CAMBODIA BIKE TRIP
ON THE ROAD DAY 3
Another
late start in the hopes of my foot getting slightly better, around 11am we left
for Preah Vihear, or 'The Temple in the Sky'.
The going was not so bad yet still definitely painful the whole way,
until we had to ride up the mountain that housed the cliff side temple on the
Thai/Cambodian border. The two countries
are still at odds over who they believe is the rightful owner of the site.
The twisting , turning concrete road weaving its way up the side of the mountain would have probably been fun in other circumstances but that surface didn’t last long and soon I actually had to do some real riding with only 1 good foot. It took everything I had to ride the bike under the pain and awkwardness but eventually got most of the way to the temple.
The twisting , turning concrete road weaving its way up the side of the mountain would have probably been fun in other circumstances but that surface didn’t last long and soon I actually had to do some real riding with only 1 good foot. It took everything I had to ride the bike under the pain and awkwardness but eventually got most of the way to the temple.
After
paying off the police and military that guard the site to let us ride on their
track, which is normally unavailable to the public, people usually have to walk around
500 meters up the hill, we were nearly there.
Even then I had 2 soldiers offer to help and literally got either side
of me and carried me up a section of the hill that was really impossible in my
state and Slim rode my bike up that section.
I did however ride my own way down this section later on and it was damn hard to do considering I still couldn’t walk or stand on the pegs with any weight on my injured foot. Once at the top, Slim then seriously gave me a piggyback the last 20 meters after we had parked the bikes so I could take in the view from the edge of the cliff, and it was awesome, my snaps don’t do it justice.
I did however ride my own way down this section later on and it was damn hard to do considering I still couldn’t walk or stand on the pegs with any weight on my injured foot. Once at the top, Slim then seriously gave me a piggyback the last 20 meters after we had parked the bikes so I could take in the view from the edge of the cliff, and it was awesome, my snaps don’t do it justice.
After a long and much
needed rest, cold drink and the company of an extremely human like monkey, we
set off on the dreaded (for me) trip back down to a town that I seriously can’t
remember the name of. Maybe it was all
the whiskey!!!
Once again I loved the ride, you can’t compare it to travelling by car, the wind in your face and a feeling of utter freedom, as if you were almost a part of the surrounding nature flying by. The sights are completely foreign and both kids and adults in tiny villages come running out to the road smiling and waving when they hear the bikes come roaring through.
Once again I loved the ride, you can’t compare it to travelling by car, the wind in your face and a feeling of utter freedom, as if you were almost a part of the surrounding nature flying by. The sights are completely foreign and both kids and adults in tiny villages come running out to the road smiling and waving when they hear the bikes come roaring through.
Again another quiet little town, i actually only saw 2 white
faces the whole trip, a couple of volunteer French doctors at the hospital
where we tried in vain to get an x ray, and they had only arrived that day. Again great food and great company and we
invested in another bottle of whisky at the restaurant where we were staying,
Johhny Walker Gold Label 1ltr for the bargain price of $25.
Once again the local girls were curious, though a little shy about the strange white man, but Slim the sly dveil, managed to sweet talk one young lady he chats to regularly on these trips! It was a great night all round with many laughs as usual.
Once again the local girls were curious, though a little shy about the strange white man, but Slim the sly dveil, managed to sweet talk one young lady he chats to regularly on these trips! It was a great night all round with many laughs as usual.
Bikes parked near the cliffside, we might possibly be the only tourists to get a bike this far
View from the top
I truly felt victorious standing there after the struggle it took, the views were well worth the pain
Slim tends to make friend easily!
