours before sunset. Plus they were not dressed for the ride at all. One guy was wearing loafers and the other guy was wearing sandals! I advised them that maybe they should turn around and stay the night in Pramaoy, but I know as a traveler, sometimes you just hate to turn back. They wanted to get to Koh Kong for the evening, so we wished them best of luck! Not sure if they ever made it, or whether some alligator is now wearing Italian loafers... (you see what I did there?) https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0521-L.jpg And we made it to Pramaoy. This is our guesthouse for the evening. Nobody speaks English here. And why should they? They probably only see a handful of Barangoes here each week, if that! We had to pantomime that we wanted a room, and using our fingers figure out how much it cost. After parking our dirtybikes for the evening, I clapped Neda on the shoulder to congratulate her on making the ride and a cloud of red dust poofed up in the air. 55555! OMG, we are absolutely covered head to toe in the dried red soil of the Cardamom Mountains. You could grow a field of rice paddys on the amount of dirt we had on us. Before taking my shower, I just stepped into the stall with all my gear on and hosed myself down to get the dust off. Crazy! https://photos.smugmug.com/Archive/2...DSC_0522-L.jpg Top: The bustling main street of downtown Pramaoy. Bottom: Neda does some shopping at the local convenience store. No 7-11 inside the Cardamom Mountains |
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