Day 36: Kampong Thmor - Kampong Cham - Frankie goes to.....Indochina

February 1, 2018

Day 36: Kampong Thmor - Kampong Cham

Routing: #71, 7

I remember very well what I said when I did exactly that same section between Kampong Cham and Siem Reap in 2012, just going the other way: I enjoyed the rural ride along the #71 but disliked being on Hway 6. Now it is exactly the other way round. Highway 6 has been upgraded to one of the best roads you will find in Cambodia whereas the 71 has not gone that much worse itself but the amount of heavy commercial traffic is insane. It´s been a nasty day on the bike. Very dusty, very loud, several close calls. Getting into Kampong Cham and back to the Mekong the whole unpleasant day on the bike was immediately forgotten. I always enjoyed being her since I came first in 2008 and do even more so nowadays. They have done extremely well in enhancing the waterfront and it is probably the only dust free town in Cambodia as every street I have ridden and walked is paved.

Where to stay and for how long was the last remaining question. In 2008 I stayed in the Nava Guesthouse above a beauty salon (without any positive impact on me) with three shops selling loudspeakers opposite and right next to the busy market. I guess I don´t have to tell you it is not a meditation retreat but I am fascinated by the permanent buzz of this quarter. When I came here these 10 years ago I felt like Martin Sheen (aka Captain Willard) in his hotel room in the opening scenes of Apocalypse Now. Very South East Asian! Today I got exactly that same room no. 204 again and it still feels the same - I´m lovin it.

I feel not only very excited to be back in Kampong Cham but a bit tired cyclingwise as well. Too much dust and traffic since arriving in Cambodia two weeks ago and I am definitely staying two nights, possibly even three but that depends whether I can organize my Thailand visa in some travel agency here. If nobody offers that service, I might as well continue towards Vietnam where I have been before but never on a bicycle.

....but deteriorated quickly. The roadworks or the dusty sections in general were not even the major problem though. Hundreds of big logging trucks were mostly coming towards me at 100+ km/h and on this narrow road their "air cushion" almost wipes you off the road. I last experienced that same phenomenon with the road trains when I rode my motorbike around Australia in 2005

The temples are always a reliable dust and noise retreat, offering some colour....

One more of these modest roundabouts. If only the money would go into road maintenance. But I am repeating myself...

On the way into town I stopped over at the Banteay Prey Nokor

The boys and their surfboard in the temple moat

Back at my beloved Mekong! They have done that waterfront nicely, haven´t they? The bridge in the background is Highway 7 and I will cross the river there on departure

The guesthouse. My balcony is right above the Nava letters

When I asked for a cold beer on arrival this got delivered to my balcony. That is room service as I like it!

Today's ride: 74 km (46 miles)
Total: 2,985 km (1,854 miles)

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