13. Deeper into Cambodia
Having crossed into Cambodia, I made a succession of longish rides between towns, before reaching the capital, Phnom Penh. Hotels and hostels all the way, it’s been too hot to camp!
It was an 89 miler down to Kratiรฉ. Lots of kids hollering greetings along the way and, unlike in Laos, adults seem equally comfortable in shouting a few hearty ‘hellos’ my way. ๐♂️
Kratiรฉ is known as a place to see the critically endangered Irrawaddy dolphin. I was lucky enough to see a few in Laos back in 2001 so I didn’t experience FOMO in not seeing them this time around.
Much as Laos’ temples are different to Thailand’s, Cambodia’s ๐ฐ๐ญ temples are subtly different to Laos’. ๐ฑ๐ฆ
Monk-collecting-alms sculptures. ๐
I’ve had a lot of these - Mekong sunsets - but this is going to be my last one.
Riding on from Kratiรฉ, I received a handy tailwind and had covered the 78 miles to Kompong Cham by midday (having started at 6am). ๐
The flat terrain also helped.
Sugar cave being processed on the street. It is pulped and the juice is collected to be sold by street hawkers. ๐ด
64 more miles and my town hopping was done, I’d reached Phnom Penh. Entering the city, I felt a palpable change of pace. More traffic, more people, more noise, and, on the face of it, more chaos (though everything seems to somehow work despite the frenetic activity).
It can be challenging to ride into a big city but I got my elbows out, took up the space on the road that I wanted and was soon at my hostel unscathed. No one wants damage to their precious vehicles so collisions are not that common, it seems. ๐
Street hawkers everywhere, selling everything under the sun. ☀️
I love how you can see so much life lived on the street here. In this case, old guys hanging out playing chess. ♟️
At night, the atmosphere of the city changes dramatically. Neon sparks into life, people ply the streets and Mekong promenade. Seedier elements of nightlife also become apparent; my hostel appears to be in the middle of a huge concentration of hostess bars! ๐ง♀️
Exercise station on the Mekong.
Market scenes.
Even in this modern urban environment, the tradition of morning alms collection goes on. ๐ชฃ
Backstreet seamstress. I love how every inch of space is used, even in narrow alleyways. ๐ฃ️
Chinese temple, dwarfed by modern construction. ๐️
The central marker. Just about the only place I remember from my 2002 visit to Phnom Penh!
I don’t remember loving the city back then, this time I’ve found it pretty captivating.
More chess. ♟️
Dusk on the streets of Phnom Penh. ๐
Offerings at the shrine. ๐
Morning noodles at the market…
…or on the back of your motorbike. ๐️
This cafe is awesome! A daily welcome retreat from the hustle and bustle of street life. ☕️
Independence Monument.
In short, Phnom Penh has been a blast, I’ve really enjoyed my four days here. A very different, energised atmosphere compared to, say, Vientiane or Chiang Mai. No doubt, if I came back another 23 years later, I’d see many signs of gentrification and ‘improvement’. For the moment, the city’s charm is its loose, unregulated feel. ๐
A change of plan! With seven weeks left of the trip I had a bit of a think about how I could best spend the remainder of my time. The original plan was to travel to the north of Cambodia, cross into Thailand and do a bit of exploration of the north-east of the country. ๐งญ Which would have been more of the same really, a continuation of the previous three months.
However, with winter ending and temperatures rising, I’m beginning to find the heat a little oppressive and am kind of hankering for something different. So, to Taiwan!๐น๐ผ (first time for me). With a stop-off in Hong Kong ๐ญ๐ฐ on the way back (second time in HK). I’ll be cycling back to Bangkok in the next week, parking up Bertha, then hopping on a flight, travelling light (carry-on luggage only) to Taiwan. If I can line up a bike to ride in Taiwan, I’ll keep going by pedal power. Otherwise, I’ll have a month of backpacking ahead of me. ๐
Variety is the spice of life!
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