Kampong Cham to Kampong Thom

Thurs 16/01/14, 112km

Very broken nights sleep meant I didn't get the earliest of starts but it was a relatively short leg today so I wasn't overly concerned by that.

When I did get going it was very windy and as I was now angling towards the North West it was a slog into a headwind. The landscape was flat with plenty of rubber plantations and the road in reasonable condition for most of the morning.

I came across a pair of Dutch cyclists coming the other  and we stopped to exchange information. They told me that National Highway 6 is being expanded with all that entails, and that the worst section was the 39km to Kompong Thom (even said it might be an idea to bus that bit). I let them know about the bad road between Stung Treng and Kratie in return.
I was counting down the kilometres after this waiting for the bad road... Quite frankly, I was underwhelmed. Some stretches of cycling on firmly packed quite smooth dirt, bit dusty and that was it. Wait till they hit Highway 7...

However. In the last 50km I started to develop pain in my left ankle, around the inner tendon. By the time I almost literally limped into Kampong Thom it felt like a full blown sprained ankle. I was hoping I'd knocked it against the cranks or the like but I guess I knew that was just wishful thinking.

So. Into a hotel (Arunreas, reasonable enough, $6 for fan and cold shower), rest up for the night and three options.
1 Put bike on bus to Siem Reap
2 Cycle the 150km
3 Cycle 90km to Kampong Kdei where I'd been told there were a couple of hotels

If you are passing through Kampong Thom there is a remarkably good pizza place called Run Amok!, I can totally recommended. Expat run, not cheap cheap, but excellent pizza!

Wedding party

Through the rubber plantations

Boy are they in for a surprise heading north!