Sometimes being good at math can be
quite handy while cycling. Peter took the bus to Phnom Penh and I
started cycling along the Mekong. On the first 40km I lost counting
on the 17
th bridge, I suspect it was closer to 20-25. By
km 50 the dirtroad had turned into a lovely trail and I had great
hopes for the rest of the ride. But then I came to the first
bridge-less crossing and realised it wouldn't be that easy.
Backtracking a bit, I bumped into the guys in charge of the
mekong discovery trail and was told that for the next 60km there were no
bridges yet but they were trying to raise the funds to build them. I
did the math. Could mean anything from 10 to 30 crossings and decided
I couldn't be bothered. I was having a splendid time, the day wasn't
that hot, the ride was beautiful, didn't mind riding in the highway
for a while and then getting back to the river. With the exception of
a few Ks here and there, I hadn't rode on tarmac since Sihanookville.
The highway turned out to be peaceful, for some reason there was no
traffic at all and I found it highly enjoyable, leisurely passing by
villages, having brief stops, following the ice cream man for a while
and of course getting one for myself-I think we did 10-15km almost
side by side, he was faster in the in-betweens but had to stop in
every village to serve the screaming kids. By sunset I was back in
the Mekong and just kept going, apart from the usual dogs chasing me
every once in a while, serenity is the word that described the day.
More or less without realising it I made it to Kratie having done a
whopping 185km, just in time for a christmas burger and beer in the
guesthouse I stayed.
 |
| Enjoying a mango over a milestone |
 |
| Eating my ice cream and having the nerve to post this photo |
 |
| Yet another sunset |
 |
| Spot the dolphin! |
This part of the Mekong is home to
fresh water dolphins and a great effort is being made to preserve
their habitat as much as possible. There is the inevitable tours
happening, with all the profits going back to the community and the
sanctuary. The ticket is quite expensive for Cambodian standards-and
chances are you won't be seeing any dolphins jumping around you-but
it's money worth spending.
Kratie, without having any particular
beauty, can keep you for a long time. 4 days passed and I could have
easily stayed for more.
 |
| My trusty gondolier... |
 |
| ...who later let me conquer my 10x10 island |
 |
| Frescoes in a temple near Kratie. I'm going to hell! |
 |
| And another... |
I broke a tooth the other day and for a brief second
entertained the idea of visiting this dentist.
Would his skills be as good as his painting ones?
For the rest of the ride I hopped to
the west and more quiet side of the river, choosing the dirtroad
instead of the highway once again. Being next to the river meant no
hills, at least for most of the part. It's a very charming ride,
everything moves in slow motion in this side of the country and I had
the feeling that everbody was in siesta mode all day. A surprisingly
high hill awaited me 20km before Campong Cham and got to see endless
stretches of rubber trees up there.
For reasons unknown, apart from 10km of
tarmac after Campong Cham, the next 40 before the highway were
absolutely shit, potholes after potholes meant a very bumpy ride and
lots of sympathetic looks from the locals. I guess I needed a
transition from the serenity of the previous days to the expected
madness of the highway to Phnom Penh.
 |
| Floating houses along the way |
 |
| One of dozens of temples |
 |
| The guy in the hammock should have been me! |
 |
| The rubber trees |
Stats and facts:
Stung Treng to Kratie:185km. Even
though I enjoyed every bit of it, it is a bit long. A stay overnight
at Wat Sarsar Muy Roi at km 145 or any of the surrounding villages
might be a better option. My marking on the map is wrong, I turned
there towards the Mekong and not after.
Kratie to Campong Cham: 123km. The
crossing point is 5km after Kratie, right after the big iron bridge.
There is only one ferry going across so you might have to wait a bit
in the nearby food stall(40 minutes in my case).
Campong Cham to Phnom Penh: 112km.
Being so close to the capital, means
there is an over-abundance of stalls, villages, markets etc. so don't
stress too much about supplies.
Sometimes being good at math can be
quite handy while cycling. Peter took the bus to Phnom Penh and I
started cycling along the Mekong. On the first 40km I lost counting
on the 17th bridge, I suspect it was closer to 20-25. By
km 50 the dirtroad had turned into a lovely trail and I had great
hopes for the rest of the ride. But then I came to the first
bridge-less crossing and realised it wouldn't be that easy.
Backtracking a bit, I bumped into the guys in charge of the mekong discovery trail and was told that for the next 60km there were no
bridges yet but they were trying to raise the funds to build them. I
did the math. Could mean anything from 10 to 30 crossings and decided
I couldn't be bothered. I was having a splendid time, the day wasn't
that hot, the ride was beautiful, didn't mind riding in the highway
for a while and then getting back to the river. With the exception of
a few Ks here and there, I hadn't rode on tarmac since Sihanookville.
The highway turned out to be peaceful, for some reason there was no
traffic at all and I found it highly enjoyable, leisurely passing by
villages, having brief stops, following the ice cream man for a while
and of course getting one for myself-I think we did 10-15km almost
side by side, he was faster in the in-betweens but had to stop in
every village to serve the screaming kids. By sunset I was back in
the Mekong and just kept going, apart from the usual dogs chasing me
every once in a while, serenity is the word that described the day.
More or less without realising it I made it to Kratie having done a
whopping 185km, just in time for a christmas burger and beer in the
guesthouse I stayed.
I broke a tooth the other day and for a brief second
Stats and facts:
Άφεριμ!
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