I had this random thought as I arrived in the town of deep fried tarantula's, Skoun, 48.3 miles after setting off from Phnom Penh on day 1 of this cycle tour for me. Max temperature en route was 37 degrees Celsius, the bike with full panniers is just over 60kg's in weight and the last cycle ride I did was about 3 weeks ago and it was a quick blat around the lanes of Somerset. So do you know I was quite proud of myself today. Not in an ego trip type way just a sense of wow, I can do this despite the fact that certain parts of my anatomy are crying out for tlc of a soothing kind.
Cycle Day 1 - 48.3 miles
It took about 30 minutes to do the first 2.5 miles out of a manic Phnom Penh where the rules are as previously described, confidence and conviction are the only thins required and if you happen to be in a big Ford F150 pick up on the right of 6 lanes and you want to turn left on a whim, you do and everything seems to flow round you.
Once over Friendship bridge we were into the sprawling shanty style outskirts of the capital which soon gave way to rural Cambodia. The road is flat, it stretches as far as the heat haze will allow you to see and reminds me of some of the roads you get in Norfolk, tree lined in places, straight and on either side rural life goes about its daily business. Water buffalo wallow in pools or mow excess crops in the paddy fields, small boats and fisherman tend to nets or sit patiently awaiting their dinner, duck farms can be heard long after you have cycled past them, moto's toot past with the wildest and most precarious of loads, buses and coaches scream past on air horns at between 70 and 90 mph no matter what is on the road. Speed is critical it seems for anything with 4 wheels. The pecking order is clear. If you are cambodian and on a bike you are poor, a student or both, then you have the 2 wheel tractors, followed by moto's, then minibuses, followed by cars, then trucks and finally coaches. We definitely do not fit in with this so there is a curiosity that means unpredictability, motos either sit behind us for miles then very very slowly come past with their seat population - which can vary between 1 and 7 people all staring at you, not smiling, just staring to coaches who look at you as easy prey and veer out into your path and expect you to stop. pull over into the dirt or bail out completely. My fingers have been busy on a couple of occasions to indicate how i felt!
The route we have decided to take is Highway 6 to Siem Reap, the first part of this has taken us down brick alley, this is brick field/farm country. Some have kilns that I recognise from museum visits in the UK. Some have open furnaces and all have fields of bricks as far as the eye can see.
One of the most enjoyable aspects for me on this day has been the 117 hello's I have said in response to the 4023 hello's that have been shouted, said, called or gesticulated from children in homes set back so far from the road I cant yet fathom out how they can see us from so far. Bush telegraph me thinks. Hello is the word of the day from children as young as 2 or 3 to teenagers and on occasion mum's of toddlers and the odd man who downs their tools to watch us go by at an average of 10 mph.
On our way into Skoun past the myriad of restaurants offering statues of there 8 legged delicacies, G met a student who guided us into town and the first guest house had everything we needed to end my first day in the saddle successfully.
Cycle Day 2 - 55.26 miles - Happy Birthday mum!
Wow, just beaten my all time record for miles in a day on a bike with panniers. Slightly cooler at 35C. Breakfast was good from the bakery across the road and 3 cups of coffee later we were on our way. No matter that the dining area of the guest house was filled with sellers of the freshly fried 8 legged, the winged and the crawling as soon as we sat down. Oh and fresh grapefruit with segments the size of water melon slices. Not sure what is happening to me on the fruit front. Pineapple has become part of my diet too. We set a good pace this morning but just before our first cycle through of a random checkpoint I let G overtake me on the basis that a smiling female might avoid us having to stop and tell our life stories to bored looking officialdom. Ooops, dont quite know what happened as she pulled in in front of me I suddenly found myself lying on the road surrounded by bike panniers and feeling rather sore. Luckily we were not being followed by anything with 4 wheels.
A quick dust down, reassembly of panniers and we were off again. Thigh, elbow, shoulder, knee and wrist on my left felt a little tender but nonetheless we cycled on to our first pit stop of the day at a little road side cafe. Lychee juice is a miraculous healer and giver of energy - it should be prescribed in the UK. Many more hello's, many schools, many more bicycles than yesterday and more conversational English ' what is your name' and 'how are you today?' have been called by a minority but the shock of hearing this, the speed of travel and the fact that the sentences are delivered at speed means that our replies maybe lost in the breeze. Lots of laughter when we reply and a wave seems to get even more enthusiastic helloing and fits of giggles.
Head wind today which has been draining as it knocks off at least a mile to 2 miles an hour as the bikes are less than aerodynamic being fully loaded and cross winds are taking the 20 kilo's on the front of my bike and twisting the wheel quite mercilessly. But it is less than yesterday so that is a relief.
We arrived in Kampong Thom, first guesthouse was a hit and the American Restaurant featured in Lonely Planet was ok but certainly milking the most of the hype/advertising without necessarily realising that you have to continue to manage expectations long term. But at the end of 5 hours and 18 minutes in the saddle I dont really care.
Cycle Day 3 - 53.74 miles
Back to the American restaurant for breakfast, shallow of me I know but the omelet was worth it along with my first mug of coffee since arriving in Cambodia on 31st October. We have decided to try and start out earlier which is a big change for G as first thing in the morning is not the greatest time for her. However I have worked out if I leave her alone for an hour, provide pancakes and coffee then speak after 30 minutes in the saddle the day is a good one. This maybe harsh but those of you who are reading this and know her, will empathise with me I am sure.
I set the pace this morning and it was really good fun. The highlight of the morning was seeing the 2 mile snake of school children riding into town in their white shirts and on a multitude of cycles. It made me smile and think of Em and Nath alot today.
We stopped for a break after our customary first 20 miles and G spotted to westerners cycling past - her first since arriving in Hanoi on the 8th September. They saw us turned round and we had a quick chat before they headed off following our route in reverse. They were Dutch and had flown into Siem Reap to then cycle to Ho Chi Minh city.
Lunch was awesome and we were entertained by listening in to the international school children sitting at the table next to us as they explained the rules of a game across 9 different nationalities and varying grasps of english. $2 for whole of lunch - awesome value.
More rural than yesterday, there was a line of families crushing rice with wooden fulcrum designed crushers, foot powered naturally, then nothing for a couple of miles. Water buffalo have replaced oxen pulling carts. More fisherman and one overloaded lorry tipped over with its contents being starred at and not much else.
Minivans bowling past at over 70mph with between 20 and 40 people in them, on them and hanging off them. First photo stops today also and arrived in Kampong Kdei in time for a wander around in daylight before dinner. Randomly discovered a 12th Century bridge, the only complete one left that was part of the original road now called Highway 6. Dinner at the guesthouse was a flying insect experience and this was followed by listening to cockroach fisticuffs in the bathroom of our least upmarket stay so far.
Cycle day 4 - 38.48 miles - 37C
I just knew when we stopped for mid morning drinks that we would be pushing onto Siem Reap before lunch and yes this ended up being the plan. So the most miles before lunch record has just been broken!
Passed down stone mason alley today where you can purchase a 2.5metre high budda carved to your own specification for around $2000. This doesnt include air freight charges and if the excess charges are anything to go buy it would be cheaper to buy it and donate it to one of the spectacular Wat's we have passed along our route. Many weddings today with their golden gazebo's and distorted music which can be heard many miles in advance and afterward.
The speed bumps of Dom Daek where an unwelcome addition. It was if the local dignitary's or head honcho's had picked up the worst of the UK's approach to installing these then multiplied it by a factor of 20. The only people to be slowed by this were cyclists as it became less and less amusing to hum a tune and see what happened to it as you rode over countless and pointless raised lumps of concrete.
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| You know when you are tired or dehydrated as we both saw this and thought it said 'KickAss' - laughed then read it again, hey ho! |
'Where are you going?' was added to our list of things shouted as you ride past and no matter what you answer with there will be no follow on question or statement. The road into Siem Reap is straight, tree lined and had a tarmac hard shoulder designed for bikes of all kinds. The centre was manically busy but by ensuring no more than a tyre width between us we sailed into Psar Chaa area of town and to the Red Piano for a very well earned pasta based lunch and some of the most delicious garlic prawns I have tasted.
It is incredibly touristy here, much more so than the capital and after dinner at the Curry Wallah we are ready for a day of relaxation before experiencing the temples of Angkor Wat, the very reason for the existence of so many sun burnt westerners and a street called 'Pub Street'!
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