Back in the Saddle

I didn’t think I would say this after the first three days but I am happy to be back on the bike again. The day off healed all sore bits and despite the 38C heat, it was fun to take on the pot-holed countryside again.  Yesterday we headed out to Udong temple which was partially destroyed by US bombs during the Vietnam War.  Now that the initial shock of the first day in Cambodia has sunk in, the charm of Phnom Penh is starting to show through. It is an incredibly vibrant city. Lots of great restaurants, beautiful temples and parks, and of course the Royal Palace which is so ornate it borders on gaudy.   I now look at the new temples and think that the money would probably be better used to improve the lives of the people we saw the day before.

Royal Palace

Biking through the streets of Phnom Penh

Our ride in the countryside was fun.  Random cow blocks, many deep pot holes and lots of new scenery. The children were once again the highlight as they ran to the gates to greet us with enthusiastic hello’s. There is poverty in the rural areas but you can’t help thinking that they are somehow better off than the urban people. At least in the country they have space and less garbage. Or at least the garbage is only their garbage.

When we got off the bikes, a group of children ran to greet us, waving their fans to cool us off.  This was not done as a favour but as a way to earn some money. A couple of the older boys started to chat with us – where are you from, have you been here before, etc.  It turns out these boys (aged 14) were aiming to get a gig as our tours guide for the day to earn some income to go to school, and no doubt for their family.  After lunch (which is really hard to eat when 8 pairs of little wide eyes were watching), our guide asked how the boys’ English was and if we didn’t mind, he would hire one to be our guide so they could earn some money.  It turns out these boys regularly follow Riff around on his tours to learn how to be a guide.  He has become their mentor.  So he quizzed the boy I named on his knowledge of the site.  All of the children listened intently to the instruction and thoughtfully answered Riff’s questions. Once Riff was satisfied, we headed off with our posse.  Two older boys, even though only one had officially been selected to be paid, two fanners to keep us cool on our walk, and one extra who was likely a sibling or a tour guide in training.  We climbed the stairs to a variety of temples and stupas (or burial sites) and listened to their explanation of the sites. The two boys tag teamed on some information but for the most part we each had our own private guide.   At the end of the tour we came up on a group of monkeys.  The boys were quite diligent to warn us of the danger and jumped back anytime the big male went on the move.   There was a bit of debate on whether these monkeys are indigenous to Cambodia.

Restoration of statue and temple after Khmer Rouge slashed the Buddha in half.

My fanner - for $1; stuck with me for the whole tour

We had the rest of the afternoon and evening off of the tour.  Tours are great but the pace can be exhausting.  It was nice to chill out in our air conditioned room, catch up on some work and get organized for our final week.  I’m still attempting to work trying to prove the theory that you can work from anywhere as long as you have access to technology.  That is proving to be a little more challenging than I expected.   But the challenge is worth it given the opportunity I have to tour this part of the world. 

Daily km: 45

Total km to date: 237Km

We are on the move to Siem Reap today with a short 35km ride between temples.  Easy peezy.  Will barely break a sweat – until we stop that is.