Quit our jobs, sold our home and everything in it, gone riding...
- Thread starter Lightcycle
- Start date
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/386.html
The next morning we make our way back to the bar to try to get my bike's topcase mount patched up. We had a quick breakfast there and the owner asked one of his workers to take us to the workshop. So we followed him on our bikes as he drove a few kms into town and dropped us off in front of an open building where they looked to be welding scaffolding.
Nobody spoke any English, so we had to pantomime the problem.
One of the guys stopped his welding to take a look at the mount, then he went to work fashioning a new piece
We watched from the convenience store across the street while we sipped a Coke. He was done in less than half an hour and he called us over. Looks good! I asked him how much for the job, but he didn't seem to understand. So I just gave him $5 and he seemed happy with that and went back to welding his scaffolding. Quick and easy, and we're back on the road!
If only all our problems could be solved like that.
Today we are tackling the infamous Cardamom Mountains. This heavily forested jungle is probably the last unexplored place in SE Asia, with no discernible routes or means of access through it. Until the Chinese arrived. Of course.
The start of our Cardamom Mountain adventure
The Chinese have built several hydro-electric dams in the Cardamom Mountains, to the dismay of conservationists trying to protect the rainforest, the endangered species that live within it and the indigenous people who depend on the land for food and sustenance. One of the endangered species on that list is the Siamese crocodile.
Wat? Crocodiles! Sounds dangerous!
The next morning we make our way back to the bar to try to get my bike's topcase mount patched up. We had a quick breakfast there and the owner asked one of his workers to take us to the workshop. So we followed him on our bikes as he drove a few kms into town and dropped us off in front of an open building where they looked to be welding scaffolding.
Nobody spoke any English, so we had to pantomime the problem.
One of the guys stopped his welding to take a look at the mount, then he went to work fashioning a new piece
We watched from the convenience store across the street while we sipped a Coke. He was done in less than half an hour and he called us over. Looks good! I asked him how much for the job, but he didn't seem to understand. So I just gave him $5 and he seemed happy with that and went back to welding his scaffolding. Quick and easy, and we're back on the road!
If only all our problems could be solved like that.
Today we are tackling the infamous Cardamom Mountains. This heavily forested jungle is probably the last unexplored place in SE Asia, with no discernible routes or means of access through it. Until the Chinese arrived. Of course.
The start of our Cardamom Mountain adventure
The Chinese have built several hydro-electric dams in the Cardamom Mountains, to the dismay of conservationists trying to protect the rainforest, the endangered species that live within it and the indigenous people who depend on the land for food and sustenance. One of the endangered species on that list is the Siamese crocodile.
Wat? Crocodiles! Sounds dangerous!
There are less than 1,000 indigenous Khmer Daeum villagers living in the Cardamom Mountains
Conservationists argue that the dams will flood their farmlands, causing hardships for the poorest peoples in Cambodia
The road that we're on is a well-graded gravel road, and the steeper sections of the path are reinforced with twin strips of concrete for the trucks and construction equipment to travel up and down. It's rather ironic that access to the interior of the Cardamom forest is funded by the Chinese hydro-electric dam projects. This road has opened up the rainforests to many eco-tourists and hikers who want to experience the beauty and the untouched nature of the Cardamom jungle.
And also motorcycle riders as well...
BRRRRM! Outta the way, Granolas!
Thank you once again, China!
Our route goes from the very south of the Cardamom forest in Koh Kong to the very north, near Krong Pursat. The forest is the largest in SE Asia, with over 2.5 million acres (1 million hectares) of mostly untouched land. And 300 kms of dirt riding through the middle of the forest! Glad we've got dirtbikes! Also glad that it hasn't rained here in a while!
We pass many of these houses on stilts. I wonder how high the waters get during rainy season. Or maybe they are preparing for the Chinese flood?
Okay, that's not funny...
Heading further into the heart of the jungle
We pass by many buildings that are part of the Chinese hydroelectric dam complex. Some residential buildings probably built to house those working at the plants.
There are many dams built by the Chinese inside the Cardamom, this bridge takes us to one of the smaller ones
We pass many of these houses on stilts. I wonder how high the waters get during rainy season. Or maybe they are preparing for the Chinese flood?
Okay, that's not funny...
Heading further into the heart of the jungle
We pass by many buildings that are part of the Chinese hydroelectric dam complex. Some residential buildings probably built to house those working at the plants.
There are many dams built by the Chinese inside the Cardamom, this bridge takes us to one of the smaller ones
Sitting on the bridge, checking out the dam
The war between the Chinese and the conservationists is not the only one waged in the Cardamom Mountains. In 1979, when Pol Pot was defeated, what was left of the Khmer Rouge retreated to these mountains. Here they continued to fight battles with the local villagers until almost the 1990s. The last of the Khmer Rouge were finally driven out in 1998, and the indigenous Khmer Daeum were able to reclaim their land once again.
The Khmer Rouge left behind nasty presents: Landmines.
Landmines and crocodiles?!? Who's idea was it to ride through the Cardamom Mountains?
We're not the only ones who have concerns. While Angkor Wat saw a record 2.2 million visitors this year, only about 1,000 people visit the Cardamom Mountains in the same timeframe.
Random signs and scenes from the Cardamom
Top Left: Danger Zone! At first I thought this was a warning sign for active landmines! Then the writing below reads, "Waterfall". Don't fall off the edge, Granolas!
Bottom Left: There was a monk in one of the restaurants we were at, he was telling us how they hand-make these monkey bracelets. Monk. Monk-ey bracelet. I know they don't speak very good English, but surely someone must have clued them in to the obvious wordplay here. Anyway, Neda ended up buying one of these Monk-ey bracelets. Cute, eh?
Bottom Right: Monk-ey crossing sign. Seriously! Better than a Crocodile crossing sign.
Posing in front of one of the pretty lakes inside the Cardamom Forest
This red soil we're riding on is highly fertile and is used to grow rice, bananas and yes, cardamom too
I don't know what kind of crops these were, but they were cool-looking.
Better in close-up! Like rows upon rows of green popsicle sticks!
We reach a bigger dam, worthy of a picture
This isn't the Lower Stung Russei Chrum Dam that was advertised on the sign at the entrance of the Cardamom Mountain, though. I checked online and that one is huge and not accessible by the dirt road we're on. Probably deep within private property, far away from angry eco-terrorists.
Past more Khmer Daeum villages
We saw some of the villages had set up local hostels for the granola hikers, if they wanted to sleep in stilt houses on their way through the Cardamom Mountains. That's pretty cool.
One of my favorite pictures from our ride. Neda staring up in wonder at the forest around her
At a certain point in the road, past all of the Chinese dams, the well-graded hard-pack devolves into a pot-holed, washboarded mess and there's more red soil and less gravel on the ground. The Chinese have no further incentive maintaining these paths. From hereon in, we travel the way the Khmer Daeum villagers do.
Concrete bridges are a Chinese luxury. The sign reads 10 tonne limit. What did I have for lunch and will these wooden slats hold?!
Consulting the GPS, doing a quick check on time
Our little motorcycle maintenance detour this morning took a chunk out of our ride time. I'd like to make it to the main village in the middle of the Cardamom Mountains before nightfall. Because you know, crocodiles and land mines and all...
On one of the steeper climbs, the way gets a bit muddy. The Chinese would have totally put concrete strips down right here!
This part of the Cardamom is getting a bit exciting. We're basically riding on packed soil, no gravel to be seen anywhere. In the dry sections, Neda up ahead is roosting me with a cloud of red dust. In the hilly areas, the water settles at the bottoms of the road, and the soil turns to thick and slick muck. There are many *oshit* moments when we think we're going to come off our bikes in the mud.
Fun. But a bit sphincter-tightening. But fun... Butt fun.
And then it gets worse. The mother of all deep and slimy mud patches lies ahead of us. Being the gentleman I am, I radio Neda, "Ladies first!"
Up ahead, I watched Neda struggle in the mud. I make sure to take lots of pictures for both of our viewing enjoyment later.
Well, okay... Mainly for my viewing enjoyment... 555
Neda's no longer having any fun.
Halfway through the bog, the back of her bike started fishtailing left and right like a dog wagging its tail. I could see her rear tire was clogged with mud and spinning in futility. She was making no forward progress at all, but instead was digging quite a deep hole beneath her rear wheel. I hopped off my bike (after taking many pictures - priorities!) and helped her push hers across all that red goop. It's always good having someone go ahead of you so you can learn from their folly.
You can see my solo successful attempt in the video below. Like a MF-ing Boss, I tell ya!
Neda's rear wheel. Zero traction from these knobbies.
While we were inspecting our rear wheels and taking pictures of our fun in the mud (it only becomes fun again after the hard part is over), we heard the sound of engines revving behind us. A truck was stuck in the same bog we had negotiated our bikes through. Another car was stopped at the top of the hill before the mud bog started and that driver was attempting to help push the truck through the slop. But to no avail, the truck was too heavy and the muck too deep.
I walked over to offer my help as well to push, but the truck driver was already on the phone calling a tow truck
He thanked me and I wished him luck.
Travelers always look out for one another!
Up ahead, I watched Neda struggle in the mud. I make sure to take lots of pictures for both of our viewing enjoyment later.
Well, okay... Mainly for my viewing enjoyment... 555
Neda's no longer having any fun.
Halfway through the bog, the back of her bike started fishtailing left and right like a dog wagging its tail. I could see her rear tire was clogged with mud and spinning in futility. She was making no forward progress at all, but instead was digging quite a deep hole beneath her rear wheel. I hopped off my bike (after taking many pictures - priorities!) and helped her push hers across all that red goop. It's always good having someone go ahead of you so you can learn from their folly.
You can see my solo successful attempt in the video below. Like a MF-ing Boss, I tell ya!
Neda's rear wheel. Zero traction from these knobbies.
While we were inspecting our rear wheels and taking pictures of our fun in the mud (it only becomes fun again after the hard part is over), we heard the sound of engines revving behind us. A truck was stuck in the same bog we had negotiated our bikes through. Another car was stopped at the top of the hill before the mud bog started and that driver was attempting to help push the truck through the slop. But to no avail, the truck was too heavy and the muck too deep.
I walked over to offer my help as well to push, but the truck driver was already on the phone calling a tow truck
He thanked me and I wished him luck.
Travelers always look out for one another!
Following the hydro-electric lines deeper into the heart of the Cardamom Mountains
These electric towers and the lines reminded me of our ride up the Dalton Highway, following the Alaskan pipeline to the Arctic Ocean. It seems that the energy industry is always paving the way through the wilderness. Literally.
We're about an hour away from our destination for the evening, the town of Pramaoy right in the heart of the Cardamom, when we see two crazy Barangoes riding towards us on tiny 150cc motorcycles. We stopped to chat with them. They were Italians and they had rented these scoots from Siem Reap. Like all travelers do, we quizzed each other on the roads that we each had just done. They told us that north of Pramoay was smooth sailing, good gravel roads. In turn, we told them that they had a lot of mud waiting for them on the way to Koh Kong.
It was late in the afternoon and they probably only had a couple of hours before sunset. Plus they were not dressed for the ride at all. One guy was wearing loafers and the other guy was wearing sandals!
I advised them that maybe they should turn around and stay the night in Pramaoy, but I know as a traveler, sometimes you just hate to turn back.
They wanted to get to Koh Kong for the evening, so we wished them best of luck!
Not sure if they ever made it, or whether some alligator is now wearing Italian loafers... (you see what I did there?)
And we made it to Pramaoy. This is our guesthouse for the evening.
Nobody speaks English here. And why should they? They probably only see a handful of Barangoes here each week, if that! We had to pantomime that we wanted a room, and using our fingers figure out how much it cost.
After parking our dirtybikes for the evening, I clapped Neda on the shoulder to congratulate her on making the ride and a cloud of red dust poofed up in the air. 55555!
OMG, we are absolutely covered head to toe in the dried red soil of the Cardamom Mountains. You could grow a field of rice paddys on the amount of dirt we had on us. Before taking my shower, I just stepped into the stall with all my gear on and hosed myself down to get the dust off. Crazy!
Top: The bustling main street of downtown Pramaoy.
Bottom: Neda does some shopping at the local convenience store. No 7-11 inside the Cardamom Mountains
We walked into a restaurant and because we didn't speak Khmer and were unable to read the menu, we just pointed at what other people were eating
I have no idea what it was, some kind of stir fried meat and vegetables topped with a fried egg on top. It was delicious! And so glad they also had our favorite beer in stock: Black Panther! Yesssss! What a great end to a fabulous day of dirt-riding!
That night, we slept the sleep of the dead. So exhausted!
The next morning. Preparing to leave Pramaoy
On our way out of the Cardamom Mountains. The Chinese have graded the gravel road back to civilization. Nice!
What a ride! A little bit of adventure, plenty of beautiful untouched nature, delicious mystery meat and exciting dirt roads. This was hands-down one of our favorite experiences in SE Asia!
[video=youtube;iUyA885WpPY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUyA885WpPY[/video]
Bonus Blooper Reel at the end
Bonus Blooper Reel at the end
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/387.html
We wheel into the bustling city of Battambang feeling weary, dirty and exhausted. Did I mention we were tired as well?
From here, it's merely a day's ride away from the Thai border and good thing too: our export license on our bike expires in three days. Thailand want's our Thai-registered bikes back in the home country. Such a strange rule...
It's been a hectic ride through Cambodia, but we made it!
View of the temple next door to our hotel
Battambang is the second-largest city in Cambodia, but it doesn't have nearly the same amount of traffic and congestion. We like that.
Our hotel that we booked online is right downtown on the main street. Close to all the shops and restaurants, nice buildings in the area, but we're not that happy with the noise from the trucks passing by our window and the rooms are not that nice or clean. We don't like that...
After checking in, we go walking around Battambang. This is not our hotel...
We wheel into the bustling city of Battambang feeling weary, dirty and exhausted. Did I mention we were tired as well?
From here, it's merely a day's ride away from the Thai border and good thing too: our export license on our bike expires in three days. Thailand want's our Thai-registered bikes back in the home country. Such a strange rule...
It's been a hectic ride through Cambodia, but we made it!
View of the temple next door to our hotel
Battambang is the second-largest city in Cambodia, but it doesn't have nearly the same amount of traffic and congestion. We like that.
Our hotel that we booked online is right downtown on the main street. Close to all the shops and restaurants, nice buildings in the area, but we're not that happy with the noise from the trucks passing by our window and the rooms are not that nice or clean. We don't like that...
After checking in, we go walking around Battambang. This is not our hotel...
Market in downtown Battambang
Pulling a U-Boat in front of the fish
Tentacles and insects, yummy!
We found a stall that served some fluffy crepes with bean sprouts, chicken and vegetables stuffed inside.
Although her English wasn't that good, the woman cooking was cracking jokes and making us LOL!
Her English was much better than our Khmer, and it goes to show you don't need to master a language to have your good humour show! Great food too!
Neda found a cross-stitching friend in the market!
We spent one night in the hotel on the busy main street. With a couple of days left on our motorcycle export papers, we went out in search of a nicer place to stay.
Relocation time
Although her English wasn't that good, the woman cooking was cracking jokes and making us LOL!
Her English was much better than our Khmer, and it goes to show you don't need to master a language to have your good humour show! Great food too!
Neda found a cross-stitching friend in the market!
We spent one night in the hotel on the busy main street. With a couple of days left on our motorcycle export papers, we went out in search of a nicer place to stay.
Relocation time
Look what we found! It has a pool!
We found another place a bit further from the centre of town, it was like a resort! Perfect, tranquil setting!
Neda gets a chance to work on her cross-stitching. It looks like she's almost done!
Wheeling the bike out to go in search of food
There are very few tourists walking around Battambang. It doesn't have the cosmopolitan appeal of Phnom Penh, nor the pull of the magnificent temples in Siem Reap, and it doesn't have the beaches that the sun-seeking Barangoes flock to in Sihanoukville. We like that a lot!
A local restaurant around the corner
On the menu we saw "Happy Pizza" and "Happy Milkshakes". What makes it so "happy", you may ask?
Cannabis!
Although marijuana is technically illegal in Cannabodia, it seems to be tolerated and there are some restaurants and bars that spike their food and drinks with pot. Then they label it "Happy" and the authorities turn a blind eye to it. That's pretty dope.
The best kind of Happy Pizza is vegetarian, since it's specially made for Herbivores. Each pizza comes with 2 cans of Pringles, and a whole tub of ice cream. You know, for after...
Besides getting stoned, there little draw for tourists to do in Battambang. The biggest attraction is Phare Ponleu Selpak, the Cambodian circus!
We sneak backstage to watch the young performers train before the big show.
Phare Ponleu Selpak is more than a circus. It had its roots in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge genocide, which decimated the adult population of Cambodia. In 1986, a French humanitarian worker came to work with the kids left behind in the refugee camps. One of her approaches was art therapy, allowing the children to express their trauma through drawing.
That small group of kids grew up and eventually went on to found an arts centre here in Battambang. In 1996, a music program was added. In 1998, a circus was added and it has grown in leaps and bounds (pun intended) since then. Graduates from the circus program eventually go on to perform around the world, ending up in world-class troupes like the Cirque du Soleil, and then often returning to give their time back and teaching the next generation of kids at Phare Ponleu Selpak.
Every evening, the school puts on a show, showcasing the young students performing talents in music, dance and acrobatics
A local restaurant around the corner
On the menu we saw "Happy Pizza" and "Happy Milkshakes". What makes it so "happy", you may ask?
Cannabis!
Although marijuana is technically illegal in Cannabodia, it seems to be tolerated and there are some restaurants and bars that spike their food and drinks with pot. Then they label it "Happy" and the authorities turn a blind eye to it. That's pretty dope.
The best kind of Happy Pizza is vegetarian, since it's specially made for Herbivores. Each pizza comes with 2 cans of Pringles, and a whole tub of ice cream. You know, for after...
Besides getting stoned, there little draw for tourists to do in Battambang. The biggest attraction is Phare Ponleu Selpak, the Cambodian circus!
We sneak backstage to watch the young performers train before the big show.
Phare Ponleu Selpak is more than a circus. It had its roots in the aftermath of the Khmer Rouge genocide, which decimated the adult population of Cambodia. In 1986, a French humanitarian worker came to work with the kids left behind in the refugee camps. One of her approaches was art therapy, allowing the children to express their trauma through drawing.
That small group of kids grew up and eventually went on to found an arts centre here in Battambang. In 1996, a music program was added. In 1998, a circus was added and it has grown in leaps and bounds (pun intended) since then. Graduates from the circus program eventually go on to perform around the world, ending up in world-class troupes like the Cirque du Soleil, and then often returning to give their time back and teaching the next generation of kids at Phare Ponleu Selpak.
Every evening, the school puts on a show, showcasing the young students performing talents in music, dance and acrobatics
Taditional Cambodian dance
And then the circus begins!
After what this country has been through, watching these kids fly through the air, I felt a bit proud to be supporting them in some way. Our admission fee and donations from sponsors allow 1,400 students a year to receive free schooling and basic education, plus the ability to attend any of the arts, music and performance classes.
If you feel like supporting them, please visit their site:
https://phareps.org/make-a-donation/
Some music, some slap-stick comedy, very entertaining!
And then more eye-popping aerial gymnastics!
Tomorrow we leave Cambodia and re-enter Thailand. Then one final push and we'll be in Chiang Mai.
Although we're really looking forward to the long, extended break, we're also a bit sad that we're leaving this beautiful country. Something about it really resonated with us. It had just the right amount of exotic appeal and adventure, it was friendly and inviting, but most of all, it seemed undiscovered and under-the-radar - due in part to the complications in overlanding across the border.
And we also enjoyed the pace! Over the last few years, we've either felt too rushed or too slow. The perfect pace seems so elusive. And despite our initial misgivings about only being given 14 days to see this country, it was actually the perfect amount of time for us, just enough calendar room to give us a goal to ride towards, but not short enough to make us feel rushed.
Strange, isn't it?
Thank you, Thai customs people!
Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/388.html
The yo-yo is coiling back up the string, returning to the hand that spun it out so long ago.
For non-nomadic travelers, every trip is a loop. Whether by motorcycle, car or plane, you always go back to the place you started. Just like a yo-yo, what goes out, must come back in again.
Because we're storing bikes in Croatia and Thailand, we now have places where we know we'll have to return. So now we've gotten little bit of that yo-yo mentality. Different if we had stored cellos in different places. Then we would have the Yo-Yo-Ma mentality...
(Cello, is it me you're looking for?)
That start/end point is now in sight. It's been over ten long months since we left and Chiang Mai is now only a handful of days away.
It's looking like an oasis of rest in this desert of fatigue that we've been crawling through.
We're reversing our route out of Cambodia, so back to that funky motel
that we staged at the day before crossing over
The O'Smach border post, the same one we crossed to get into Cambodia, falls behind us without incident.
After worrying so much about customs, corrupt border officials, etc. the whole thing turned out to be so anti-climactic.
Not complaining.
In the morning, before we embark on this final leg, I replace the fuses on our bikes to re-enable the daylight running lights, the reverse of what I did before we entered Cambodia and that sense of unwinding returns.
The mood today is a quiet weariness. We pack in relative silence with the end of our long travels within sight. We should be in Chiang Mai within two sleeps.
It's comforting to be back in Thailand after two weeks in Cambodia. Although it's not as exotic and alluring, there's a certain familiarity to all the 7-11s, PTT gas stations, smiling Sawadee-kahs, driving on the left once again, etc. Also, the food is a lot better. I remember the first thing we did yesterday upon crossing the border was to find a food stall and order our favorites, Pad Thai, Pad See-Ew...
Lanna temples, lit up at night in Kohn Kaen
It's a long day's ride to the city of Kohn Kaen. The last time we were here, we stayed a bit outside of the city. Now, we find a place right in town.
Gotta change *some* things up a bit!
The yo-yo is coiling back up the string, returning to the hand that spun it out so long ago.
For non-nomadic travelers, every trip is a loop. Whether by motorcycle, car or plane, you always go back to the place you started. Just like a yo-yo, what goes out, must come back in again.
Because we're storing bikes in Croatia and Thailand, we now have places where we know we'll have to return. So now we've gotten little bit of that yo-yo mentality. Different if we had stored cellos in different places. Then we would have the Yo-Yo-Ma mentality...
(Cello, is it me you're looking for?)
That start/end point is now in sight. It's been over ten long months since we left and Chiang Mai is now only a handful of days away.
It's looking like an oasis of rest in this desert of fatigue that we've been crawling through.
We're reversing our route out of Cambodia, so back to that funky motel
that we staged at the day before crossing over
The O'Smach border post, the same one we crossed to get into Cambodia, falls behind us without incident.
After worrying so much about customs, corrupt border officials, etc. the whole thing turned out to be so anti-climactic.
Not complaining.
In the morning, before we embark on this final leg, I replace the fuses on our bikes to re-enable the daylight running lights, the reverse of what I did before we entered Cambodia and that sense of unwinding returns.
The mood today is a quiet weariness. We pack in relative silence with the end of our long travels within sight. We should be in Chiang Mai within two sleeps.
It's comforting to be back in Thailand after two weeks in Cambodia. Although it's not as exotic and alluring, there's a certain familiarity to all the 7-11s, PTT gas stations, smiling Sawadee-kahs, driving on the left once again, etc. Also, the food is a lot better. I remember the first thing we did yesterday upon crossing the border was to find a food stall and order our favorites, Pad Thai, Pad See-Ew...
Lanna temples, lit up at night in Kohn Kaen
It's a long day's ride to the city of Kohn Kaen. The last time we were here, we stayed a bit outside of the city. Now, we find a place right in town.
Gotta change *some* things up a bit!
