Sisophon (Cambodia) to Bangkok (Thailand)

Day 242: Sisophon to Watthana Nakhon

Early start today but not as early as planned because Kate had an interrupted sleep overnight with the noisiest air-con in the whole wide world and only found out in the morning it was actually the bathroom fan which could have been easily turned off with a flick of a switch... Duh. Breakfast of omelet and toast at the hotel restaurant and on the road for 9.00am, reaching the Cambodia/Thai border at Poipet at midday. The overland border visa was quite easy once we finally found out which building issued them. Kate asked a western girl for help but was rebuffed in an incredibly rude manner. A fifteen day overland visa is free for UK nationals, giving us to the 15th December to exit the country but our flight is booked for the 10th anyway. We only had cycle 5km to the nearest town to find the most treasured shop ever; the SEVEN ELEVEN!!!! These shops sell everything we could possibly dream of and Kate has missed them desperately since leaving Thailand last June – We grab a drink and a yoghurt before carrying on to our final destination of Watthana Nakhon. Returning to cycling on the left hand side of the road after nearly five months of right hand drive comes with a few hiccups but no major accidents or near misses to report. The Thais (as usual) are friendly, but this is a major tourist route and it shows – no outward signs of shouting from houses.

Kilometers: 79

Total Kilometers: 7823


Day 243: Watthana Nakhon to Bangkok

Today's plan is to ride through to Pratchatakham where we will then get the train through to Bangkok from there then ride the rest of the way to Khao San Road. This plan gives an extra day in Bangkok and also means we don't have to hang around Pratchatakham tomorrow waiting for the train. The day starts with a hunt for a ATM that will let us withdraw money, we seem to remember having trouble with ATM's the last time we were in Thailand and can't for the life of us remember the name of the yellow bank that was the most reliable for international cards. We get down to our last 200baht ($6) before we spot the one that loves us. Today is scorching hot again and we take several drink breaks along the way but foolishly we do not stop for any food, thinking that we will get some before boarding the train. However, when we reach the train station in Pratchatakham we don't have time to get any before the train comes. It's been 7hrs and 105km since we ate a raisin bun and a yoghurt each. The train journey is long and slow and towards the end we are so very very hungry that we reckon others can hear the rumble of our stomachs over the noise of the train. We reach Bangkok at 9.00pm, it's dark and we're ravenous. Kate bets that she can get us to Kao San Road without looking at the map and fails miserably. We finally get to our destination after at 9.30pm and head straight to the local Subway sandwich shop. Two foot long BMT's have never been eaten so fast. Bangkok appears far busier then when we were here last and pretty soon we found that most guest houses are full. It's the King's birthday on Saturday which is why it's packed. An eleven day celebration has begun, with fireworks lighting up the sky at night.







We start to panic a little bit – we're getting strange looks of westerners as we peddle round the back streets looking for accommodation. We're stressed, tired, badly in need of a shower and end up returning to the place we stayed at last time. To our amazement the old lady remembers us and that was enough to secure the room for the night.

Kilometers: 114

Total Kilometers: 7937


Day 244 - 250: Bangkok (rest day)

We find out that Tyrant Bill is heading towards Bangkok and will be here on Friday. We arrange to meet at the soup stand at 6pm. Seth has been following our footsteps since north Vietnam and will get here on Saturday. We spend the first morning looking for alternative accommodation and don't find any to suit our needs so we decide to stay put on Soi Rambhuttri. On Friday, Kate is ushered towards a bearded man using the internet by the old lady in the reception. Kate does not recognise the hairy man in question and refuses to follow her. It takes Kate a full two minutes to realise the bushy fella is no other that Tyrant Bill and it's a joyous occasion to be reunited with one of our cycling buddies after we parted ways in June. Seth arrives as planned on Saturday and we all head out for dinner and drinks, which turns into a mammoth beer fest and doesn't end well for both of us or our bedroom floor.





Sunday is spent recovering and Monday is spent in Lumphini Park.



Sadly, Tyrant Bill leaves us on Tuesday, heading via train for northern Thailand and China (he sent his bike to New Zealand in August) and Seth makes plans to travel to Laos tomorrow before returning to Chengdu. On Wednesday, with bicycles packed into their boxes and surplus clothes thrown away, we wait for the taxi to arrive to take us to the airport. We bid farewell to Seth, with promises made that he will visit us in the UK in 2010.

Our trip ends today, 9th December 2009, with 7937 km cycled through eight countries in as many months. It's a day of mixed feelings for us; excitement that we will see our family and friends again after such a long time apart, but extreme sadness that our cycling tour has come to an end. We have had such an amazing time, visited beautiful countries – some of which have such sad histories that it's hard to fathom the kindness and optimism of the local population. We've seen the best and worse of human nature, including our own. We are indebted to the people that have helped us along the way, from the moped drivers that personally took the time to show us guesthouses to those that refused to take payment for food, despite their own financial hardships. We end the trip with increased self confidence, humility and the feeling of amazing accomplishment. Cycle touring is an incredible people to people experience and comes highly recommended by the both of us. To those of you who have given us encouragement and support along the way, we thank you, and hope that our journey inspires you to get out there, meet some of the most amazing people in the world and see some inspirational scenery. To those of you in the UK and over 18 years of age, we can't wait to see you on the 8th January 2010 for the “coming home” celebrations.

Lots of love and best wishes, Kate and Lee Lee xxxxxxx

Moc Bai (Vietnam) to Sisophon (Cambodia)

Day 227: Moc Bai to Svay Rieng

Stopping for breakfast just before the border we are approached by a tout flogging Cambodian Reil and we changed $30. We are aware that the dollar is accepted by most places but you can't be too careful and decide that it would be sensible to have a pocketful of local currency just in case. Heading on a further kilometer we get to the border crossing and even though it is straight forward enough it takes ages to get the visa and go through the right channels. When we finally get through it is 11:00am and we decide that we will go the shorter distance to Svay Rieng rather than the 110km that we considered we could reach earlier in the day.
Two things were obvious after the border crossing. Firstly, the Cambodians are just as friendly (if not more) as the Vietnamese and secondly, they don't use their horns as much which is a relief – it is a blissful break for the left eardrum. We have friendly banter with the locals all along Highway 1, which incidentally is the bumpiest highway we have had the displeasure to cycle on, Kate's boobs quickly feel discomfort, she later likened the unpleasant sensation to spending a day on a jackhammer. We reach Svay Rieng early-ish which gives Kate a chance for a snooze whilst I watch some football. The hotel has a restaurant attached to it so we dine there, the food was reasonable and they had an English menu so we ordered some noodles with fried veg, fried beef and fried broccoli.



Kilometers: 57

Total Kilometers: 7074


Day 228: Svay Rieng to Neak Leung

I'm not really liking Cambodia that much today – the roads are bloody awful and my boobs are tender; a word of advice to any females wishing to cycle Cambodia's roads, I'm not big in the bust department and even I would strongly suggest investing in some proper sports bra's. Breakfast was disappointing – noodle soup with pork was all that we managed to track down. We've been spoiled in the tourist places in Vietnam and it's difficult for me to return to the local fodder, let alone get used to a whole new menu in Cambodia. We are only 3 weeks away from returning to the UK and the thought of returning to my mom's roast dinner and Lee Lee's spaghetti bolognaise is messing with my mind! The day was very hot and boring – not much to see by way of scenery and the road to Neak Leung was practically straight which got very frustrating after a while – we never felt like we were getting anywhere. The first 20km were awful, the second went very very quickly as we decided to up a gear, and the third and final 20km couldn't end quick enough – we spotted a hotel on the east bank of the Mekong but decided to get the ferry over to the west side thinking there would be hotels there aswell but sod's law, there weren't – just one guesthouse whose proprietor was very confused about his prices – at first the air-con room was $10 but swiftly went up to $15 and he wouldn't lower it. We refused to pay that amount – our hotel last night only cost $10 with air-con and instead opted for the fan room at $7 which was still a little over the odds. Dinner didn't go that well either – rice with fatty pork and chicken which had very little meat. Lee had rice with liver (eugh).

Kilometers: 67

Total Kilometers: 7141


Day 229: Neak Leung to Phnom Penh

Today was better – we found a restaurant that served rice and BBQ pork for breakfast and the roads vastly improved as we neared Phnom Penh although they were still bits that were pretty bad. The better part of our journey into Cambodia's capital city followed the Mekong River which is always great to see, and there were some fabulous temples dotting the landscape.



As we came within 10km of Phnom Phen the traffic became extremely heavy and there were some close encounters with motorised vehicles but all in all, the ride in was not too bad. The city was quite easy to navigate – the streets are on a grid system and we made our way to our hostel of choice, Capitol Guesthouse, where we bagged an air-con room with bathroom for $10. Following a much needed shower we head off to the Garden Centre Cafe because it's well known for it's hearty portions of home cooked food. Lee Lee and I choose the biggest meal on the menu for $8 each; what comes is a massive cheeseburger with a plate of bacon, eggs, sausage, broccoli, a side salad and a massive bottle of Angkor beer. Walking the 3km back to the hostel, I feel sick. On our arrival at our hostel, we spot a fella wearing a cycling t-shirt and he confirms that he (Ian) and his girlfriend (Anita) are cycling Cambodia and Vietnam and we are the first cyclists he's met since the beginning of their trip. We meet up later to swap stories and survival tips before the world shuts down around us – Phnom Penh is the city that always sleeps past 9pm!

Kilometres: 62

Total Kilometers: 7203


Day 230: Phnom Penh (rest day)

Day of rest, which means we have a long lie in – this was interrupted by a bloke playing his radio at 6:30am. It turns out that there are camp beds outside our room (226) on which young Cambodians seem to sleep overnight. Downstairs has a restaurant/cafe in which we have our lunch before heading down to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, better known as 'Section 21Prison' which is a former high school that Pol Pot turned into a detention centre for 17,000of the 2 million people he had executed.





The museum is very well laid out and serves as a testament to the horrific crimes carried out there. We spend a few hours here before heading back to the hostel and down to the riverside area for some dinner which is very busy and full of touts; everyone wants a bit of your money. We settle at a nice Mexican restaurant and return to our hostel before 9pm when all the lights go out.



Kilometers: 0

Total Kilometers: 7203


Day 231: Phnom Penh

Today we visit Choeung Ek, where Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge took those held at the Section 21 Prison to be executed. Some of you may have seen the film “The Killing Fields”, where Dith Pran struggles to survive the brutal regime, the scarred landscape and has to wade through the remains of his fellow men; this is the resting place of over 17,000 people.





The skulls, bones and clothing that have been recovered to date are housed on 17 levels in a huge “stupa” and the site, although recently (and controversially) privatised by a Japanese company, looks like it has been left pretty much as it was after excavation (according to the photos). It's a very upsetting, yet peaceful place and we spend a while walking along the dirt paths between the mass graves. Pol Pot died in 1998 and his body was cremated on a pyre of burning tyres. Four high-ranking members of the Khmer Rouge regime are currently being tried for crimes against humanity and genocide in an international court. They are being held in a prison in central Phnom Penh and no doubt being treated far more humanly than they deserve.

Kilometers: 26

Total Kilometers: 7229


Day 232: Phnom Penh to Skun

On the way out of Phnom Penh we stop at the equivalent of Subway sandwich's and buy four 6 inch sandwich's to eat later because we figure that where we are going to stay tonight will probably only have noodle soup for din dins. It turns out to be an okay ride; the roads are a lot smoother then pre Phnom Penh, although we are riding into a headwind which slows us down slightly.



Skun turns out to be a better place then first thought and after settling in to the guesthouse and having a cold shower (not by choice!) we venture out to the town only to find darkness. The town appears to shut down early; 6pm to be precise. We buy some crisps and a coke from a shop opposite and then go back to the room for our Subway-esq sandwiches. Later, I find the Liverpool match on TV and apart from the result all is well.

Kilometers: 82

Total Kilometers: 7311

Day 233: Skun to Kompong Thom

Having breakfast at the guesthouse this morning and we see some fellow cyclists across the street we go over to say hello and swap stories – they are from Holland and have only 4 weeks of cycling in Cambodia. We leave them to carry on and we finish breakfast before moving on. The headwind has not ceased and actually seems stronger then yesterday. It makes for a difficult ride but we press on to our destination and still make it in 5 hours of saddle time.



On one of our stops, Kate notices an unbelievably massive spider hanging from a tree just inches from our bikes. In all fairness to Kate there was no loud screams just a big EEEEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHH and a lengthy whole-body shudder!
Using the Lonely Planet recommendation we find a guesthouse in Kompong Thom and salivate about eating pasta from a nearby Finnish run restaurant only to be told that it has closed. Gutted. Whilst Kate is sorting out the room I bump into four Dutch cyclists who are staying in the hotel next door. We chat for a while and it turns out that they are cycling 50km in the same way we are going tomorrow so we invite ourselves along to join them. They are happy for us to do so and we agree to meet at 7am for breakfast. Yes, Kate has to be up at 7am!

Kilometers: 93

Total Kilometers: 7404


Day 234: Kompong Thom to Stoung

We are surprisingly alert this am and meet for breakfast at 7.00am as planned. The staff are very attentive, with about five waiters waiting on our table. Omlettes and baguettes were served and after finding out that we are in the best of hands today as it turns out that three of our new friends are in the medical field (a surgeon, a cardiologist and a family health doctor to be precise!) we head off to the garage to pick up our bikes – all safe and sound. Along with the Dutch team we head out to the town of Stoung with no problems; the road is smooth and the people as friendly as ever.



At 12.00pm and the 50km mark we reach our destination of Stoung and book into a $5 fan room. Having the whole afternoon off is quite a change for us and we feel a little redundant - we all decide to meet for lunch at 1.30pm and afterward Lee, Herman, Eileen and Marius head off to the local hospital to have a look around whilst Honey and I discuss her and Marius' completion of their brobdingnagian (!) 2005 cycle journey.

Kilometers: 50

Total Kilometers: 7454


Day 235: Stoung to Siam Reap

Today Lee Lee and I rise at 5.30am. OMG! This is in preparation for the 100km+ ride into Siam Reap, and the home of the Angkor Empires' most astounding archeological site, the Angkor Temple complex. The cycle ride is quite long and Kate's bottom suffers the brunt of it but we make it into the city for 3.00pm. Cycling with the Double Dutch; Hanna, Marius, Aileen and Herman is great fun and a welcome change from rushing to beat the sun before it sets for the day.



Hanna and Marius are inspiring, accomplished cyclists and Aileen and Herman are enjoying their first cycle tour. We stop for breaks every 30km and take our first proper lunch break since Malaysia. Accommodation in Siam Reap was scarce on our arrival; there is a cycle expedition of Angkor Wat starting on 04.12.09 and quite a few hotels are fully booked, but comfortable digs are found at Seven Inn, on the east side of the river.

Kilometers: 102

Total Kilometers: 7556


Day 236: Siam Reap (rest day)

Today the Double Dutch leave the Seven Inn for more salubrious lodgings with a swimming pool and I'm insanely jealous! We spend the day drinking beer, reading and relaxing before meeting them for drinks and dinner in the evening – we thoroughly enjoy hearing their tales of cycle travel and we're absolutely hooked on their 2005 escapade (no further details available at this time as although Lee Lee and I have decided to follow in their revolutions in the near future, we need to sort out the practical ramifications of such a venture).

Kilometers: 0

Total Kilometers: 7556


Day 237: Siam Reap - Angkor Temple Complex, Day 1

Today we meet the Double Dutch at 7.30am and head off to the Angkor Temple Complex for the first of our three days at what is quite possibly known as the most awe inspiring archeological site in the world. Marius, Hanna, Herman and Aileen visited these temples yesterday and they deliver us to the ticket office before we part company. Lee Lee and I cycle 45km today around the site, visiting just about all of the smaller temples and although we have to cycle past Bayon and Angkor Wat on the way out, we keep our helmets low and our eyes glued to the road and see nothing.









Again we meet the Double Dutch for dinner later and say our sad goodbyes to Marius and Hanna – they return to Holland tomorrow.

Kilometers: 45

Total Kilometers: 7601


Day 238: Siam Reap – Angkor Temple Complex, Day 2

Today Lee Lee and I visit the larger temples, bar Bayon and Angkor Wat. We cycle to Banteay Kdei, Ta Promh and Angkor Thom and spend the majority of the day with open mouths, unable to comprehend the time, effort and creativity that it took to build such amazing buildings.











Kilometers: 32

Total Kilometers: 7633


Day 239: Siam Reap (rest day)

Today was reserved for our third and final day at the complex but Kate has developed a major rash on her derriere which threatens to turn into a full blown blister. She reports that it is painful to sit for long periods of time so we decide to put off our visit to Angkor Wat and Bayon until tomorrow and she spends most of the day sitting or lying uncomfortably on one side. I make the decision to dress the offensive area (!) which helps, but Kate is worried that it will eventually turn into a pressure sore if she's not careful so we decide to hire a tuk tuk driver for tomorrow's third and final trip to view Bayon and Angkor Wat to give her “area” time to settle before our final four day journey to Bangkok, Thailand.

Kilometers: 0

Total Kilometers: 7633


Day 240: Siem Reap – Angkor Temple Complex, Day 3

It's not often I'm lost for words, and today I was verbally challenged twice. Firstly by Kate, who actually got up this morning at 6.00am, despite it being her 33rd birthday, and secondly by Angkor Wat, which is truly magnificent. We didn't cycle as Kate's bottom has developed a small rash which continues to threaten to morph into a big blister so I dress it (such a good nurse!) and order a remorque-moto to take us round. Not much more to say really, words can't really do the temples justice so here are the pictures...











Kilometers: 0

Total Kilometers: 7633


Day 241: Siem Reap to Sisophon

We decided last night that cycling in the early morning is far more preferable than starting in the midday heat and therefore set our alarm for 6.00am this morning. We did snooze for a little while but finally roused at 6.30am and got breakfast before setting off to Sisophon, which by our calculations is 105km away . Sven, the Danish manager of the guest house assured us that the road to the Thai border is brand spanking new and very smooth. It doesn't take long to find out for ourselves; the road is a dream to ride on and we make good progress, cycling 111km in 4hrs 50mins, arriving in Sisophon at 2pm. We find a hotel relatively early; it's a little expensive, but we settle in as it has hot water and air con. Off for dinner after the best shower in the world and and early night for Kate and Lee Lee as we decide to head off early again tomorrow morning to cross the border into Thailand...

Kilometers: 111

Total Kilometers: 7744