One month in Cambodia...

      The 9th of February, after  18h by bus from Bangkok to Phnom Penh, the Cambodian Capital, we met back an American-russian couple to prepare our motorbike trip. We rent a 250cc enduro for 2 weeks to drive on dirt roads around the huge Tonle Sap Lake. A loop of more than a thousand kms, passing by many 10th century temples such as Angkor complex…  After a « test-day »  with the bikes and the bags attached, we changed few things and get ready !  we left towards north East with 3 motorbikes (we were together on ours). We visited Sambor Prei kuk, from 7th century, the oldest temple complex, in the middle of the forest, lost.

In Cambodia, as soon as you leave the main asphalt road, it’s dusty, chaotic and long to travel. Villages are small, very simple, and quickly remote. Even with a big 4*4 car, travelling in the back country is long and uncomfortable. Big bikes is for us the best transportation, with requires a good driving experience however…

After 2 nights in Kampong Thom, we took north to Tbeng Meanchey, in the Preah Vihear province, famous for the current border conflict with Thailand…  Then we visited  the most remote Koh Ker temple, 9km long by 4 km wide with a huge pyramid and an elephant temple. We tried to reach our next destination by a small trail, but around 4Pm, we gave it up and came back, very hard and destroyed dirt road! We did it the next day with 20km/h average… to see Preah Khan temple, the widest angkorian temple, 5km2, by sunset…  Ta seng, we were the only white people in this lost small village, sleeping in a home stay, bed in wood, no mattress, very nice and smiling people.

Everywhere along the way, as soon as we stopped for a cold drink or to rest, locals are always smiling, curious and surprised to see us! Some children were afraid of us, others very excited, especially when Lorette gives them a balloon.  Sometimes, they just run until the trail to look at you passing in a dusty cloud and scream “Haaalllo!!”, always waving at us.

Cambodian children and women are simply beautifull! Very thin and delicate faces, our favorite beauty in Asia so far…  in the dry season ( from December to april), it’s hot. And the least lake, river or swamp is a meeting place to play, wash or swim for local people and us!

After 5 days in the remote center of the country, with 150 km of the horrible “bumpy” trail- road 66, the ancient angkorian road, we joined Siem Reap and Angkor complex of temples… big tourism area, big change. 20$ per day to visit Angkor wat (for sunrise), the Bayon temple (for sunset), and the Jungle Ta Prohm with its roots walls… Huge, amazing, crowed and marvelous!

Then 160km on main roads to reach Battambang, the doors of the Cardamons chain, a protected national park south west of Cambodia, the master piece of our motorbike trip. Next day, we started very well, good orientation in this labyrinth, thanks to the GPS! Nice rivers, we were a bit late to reach Samaraoy to sleep when a big heavy storm stroke us… the dry and dusty trail transformed in a muddy and slippery nightmare… no way to drive more than few hundred meters. So we asked the first house for shelter. Lucky they had space and food for us, very nice farmer  family, talking with hands to communicate, an authentic experience. Next day, it was nice to sleep in a guest house on a nice dirt road passing through the mountains (1700m picks).  We saw Elephant marks in the forest (broken trees), many birds, water buffalos…

We tried the next day, without success, to pass through a hill on a old trail to see Veal Vieng, ancient Khmer rouge base… and again no way! Too muddy and bushy. We pulled one bike out of the mud for half hour, get lost, and came back to the main new dirt road to reach the coast in Koh Kong. We saw the new huge Chinese dam building (in the middle of the beautiful jungle)… they gonna flood 52 km2 with some elephant migration ways… sad.  this wild forest is one of the biggest in south-east Asia with still some wild tigers, elephants, panthers, with many cobras, big spiders and hundreds of rare species of birds and mummers. The logging destroyed 60% of the forests during th last 50 years… it’s dramatic. They make huge ultra heavy tables and furniture to export…. Sad to see all these ruber and Taro (root for flour) plantations instead… However we saw few protection forestry programs but this is still hard to reach local mentalities.

The next day we wanted to cross another part of the national park, the South cardamom forest, 70kms trail. Good beginning again, nice one track trails, beautiful river crossings, but at 3pm, we lost the trail, turned and turned to find the GPS track back. We decided to follow a parallel old trail in the jungle. Hills, bamboos, mud, ferns, we go slowly but surely. At 5PM, we are in front of a hard path, which we did with the rope pulling the bikes one by one. But, the day falls we are too far to come back and the trail is getting horrible… so no choice, we camp in the jungle along a small creek for water… few cans to eat.  We came back all the way the next day…

Cardamon forest 2 / bikers 0 (…)

Next day chill out on a beach by the coast road and we came back to Phnom Penh the day after.

Very nice experience, a bit sore for the back…

Then we took a bus to Ban lung, the main big village in Ratanakiri province, north-East of Cambodia. Wild place, we met a nice Israeli couple, Mateo and Ella, whith who we camped by a volcano lake in the jungle for few nights. Relaxing time before to move to Laos, where we are now for a week.

4000 Islands on the Mekong river, Pakse and Bolovene plateau, Tha Khaek… Laos here we are!

Big kiss to you, who is reading this line!!!   XXXX

Se you soon our friends!!

sam n Lorette

Comments

[Kate]

Hello! Our plan is to arrive in Sydney on December 7th, and we'll be in Sydney for most of the next three months after that, but may take a few small trips here and there. If you're coming through Sydney, there is a lot of potential for us to meet up! Just let us know what your plans are as they unfold...

[laurette]

Hi Greg!!! We'll be in Oz end of this year if everything goes well.. We'll take a flight to Sydney then in Tas. At least me. Sam will maybe stay in Sydney with Wayne to work with him in town. So keep in touch about that.. And you guys? What's your plan in January?? Let us know..

Hope to see u!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love

[greg]

we are heading back south and would love to cross paths somehow. where are you? are you heading back to australia picking this year?

g.

[Kate]

Hello lovely people! I'm sorry, I didn't think to check your blog again for your response! I need to learn more about new technology apparently...



You can reach me at kate_da_great@hotmail.com



and Greg at g_dot_art@yahoo.ca



We are loving summer and working hard, hope you are doing well!



love Kate and Greg

[lorette]

Hey guys!!!! how are u n where?? we lost ur contact!! give us ur mails please!!! then we'll give u some fresh news.. hope u re ok. Big kissouxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx