Siem Reap

More brief posts now as I'm "on holiday". An old friend has flown out for a fortnight so it'll be buses and general touristing.

First though, get the friend from the airport... Whilst bumping into a couple I've been seeing since Vang Vieng a few weeks ago who'd just flown in from Pakse. Nothing like being greeted off the plane by some random you thought you'd given the slip to!

Talking of which. Collected said friend (who just coincidentally happened to have Marmite and bike parts, yay!) from the airport and a hectic five days of Siem Reap and surrounds happened. Straight off the plane and off to the National Museum (worth it BTW), a stroll round the market and then dinner.

This was followed by a couple of days of temples (first time I've actually gone round every bas relief in Angkor Wat itself), apsara dance evening and the like. Then a day of floating villages and sunken forests before a final day of temples.

"Get that man away from us!"

Angkor Wat

Ta Phrom (if I recall correctly)

Arty...

Sunken forest

Apsara dancers

Carving from Banteary Srei

Kampong Thom to Siem Reap

Fri 17/01/14, 6 whole kilometres

When I woke my ankle was no better. Some internet research indicated that the probable cause lay in my wobbly bottom bracket forcing my ankle to rotate in a less than healthy way. Of the three options (go for broke and cycle to Siem Reap in one hop, do journey over two days or get a bus) only one option looked sensible if I didn't want to risk further damaging myself. And I chose it. I must be getting old.

Once I'd decided on my course of action it should have been easy: Kampong Thom is directly on the route from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and tens of buses go through every day. Unfortunately, trying to find room for a man and bike on buses packed full when they started was problematic. All kudos to the reception staff at the hotel room who made a series of calls whilst I was at breakfast and managed to find a bus for both my bike and I.

With my bike loaded on in the aisle beside me it took a good three hours plus to get to Siem Reap. When we got there I had to gingerly cycle a little in order to find a guesthouse. Luckily, once I'd checked in, walking on the flat was OK so a little explore was in order.

Smeagol take note

My precious...

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!

Kratie to Kampong Cham

Weds 15/01/14, 131km

Later start today as for once I'd booked a hotel in advance. Figured this would mean I could really take my time and not worry about faffing about finding a place when I arrived late in the day.

Before setting off from Kratie I stocked up on water, baguette and cakes: nom. Then it was a pleasant ride along road 308 along the Mekong until the town of Chlong where I faced a choice of either carrying on the 308, which looked like it might just go all the way with a little wiggling albeit on very minor roads or drop onto 73 and then onto the main highway. In the end, conscious of my wobbly bottom bracket, I went for the safe option of the latter.

Started regretting it almost immediately as the traffic grew and the wind turned side on to me. Still, the road was in good repair and it was nice to see a different terrain to riverside, albeit still pancake flat.

Eventually I made it and after a brief "discussion" with my pre booked hotel (no, I didn't care if they did have 24 hour security I was not leaving my bike out on the street). Nice enough place but I wouldn't recommend it for cyclists (the Daly Hotel FWIW), there are plenty of other places in town.

Did my usual wander around and bumped into Eli and Ivan, the elderly Norwegian couple I'd met previously in Laos. This may have caused me to have one or two more beers than I'd planned to...

Note to UK housing market: if you must build on a flood plain *this* is how you do it.

Stung Treng to Kratie

Tues 14/01/14, 144km

Long day today so up on the road for 7 after breakfast and stocking up on carrot cake and banana muffins at the local bakers (om and nom). It's getting a bit toasty by lunchtime so the more I can get done in the cool the better.

The first section of road to the border of Kratie province was in fine form and I had a tail wind to boat which meant I was smugly sailing along thinking in terms of doing today's run in less than six hours.

However, as soon as I entered Kratie province the road got bad. At first it was a case of asphalt broken every few hundred meters with sections that had been badly filled in with rock and dirt. I assumed that these were the result of corruption insofar as the winner of a tender for repairs would give a kick back to the awarder of the contract, do a substandard job and pocket a large profit (a local later confirmed this was indeed the case). Must have been 40 or 50km of this and it was frustrating: with the tail wind I'd be whizzing along at 30kph then drop to a jarring 5 to 10 as I carefully wove my way past axle breakers and soft sand.

The nature of the road changed after that to sections where there was no surface for a few km at a time. All in all the bad sections continued for about 80km until I turned off onto a minor road that ran along the Mekong.

Bad road notwithstanding the early start and tail wind meant I got to Kratie for 2pm. Grabbed a posh place for $7 (plus a dollar for a hot shower) then had a stroll around town. Seem to get quite a few tourists and there were some good food options (had a great Khmer curry with tofu at Tokae).

Quality repairs: most of them stretched fully across the road

And now no surface. Actually better than the rock repairs

I assume this sign means road goes to shit

Ice cold beer and peanuts? Oh yes

Si Pha Don to Stung Treng

Mon 13/01/14, 87km

All good things must come to an end and eventually I managed to drag myself away from the islands.

Simple enough, 20000 kip for a boat back across the Mekong for my bike and I (sailing times 6:30, 8 and 11) then a few kilometres to the border including a diversion to Khone Pha Phang (30000 kip) the largest waterfalls in SE Asia (presumably in volume). Some momentary confusion at the border as the brand spanking new buildings aren't in use yet and you still have to go to old huts.

Despite all the horror stories I'd heard crossing on a bike was easy enough albeit with "stamping fees": $2 to exit Laos and $5 (on top of the $20 visa fee) to enter Cambodia. I paid with a false smile plastered to my face and hey presto I was in Cambodia with 55km to go to the town of Stung Treng.

The road was good and it seems as if a variety of dwellings are in the process of being set up along it, mostly shacks for now but with bigger sturdy wooden framed house in the process of being erected.

Once I got to Stung Treng I treated myself to an $8 room at the Riverside Guesthouse (paying $2 more for a room with an external window), picked up a Cambodian SIM card, ate drank slept.

This picture just does not do justice to the volume and force of the water

View over river at Stung Treng (best enjoyed whilT drinking a fresh jelly coconut)

New country, new beer

Si Pha Don

Si Pha Don, the 4000 islands, lie on the Mekong at the very Southern tip of Laos just before the river flows into Cambodia. They form the basis for cataracts on the river that for years blocked it being navigable from the ocean through to China, so there are a number of quite chunky waterfalls in the area, in water volume if not in height.

In terms of tourists there are three main islands (dons), Don Khong to the north and Don Det and Don Kone next to each other (joined by a bridge even) further south. The other 3997 vary as water levels rise and fall, with some being big and inhabited and others being small tummocks that come and go.

Don Khong, my first stop is quite big (I clocked up 29km cycling a loop of the north of it), not massively touristed compared to it's southern neighbours and very very relaxed. So relaxed in fact that I tarried an extra day that I'd planned to spend on Don Kone as I was busy doing nothing. Probably just as well as the southern islands seem rammed with backpackers although even so, Don Kone seems tucked up in bed by 10.

There followed a boat trip down to Don Kone and yet more being busy doing nothing bar going around the island and Don Det. I did cycle round along the route of an old French track that was part of.a system to allow them to get past the myriad waterfalls and on to the next stage of the river but mostly I ate and drank and read.

Li Phi waterfalls and dodgy bloke

Further down the falls (they extand for some distance)

Sunset view from a bar

Bridge between Don Det and Don Kone

French steam engine

Yet another sunset

Champasak to Si Pha Don (4000 Islands)

Weds 08/01/14, 117km

A quick breakfast and on the road early in case the bottom bracket seizes up on the days ride. Well, I say "on the road" actually it was on a ferry across the Mekong for around 7AM. That last might make you think "Ferry, 'cross the Mersey" but at the time I had Madness's "Night boat to Cairo". Go figure, I've been uncertain if I'm following the Nile or the Mekong for a while now, particularly in the midday sun. 

Once I'd worked out what river I was on and stopped worrying about the bottom bracket I slipped into a nice mediative fugue state as I got into the days ride. This made the miles melt away until towards the end of the run when I met up with a French cross continental cyclist. We cycled together for a few kilometres until I turned off for Don Khong, one of the biggest of the Si Pha Don (4000 islands). These are a chain of islands that form a cataract in the Mekong that prevent the river being navigable all the way up to China. Whether or not there are 4000 islands depends very much on the season of course.

A quick ferry across the Mekong again and I was on Don Khong one of the largest of the islands. I found a nice room for 60000 kip in Pon's Guesthouse and got ready to chill for a bit.

It's just gone noon, half past monsoon
On the banks of the river Nile... sorry, I mean it's about 7am on the Mekong!

The French cyclist

1, 2, 3... Hang on, didn't I do this routine with the cave of a thousand Buddha's?

And relax

Pakse to Champasak

Tues 07/01/14, 57km

Short run down to Champasak followed by an ancient Khmer temple that's been declared a UNESCO world heritage site was the order of the day.

Easy enough run, 32km to Champasak, find guest house,  have lunch, 10km to ruins, go round ruins, what could go wrong? Well, nothing much per se. Aside from noticing that there's a slight knocking noise developed on the pedals and they're can be slightly, well, soft at times. Hmm. This was beginning to bug me as it felt very much like the start of a serious problem with the bottom bracket (the bit where the cranks connect through the frame). After ten minutes I stopped and checked. There was a good mm or two of yaw there (play from front to back), the bottom bracket is on it's way out. Less than optimal. Cut a long story short a friend who's going to look round Angkor with me is now going to be carrying a replacement out and I'm going to spend the next 700km hoping it doesn't go...

Wat Phu Champasak was very much worth the visit anyway. Angkor period Khmer ruins built running up a mountain side that towers 1400m overhead crowned with a natural linga.

View over the barray (artificial lake) to mountain with linga (linga not quite visible)

Blimey, not more steps

View over the complex

Ubon Ratchathani to Pakse

Mon 06/01/14, 138km

Overslept a bit and didn't make it down to breakfast until 7AM... Only to find Paul and Anina, the Australian/ Swiss cycling couple I'd been bumping into since Nong Khiaow a few weeks back! We had breakfast and chatted: they'd done the length of Laos and told me I'd not missed anything much after Vientiane.

So, it was a later start than I'd wanted but a good one. The road out to the border was a good one, although the day was starting to get hot. Around the 70km mark I met more cyclists coming the other way, a Belgian couple, and we stopped briefly to exchange news on the road in both directions.

There are a series of hills running up to the border crossing which in the heat left me just a little sweaty but the crossing itself is straight forward. Can't tell you about rate of exchange there as I kept hold of my baht which is a hard currency in these parts.

It was about 45 or 50 km from the border to Pakse and I could tell I was in Laos again. Road was OK, and on I rolled, baking gently in the heat, until I hit town. Fair few accommodation options in town but I can't help with budget options, I went for the posh Pakse Hotel, a nice French run boutique place that wasn't cheap (250000 kip) but was very very worthwhile. I can recommend Nazims for a curry though, om and nom for dahl, aloo methi and rice with a beer for around 35000 kip. I slept well.

Paul and Anina

Belgian couple on the road

Sunset over Pakse

Yasothon to Ubon Ratchathani

Sun 05/01/14, 106 km

No breakfast to be had at my hotel, or at least not one I wanted to pay 100baht for so a 7-Eleven provided in the shape of wholewheat bread and cheese slices. Still, helped with the early start and I was on the road for 7 to avoid the heat of the day.

The journey was unremarkable, I just blasted down Route 23 and listened to music for most of it to put me in a most mediative state. Not something I do generally, music whilst cycling, however as it was Sunday the traffic was light and I had a nice wide hard shoulder all to myself.

Hit town at lunch time, grabbed a reasonable hotel (the Sri Isan, 450 baht including breakfast) and spent the afternoon exploring to no particular end.

The open road

Roi Et to Yasephon via Wat Pa Non Sawan

Sat 04/01/14, 91km

Lazy start to the day and some lovely rural roads to Wat Pa Non Sawan, the reason for swinging out this way. I say "roads" some were dirt tracks it was all most pleasant, very bucolic.

The Wat was phenomenal! The abbot there has been commissioning larger than life statues to illustrate various theological concepts often in a very humourous way. Nagas, giant turtles supporting things, sea creatures, a wa-ing turtle, deities the list goes on. Pride of place must go to hell though.

Mukdahan to Roi Et

Fri 03/01/14, 148km

Decided to head for Roi Et today in order to go see Wat Pa Non Sawan tomorrow which gets a good write up in the guidebook. Bit of a long day so made for a proper proper early start after a coffee and a cheese sandwich courtesy of the local 7-Eleven.

My route was from Google Maps and was OK. First section was on Highway 213 which was OK at that time of the morning, plus it was pleasantly cool. Then came a turn off down a road that didn't fully exist on my paper map but luckily did in reality. Started well then became dirt road but it helped Mr cut across through some very bucolic areas to another asphalted road after which it was a case of just cycling away.

By 11 the temperature was getting a bit toasty, around the 30c mark at a guess. Just a case of having to keep hydrated although it makes eating difficult.

My last drink stop was about 25km from town where the owner, a large Swedish chap, not only insisted on me not paying but also pointed me in the direction of s hotel with a swimming pool. Sold.

Roi Et itself is a nice little town with a wonderful park at it's center. One of those pleasant places you get tucked away all over the world. Always been one of the pleasures of cycle touring for me, pitching up in places like this that I'd never go to otherwise.

Could be a career option

The walking Buddha in Roi Et

Nakhon Prahon to Mukdahan

Thurs 02/01/14, 105km

When I woke up this morning I wasn't sure which way I was going to head: further along the Thai side of the river or across to Laos. In the end the thought of the sheer hassle of getting the bike on a bus made me decide to keep to Thailand.

It was another uncomplicated days cycling. I had planned to stop and have a proper look round That Phanon which has a quite impressive stupa however when I stopped for lunch just before the stupa I had a lot of people looking over the bike (one even touching it, the horror) and I just didn't feel comfortable leaving it unguarded with all my bags on.  I'm sure it would've been OK however sometimes you just have to go with your instincts.

The first part of the morning had been down Highway 212, however after That Phanon another minor road branched off following the river whilst the highway snaked inland. It made for pleasant cycling although a series of signs that promised a set of rapids failed to deliver despite an excursion off the road and into some riverside villages (much to the delight of the local mutts). Oh well, probably too dry for it anyway.

Cycled briefly with, and chatted to, a Canadian of Indian origin (well I assume the latter) who was cycle touring as well. He went by the name of Crazy Jag. He's doing development work of some sort in Thailand and has only been cycle touring for the past year, taking the opportunity to do so when he can (trips around Isan, Laos). Tell you what though, he can pedal!

He peeled off a short way before Mukdahan and I proceeded into town. Ended up staying at the Sub Mukda Grand Hotel which is OK. 400 baht, clean, fair sized room with a TV that has a BBC news channel on it to boot. 3G connection on my phone died soon after I arrived so I figured I'd ran out of data allowance and went out and bought more. At which point my SIM refused to connect to the internet aside from via GPRS. Queue over an hour of the phone shop trying to get it to work and calling various help lines. Eventually they sorted it for me (after 30 minutes I'd reached the point of going "look, just sell me another SIM!") by which point all I wanted was food and bed. Queue a pot noodle in the hotel...

Hmm

Stupa at That Phanom

Second Thai Laos Friendship Bridge. SStill no bikes allowed

Nakhon Prahon

01/01/14

Wasn't really in the mood for moving on today so spent the day mooching. That, in a nutshell is it. Did discover that I would have to put my bike in a bus to get back over to Laos and it'd be around 300baht (this from the tourist authority who made loads of phone calls for me)

Plotting over maps in my rooftop lair overlooking the Mekong