A petit tour in Cambodia: from Lao to Siem Reap and around TonLe Sap

[pib]

Here it keeps going...
The previous part: http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-...oudomxai-phonsavan-4000-islands-cambodia.html

All pics about Cambodia:
https://plus.google.com/photos/1093...s/5716063333152629601?authkey=CLmr_qeUn72DiAE

My blog in french (a bit too much detailed I know:bash). Day by day, in english in this post. Thanks to google translate... sorry if I miss some stupid automatic translation sentences. I have tried to correct them, but not sure I got all of them!
http://pib-voyages.blogspot.hk

All GPS and road done day by day
http://pib-cartes.blogspot.hk/#!/​

 

[2wheels]

Thanks for the lovely images Pib.

That 'black and white' effect is stunning.

 

[pib]

27/11: Sohm Swaakohm Cambodia - along the Mekong
Azur blue sky, hot, 30C



So... I just left Lao, happy and sad... riding there few years ago was great, it remains awesome!
Lets see what Cambodia can show!
Where am I heading to? 2 options:
-follow the Mekong toward south till somewhere
-cross the mekong in Strung Treng to reach Siem Reap from north
I decide to ride a bit first, then I will see.

Last km in Laos are a bit life full with people on road side etc... first km in Cambodia: NO-BO-DY, and no more trees!
At least i reach a "village".
In this photo , a woman on a motorcycle , holding in his hand ... a perfusion!



I head to Strung Treng . Not a single tree, it is flat in the middle of the countryside, under a blazing sun. Arriving in Strung Treng , I manage to change some Riels. But mostly I try to gather some information on road conditions across the West in the direction of Phnom Daik.

A gas station, a Russian on a dirtbike led a group. He explained that a new road is further north towards Teng Beah Menchay, on board ... I wait a bit and discovered that the next ferry is in roughly cambodia time: 1 -2h . I was offered a cargo vessel: if ever I manage to get onbard on the single plank, I will never manage to get it out on the other side: freak... and shoot. I decide to stay on the eastern shore of the Mekong, direction south and Kratie.
Heading south, heavy sun, few trees and some fileds. Other fields with barbed wire, it feels non-cleared mine fields.

The GPS is not so clear, I lost myself just before entering Kratie: it was supposed to be a shortcut!
The city is non-interesting from what I saw . Looking for a little my way along the Mekong recommended by 2 friends. I find myself on a track just along the Mekong , but in the midst of slums. The right way is actually few tens of meters away from the Mekong, not exactly along the Mekong.


Here I am, very good road, narrow, with many houses on both sides, or rice paddies. The houses have huge jars to collect rainwater . The crops are diversifying and women become veiled ? ... ? While all Buddhist temples are closed, some mosques appear. Slightly different style and appearance , people and especially women are really different! But the obstacles on the road remains the same : cows, chickens, horses, children, etc. ... The scenario will remain the same for 60-70 km. Then 50km from the finish, the road deteriorates sharply.

I missed a junction , my GPS is not very accurate. I found another track, just better ... Long passages alternate between "ok" and really crap sections. To finish, it becomes a cow track for 20km I think, downto 15 - 20km / h max speed !

Suddenly, after a village, the track becomes clean for 10 km.
And it becomes worse then a cow track again... I am looking for my way several times , back to my feet, ask, especially watching the clock turning .
All tracks come and go with the Mekong floods , so inevitably I mess a bit to find them, and when I find them , they are not in riding condition .


6 km away from the N7, I right by the Mekong, completely out of the proper way on single cow track. Mekong is just 6-7 m below... .



Sand, ruts etc ...Anytime I ask, the answer is the same: "keep going"
And finally a bridge : the N7 ! I finally cross the Mekong ... Just to say I 'm pretty happy ...
For 120 km or almost, crossing villages, I'm not gone unnoticed with my Africa Twin.




Arriving at Kampong Cham, unpacking at Miraya hotel for 12 USD after big bargaining... all young ride their Honda wave in front of the hotel/river front, it must be the parade on Sunday evening ...

I am roughly happy to be here, before nightfall. En route to dinner , two notable events :
1 - front hotel, a BBQ stall is cooking unidentified beast. It is big enough , a deer ? No, it has a long tail ... It might be a dog ! Even if I thought it was not much the region, I do not see what else it could be
2 - dark back streets resound with "massage handsome " ... I'm going to dinner and internet Lazy Mekong Daze.

I am leaving my bike fully secured in the street, but by nightime they all go empty and anything is packed inside like if anything left over would disappear!

http://pib-voyages.blogspot.hk/2011/11/sohm-swaakohm-cambodge-le-long-du.html

http://pib-cartes.blogspot.hk/#!/2012/03/jour-22-don-khong-kampong-cham.html

 

[pib]

28/11: Several ways to die...
Clear blue sky, hot, 32C



Today I'm heading toward Siem Reap.
Rather a long day, I know, but the road should be good.
Leaving Kampong Cham, toward north. Nice road, not too much traffic. The road is narrow, under shadow. A lot of childs going to school.

Then after roughtly 70km of this nice road, I'm on the N6. It won't be long before noticing it won't be a smooth ride...
1. Large pote holes in the middle of the road (50-100cm wide), some really deep (10cm). Usually it is not a problem, but when riding on a paved road at 80km/h, then suddenly there is a pothole, 10cm deep... The outcome might no be funny! => potholes: checked
2. Second, I try to ride around, fairly easy with a bike... but cars, trucks, buses in the opposite direction do the same! A pothole in front of me, I drive where there isnt... whatever i coming in the opposite side, including me. So one eye on the pothole on my side, one eye on the traffic coming accross on my way: checked
3. Potholes section seems over... but the traffic is getting more busy! and since there is no pothole to avoid, it is getting faster also with: cows chars overtaken by motorbike, motorbike by trucks, truck by car, car by SUV/4x4 and whatever by buses! whatever it is coming in the opposite direction, they don't care as long it is smaller. They just drive as fast as they can, overtaking whatever, whenever and however. I have been near kissing a car/SUV a couple of times despite being almost in the dirt side of the road. I'm not sure if this road has got a nickname, but it is the worse road I have drive/ride (evin in India it is better) which became the worse riding day of my trip. Getting crushed by car/SUV/trucks/buses: checked.

Seriously, after seeing this, I can only say: "they don't care about life or death". I am not sure which are the most dangerous: government SUV (powerful toyota) which are going really fast, or buses with no brakes nor suspension. None can brake, turn, escape etc ... if road sides were flat, they could think they will kill somebody, then end in a rice paddy, but road sides are not "flat" then will also kill themselves. I don't get it...

Anyway, I reach Siem Reap. It seems much "built" than 2 years back, dusty, no trees... I get my guesthouse (more a boutique hotel actually): Angkor Discover Inn. Quiet place, wooden room. Large garden to park the bike. 1 word: great...

Anyway, day is not over. I decide to go to visit 2 temples which are bit offsite: Preah Ko and Prasat Prei Monti. They are located at the entrance of Siem Ream, on the N6 toward Phnom Penh. Actually nothing much about them, so I decide to head to see fishing villages on Tonle Sap by the road 63. After few km, follow "the" road, wihtout any loading/cases/baggages etc ... I have to stop. It is the worse road ever! Impossible to go further.
Then I head back to city center. There is now a road around Siem Ream, crossing over rice paddies to avoid the dense traffic.

I will try to dig more details shortly about Siem reap, because I haven't got any post about this day on my blog. There is no need to talk much how many times I have been close to death.

Cartes des voyages

 

[2wheels]

they don't care as long it is smaller. They just drive as fast as they can, overtaking whatever, whenever and however. I have been near kissing a car/SUV a couple of times despite being almost in the dirt side of the road. I'm not sure if this road has got a nickname, but it is the worse road I have drive/ride (evin in India it is better) which became the worse riding day of my trip.

Yep!
Welcome and I glad you survived.
Coming to Chiang Mai?

This awaits you.

 

[pib]

29/11: Angkor Wat or the sustainability of the myth
Weather: blue sky, and a good dry heat ~ 30 - 32deg



today it is gonna be a bike day... bot a motorbike day... a slow nice day, and visit again those temple at a slow and quiet pace: an ATV bike , not too bad for $ 1. GO. Aside the long straight road after the ticket boot, I do not remember very well the map.

After having validated my ticket , towards temples: 7-8 harlyes overtake me, from Malaysia. They are taking picture in front of Angkor Wat. The European leader tells me they asked special permission to have a picture for their board/newsletter. Hope to be alble do the same.
9AM: It's late and many tourists are already there, including Koreans... They fight with chinese tourisit to be the most noisy ones! (ok ok... perhaps with some french too )

By bicycle, I begin to understand that distances are not so short... Small round by Ta Prom , always legendary with its trees, but the tourist hords are bringing up the challenge: pics opportunities are brief. I cannot blame all childs to try to sell their stuff aound all temples, but they should be less aggressive.



I can take a nap in the first cool porch, cool stones ... Nap in Phreak Khan, it's not every day!

To Angkor Wat. Some pictures of Bayon . It seems to me that the famous figures are less visible than before, as if they became less marked /chopped. The contrast is less striking .



Angkor Wat is crowded, I pass by the sides. Renovations, with light green curtains spoil any photo opportunity or almost. A quick tour to the form, and going back to the hotel, exhausted. Indeed, 41km dome plus walks and climbs under an strikking sun.

​

Now bargainning time:
Passing by the entrance, I stopped to ask how to get inside the area by motorbike just for a pic, some talking and the guard told me back tomorrow ... we'll see, nothing else than hope


Carnet de voyages: Angkor Wat ou la pérennité du mythe

Cartes des voyages

 

[pib]

I'm Indiana Jones: Beng Melea
Weather: blue skies ... 30 - 32deg



Back on the bike!
Today, heading to Beng Melea and Ko Ker or Phra Khan. Off by 7.15AM. Stopping by Angkor Wat ticket boot first to see if I can just go take a picture with the bike.
They talk , look at each other and then "no" ... the Harleys had supposedly authorized by the Governor ! And why not the Pope ... well corruption in Cambodia. Tea money cannto help...

So I go to the N66, toward north. GPS is going koo-koo. I know the direction then I decide to follow my feelings. It starts with a great track and the GPS indicates a small path while the good trail running. I prefer to continue on the nice unpaved track.
Many beautiful trails intersect at right angles delimiting large geometric areas, I quickly understand that these are recently cleared of landmines and other unexploded munitions. Choice time: left side: great trail, ride a small trail... I go for the small one, thinking the oldest is the smalest. Indeed i'm on the N66, old road to the Angkor Empire.
This is a small way : 2m wide, roughly "chaotic" with lots of sand. I pass by houses, childs are still so enthousiast to see a bike bike. No much shadow, few crops fileds only.
At a crossroads section, I must go straight. I'm asking my way, people tell me (with mimic signs ... ) the track is flooded up to the chest ! I should go around. I may have to try to see this flooding by myself, but no, I switch to a little red dirt track towards north. A few miles away, a stone path leading to the southeast. I find the N66 which is now a beautiful asphalt road . I can go to Beng Mealea .

I'm in front of the temple, I park my bike under the shade, and the guard at the entrance told me that I must buy the entry ticket at the boot, roughly 1km ahead !

Well, Beng Melea. First sight, cannot see much, a lot of trees, then step after step, under the shadow it's becoming better and nicer. While 2-3 Koreans following the marked path and wooden walkways, a guard waved me and tell me to go inside by a climbing stones blocks. I hesitate a bit, then i get in. Some climbing, some reinforcements poles, it leads to some collapsed corridors, inside the temple and huge blocks that lay on the ground. The guard shows me to go ahead.



Thinking a minute again, it motivates me to keep going, as long I wont get a 500kg stone on the head ... then I reach some intact corridors, cooler, shadowed and with spider nets on the face.




It seems there is a path which I am following. A distant tourist noise reminds me that I 'm not going to discover a lost temple! I loose a bit myself in side aisle then I find the way out to visit. Korean bus is also here, shoulting as usual! They can really spoil a visit ... I'm out!




To Ko Ker . Nice road in the beginning but hard sun striking and it will remain so until the end, whatever the road conditions . For 15 km I think everything is fine, then it gets spoiled seriously, becoming a stone road. The road improves with "only" big potholes. The track takes over pretty good, and when it gets bad, some road works are on-going.
I pass by an empty boots, then suddenly a motorcycle honks me that I have to pay the 10usd entrance fee! Overpriced compared to other entry fees .

The track after the boot between temples is very good, with shaded open forest but tall trees . It changes the usual landscapes and especially I 'm under some shade. There are many signs indicating mines-free with the support of other countries areas. It is a loop road, I stop by few temples, then head for a drink. The lady tells me that THE pyramid Ko Ker is right behind us, I almost miss it ! After a few hundred meters in the ruins , I get the pyramid, very Maya style! A tough climbing but the the view is limited due to tree heights.



I decide to go back to Siem Reap by an other road, going by the north. From Beng Melea, instead of going back to this red dirt road, I keep going on a gravel runway: a bumpy road and dirt side are a better riding than the road itself! I'll never find what road to the top of the hill to admire the plain of Angkor. I get lost on very good track around the hill around Phnom Bong.

I returned to the hotel around 16:30 , intense but doable day.:RO


Carnet de voyages: Un petit sentiment d'Indiana Jones: Beng Melea


Cartes des voyages

 

[pib]

01/12: Around Tonle Sap
Weather : bright day, 30deg ...



Big day ahead -again-, with 370 km around Tonle Sap by Sisophon, Battambamg and Kompong Chnnang. Tonle Sap is a huge lake in central Cambodia , which fills the rainy season and serves as a reservoir during the dry season ... Logic. On the map , we see that it is fairly small but swamps and flooded rice fields are actually adjacent to the road ( purple line ) !

Leaving Siem Reap, the road is built on an embankment , straight, not a single tree, very few cities or villages. Suddenly, a cop stops a car coming in the opposite direction . A few miles away, at the entrance of a straight line I saw a cop with a camera: a radar!!! I followed a car near it and magnifying it, 1km away, two cops are signs : everyone stops! NO... anyway, I decided I'm not concerned, I pretend overtaking, the cop looks at me and told me to move : it was hot.

Random road , some interesting encounters. ►

Continuing on to Sisophon and Battambang , police stations intensify and stop vehicles . They should check the comings and goings of Thailand: it seems that is not for touring motorcycle.
Sisophon ? A crossroads without interest.
Battambang ? It looks like a huge agricultural cooperative with sales tools and machinery , no interest .
Sisophon to Battambang , the road narrows and the traffic becomes denser . The road will be long if it continues like that. From both sides, the same rice paddies, but still no lake: just flooded rice fields .

◄ I spend a great time ... the tow truck was a lorry truck! Not only the tanker did not rise , but the lorry truck raised by the front when they try to load the tanker ...


60km from Kampong Chnnang the road deteriorates with huge potholes! 20cm deep and to top of that impossible to see them due to bright light... in short the speed is reduced. I manage to zigzag between the potholes, roughly but smoothly.

In Kampong Chnnang, to Sokha hotel. Outside it to look nice . There is no more room with air conditioning, and it's hot. (electricity available only from 4PM to 10AM anyway). Finally the manager got something for me. A room not ready, steep stairs with a terrible moisture smell ... for $ 15 . I hesitated and finally I cannot take it, we'll see if I find better. I stop at Samrong Sen Hotel , a beautiful complex of small buildings of two floors. I take a double room on the ground floor for 10 USD ...

Packing time: I decided to rearrange my stuff and what I'm gonna leave in Cambodia with the bike.

Once everything ready , I go see the lake at the end of the long street.

Now, looking for a restaurant. It 's dark already, the town has got almost no public light and it is DARK. I end up in a restaurant, THE restaurant, Skahon restaurant. My dish arrives, the chicken, actually chicken bones only good for a dog: between disgusting and horrible ............

Tomorrow: only 90km to go, but not the easiest to deal with the arrival in Phnom Penh. This is the last day !


Carnet de voyages: Autour de Tonle Sap


Cartes des voyages

 

[pib]

02/12: It smells the END, to Phnom Penh
Weather : bright sunshine , 28deg



I fear this part of the road ... and especially the traffic! Simply said: the N5 arrives directly in Phnom Penh. Without too much trouble I get in the suburbs , but the last 5 km ask all my attention. I decide to stop by Bernard's shop (www.motorcycletourscambodia.com) to tell him that I will leave him the bike in the afternoon, and subscribe my insurance before traveling to my hotel. (what for did I suscribe an insurance???)

I lose myself in the market area, without ever finding the insurer. Except touching the bike, noone helps me ... even if they speak English. Usually they are all 5 meters to ask if I want a tuktuk , but today, nobody. I 'm on motorcycle ...

Annoyed, I decided to go to my hotel, Frangipani 90's. Traffic is a great reckless. I think not without difficulty the address given by my book. This is not good, mine is a little further south ... I'm leaving . I have not done 100 m, a cop stops me ! They are 7-8 under a tree. With signs , they tell me that I am in single way lane... of course no sign to tell me ! driving license etc ... and it starts:
-"pay money" ... ouch...
-"how much?" depends...
I say I 'll pay at the police station. So suddenly, he doesn't understand english anymore . Ok got it...


I try 5 USD , a hefty price, but I want to go to my hotel. He does not hesitate , ok for 20,000 riel . I know it is just to much, but I was tired ...

It was the latest turn of events before arriving at my last hotel



I fully prepare my bike for this long term storage, then head to the garage. We park the bike at back of the warehouse , on the central tripod. battery swith off to recharge it regularly. Bernard makes thing really smooth and easy because he must feel that I am be completely peaceful! I 'm leaving my bike behind me for good ... ~ sigh ~ ...

Last night in PP: restaurants and bars, dinner in the bistro area, a French dish that deserves a better cooking.
Back to the hotel, by foot (30-40 min walk) , thoughtful ...


Carnet de voyages: Ca sent le sapin... direction Phnom Penh

Cartes des voyages

 

[pib]

THE END............

I'm in Phnom Penh, I just finished a month of holidays. For some, it might be weird, but since I left high school, I have never stopped working more than 2 weeks... And 1 month holiday is an adventure by itself.

THIS holiday I have prepared for 1 year or so.
The bet certainly worth it: almost a 7000km journey (6889 exactly), through five countries in total with such different landscapes.
Totally safe, I wish all my trips happen like this: exceptional weather for 1 month, meeting nice and interesting people, without any mechanical problems (almost) without any health issues, no safety hazard, and accident-free (and it was not the easiest point) ...

In a nutshell: PERFECT! Logic that tonight I seriously wonder what will be Monday morning ... that is to say, I know already: A uninteresting thing...

When the next trip?

Carnet de voyages: The END... ... ...
Cartes des voyages

 

[pib]

Despite being achieved 2y ago exactly, I have managed to translate my blog. In the best sake to help some who might be interesting to do the same because by preparing my trip, forums, and share experiences were the BEST WAY to avoid any kind of troubles. So the least I could do was to chare it , a bit, perhaps a bit too much
:jump
HAVE A FUN and SAFE RIDE!

 

[KTMphil]

Quel voyage fantastique, merci beaucoup de partager cela.