The Road North

I must confess it felt a little odd having a rest day after just one day on the bike, but if we were to achieve anything like the mileage I’d planned we needed to get the bike sorted and anyway, Kampong Cham looked like a pleasant enough little town on which to sort it. We’d had a good ride up from Phnom Penh yesterday, in spite of the discomfort. It was fascinating riding out through the suburbs of the capital and watching the shops slowly giving way to a whole variety of little workshops in which I have no doubt at all you could get just about anything made, sewn or fabricated… These in turn gave way to larger industrial premises; Cement works and gravel yards stood check by jowl with rice processing and packaging plants until eventually we left the ‘burbs and found the tranquillity of open fields. Predominantly rice paddies of course but with a few unrecognisable plantation of other crops interspersed with them. We made out first refreshment stop out of the city at a tiny roadside restaurant where not a word of anything other than Kymer was spoken…It didn't in any way detract from the stop as with plenty of smiles and laughter together with a bit of mime we got 2 bottles of water and 2 Cokes; it may not have been quite as cold as we would have liked but that was soon cured by a large jug of ice cubes appearing as if by magic. Now I know the common wisdom is that one shouldn't have ice in drinks in third world countries but from the clarity of it and indeed of other ice we have been given, I’m sure it must be made with purified water, and if it isn't, it hasn't had any noticeable effect on either my cast-iron constitution or on Allie’s far more delicate innards!

After breakfast we headed back to the hotel to try out the nice new seat pad I had conjured up for Allie. A small shoulder bag which I had been given by Sue in San Francisco and had been dropped into the luggage at the last moment was pressed into service as it had just the right size zipped pocket. Stuffed full of the wadding from the pillow we had purchased the previous evening I though it might just suffice. I strapped it securely in position and off we went for a ride along the river north of the town. Allie immediately proclaimed it a success, as did I, the transformation of our comfort was incredible given that it had taken about 10 minutes to put together and secure. It meant that Allie could sit further back on the seat without the rear of the seat catching her, which in turn gave me a critical couple of inches more room. So we pushed on a little further than planned, then made a left turn along an un-surfaced track describing a large loop before ending up back in Kampong Cham.

Having sorted that little issue we had the rest of the day to relax and explore the town. I checked out a local ATM to ensure I could get at our stash when the cash we brought ran out in a week or so’s time, then found the huge temple and spent an hour or so exploring. A monk beckoned us to follow him along a shady balcony where we were surprised to find a very large cage with a big pile of fur curled up in the corner. After a few words of encouragement from the monk, the fur ball lazily stretched itself out to reveal a fully grown lemur. 

The monk passed us some bananas to feed to it, which it took very gentle and devoured with relish. It’s certainly the first time I’ve ever come across a temple with a live captive animal of any description. Wandering into the main temple building it was obviously lunch time as there were two little groups sat on the floor with a variety of dishes spread out which they seemed to be enjoying and sharing with some more monks. They didn’t seem to mind the intrusion and I half expected that we might be invited to join them…. I indicated to one of the men whether I could take photos and was pleasant ly surprised to be given the green light as everything one reads says that you shouldn't take photos inside temples.

Back on the bike we headed for the river front and found the bamboo bridge we had read about. It was certainly a very impressive structure and looked immensely strong. I was amazed when Allie (who’d been reading the guide book) told me that it had to be rebuilt every year after the rainy season. An illustration of the huge, unstoppable power of surging water if ever there was one. After the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh, Kanpong Cham had a nice relaxed air about it, but come Thursday morning it was back on the road bright and early, heading further east and a little north towards Sen Monorom.

In view of the blistering mid-day heat we had decided to try to hit the road early, so 8am saw us breakfasted, loaded and on the road. It was about 250km to Sen Monorom, but we were in no hurry. Although the road was very good we had no desire to rush through the countryside. We stopped wherever we saw a good photo opportunity or fancied an ice cold drink; whilst carrying emergency water with us, after an hour or so on the road it was warm enough to make tea… By lunch time we rode into Snoul a small town almost on the border of Vietnam and about half way to our destination. We had a quick look around just in case anything took our fancy and spotted a very grand looking hotel just as we were about to head out of town. We stopped for a quick chat and decided to call it a day. The intense heat really was sapping our energy and at just $15 a night with a Sauna, Spa and Massage on site it seemed too good to miss…. Which brings me neatly back to that good old adage once more, “ If something appears too good to be true, it probably is!”. Although I must say it is the finest of all the Brothels    we have every stayed in on our varied travels. Needless to say we didn't get our massages or avail ourselves of the other dubious delights, but we were kept awake virtually all night not only by the noises coming through the walls but also by the very loud disco which didn't close until 2am and the noise of the generator in the adjoining building. Oh boy! Were we glad to be on the road again next morning. The one saving grace was the very nice restaurant where we enjoyed a late lunch and an early breakfast before striking out once more for Sem Monorom.