CAMBODIA BIKE TRIP

ON THE ROAD DAY 4



When I woke the next day I could actually slightly put some weight down on my foot and sort of hobble around slowly and painfully with the aid of any walls , cars, tables or anything else I could find for a little support. We were off again to make our way to Tbeang Meanchey for our last night on the road , as we had decided to cut the trip short and skip Preah Khan temples as I wouldn’t be able to see anything without walking.  A detour into some of the most scenic jungle of the trip as we tried to find a nearby waterfall was really a highlight although once again, the riding very difficult with my injuries only slightly better than the day they happened. 

We arrived near the waterfall site only to find we had to climb about 5000 steep steps up the side of a mountain to get to it, so that was out of the question.  Slim tried to find us another route in which was a great but tough ride, through mountains, villages and farmland before we finally gave up after the track just became too difficult for a cripple.  A beautiful ride, either way.

 There is something about the stillness and silence of the jungle that I just love and we stopped for a while to just enjoy it and the view over the nearby valley and fields of bananas.  Another typically scenic days' riding through rural and remote Cambodia saw us arrive in Tbeang Meanchey early afternoon and after visiting arguably the scariest, roughest, dingiest little hospital I most definitely have ever been to, we had a cold beer.  

 I went in for an X-ray and the doctor greeted me shirtless and shoeless in a room that hadn’t been cleaned in forever, before firing up possibly the world’s oldest X-ray machine to check me out!  Rather amusing and now I can say I have been to a crappy outback Cambodian hospital and lived to tell the tale. A bargain too at $4!  

The locals here were not shy about literally standing there, jaw dropped and simply staring at me, they obviously don’t get a lot of foreigners around here either!  It was kind of amusing until it became awkward!

  I do seem to be keeping to my Thai tradition of gathering new scars in every country. As long as the injuries remain away from my family jewels, I can live with it!  Another great night out and a few more beers and whisky in what was certainly a locals only place, though everybody the whole trip was genuinely extremely friendly and welcoming and Slim was a hoot.  We actually went out again the next couple of nights after we got back into Siem Reap.  

Once back at the guesthouse for the night they called us a couple of massage ladies to ease our aching bodies after the last few days riding.  5 minutes later a motor taxi turns up with this sexy young girl and what appeared to be her grandmother.  I quickly called dibs on the young, sexy one and whisked her back to my room for a much needed massage, while Slim scratched his head, shrugged his shoulders and took grandma off for his massage!