We left Siem Reap for the last time today, once again negotiating the city streets as though we were old hats. We are told that there is a discernible difference between honks. I personally have yet to decipher the difference between the courteous ‘Just letting you know that I am coming through’ and the ‘Move out of the way or I will hit you’. At times it seems like riding through these streets is reminiscent of riding the ‘Tower of Terror’ at Dreamworld - it is the most adrenaline inducing experience of your life to date while at the same time you find yourself wandering if you will in fact die.
Once we had left the city we rode for some time along the highway leading out of the city. Interestingly enough this highway felt safer than the city streets had. We had a clear path of travel along the side of the highway that gave us enough room to ride two by two. Riding along the highway was in some ways a more challenging experience mentally as the long stretch of road posed little diversity. That is until we once again encountered our first of many high pitched ‘hello’ chorus’ for the day. From this point on there were children every 50m or so ready and waiting to send out the most ecstatic greeting I have ever encountered. Some of these children look ready to jump out of their skin with excitement. I commented to one participant that ‘this will never get old’. She agreed. It is though we have our own personal cheer squad.
We eventually transitioned our journey onto a series of back roads which led us to an overgrown temple that was quite simply breath-taking. This temple seemed straight off of a Hollywood movie set. Trees had grown on top of the temple ruins creating an amazing effect of roots intertwined with gorgeous hand carved temple walls. We were told that the temple had been created in 1200. We were also informed that the area had recently been declared ‘mine free’. As comforting as this was it did make me quietly question how many areas were not ‘mine free’. The day previous we had visited the Land Mine Museum which detailed the sheer volume of land mines still live in the country of Cambodia. It was particularly sobering to hear of how land mines were created to maim rather than kill, thus creating more of a burden on those effected. Heart-breaking.
Following the visit to the temple we met up for one of many authentic Cambodian meals. The food here is surprisingly delicious. I had been warned that I may not appreciate Cambodian cuisine however I am loving it! I am also loving ‘Fanta - Lycee flavour’. The group has also developed an appreciation for the local Cambodian brew ‘Angkor’. After lunch many of us lined up to use the toilet facilities behind the make-shift restaurant. To my surprise the toilets were squat toilets. This combined with intense heat meant that I immediately lost my urge to relieve myself and promptly exited the stall. The problem was that the next stop was four hours away. At which time I was greeted with more squat toilets. I had no choice. This city girl just became a little country.
Today’s cycling was possibly the most challenging thus far. On the final leg it was clearly evident that exhaustion was setting in. This was later confirmed by the somewhat zombie like stars across the dinner table. Pain had set in. My quads were screaming out for relief. My rear was beginning to go numb and where it was not numb it was extremely sore. What we have all come to appreciate however is the power that exists in collective movtivation. We work as a group - cycle as a group, eat as a group, laugh as a group. There is something enormously motivating about this. So much so that I am convinced that we have all begun to transcend previously established physical limitations.
Later that night I found myself in a van with my brother, Gary and three Cambodians - only one of which can speak any English at all (very limited). There was a precious moment where as Gary and I tried to relate to the Cambodians we began to say the names of various famous singers etc. Well one of the guys blurted out ‘James Blunt!’. Gaz immediately pulled out his iPod, hooked it up to his travel speakers and played ‘You are Beautiful’. This young Cambodian guy immediately began singing the song word for word at the top of his lungs. I decided to give up my James Blunt boycott for the night and sing along with him.
We arrived at our next destination so shattered that we barely noticed the vast difference in the nights accommodation over the previous. The contraption over the toilet that was posing as a shower was greeted with enthusiasm and the rather minimalistic beds were embraced. We didn’t care. We were exhausted and dirty. Bring on the sleep.
Now a word from Rebecca:
Today has been a day of contrasts-
From bustling messy siem Riep and its four star hotel with pool, to quiet, tidy Kampong Cham and our more modest hotel with shower over toilet;
From sun-baked bike-riding saying “hello” to every child we passed, to air-conditioned comfort, cocooned in the van;
From riding smooth highways to roller-coaster bumps negotiating wet-season damaged dirt roads,
From fried English breakfast to the wonderful new flavour sensations of the local cuisine (fish soup with tomato, pineapple, mint and lemon grass)
From 1000 year old ruined temple to newly erected motels;
From grand mansions to humble thatched shacks;
From bottled water to powerful shots of coffee with condensed milk;
From sticky rice and soybean with coconut cooked in a bamboo tubeover an open flame to processed Pringles;
From grow where you can rice fields viewed in the sun to the military precision of rubber tree plantations glimpsed in the dark;
From flushing sit on loos with toilet paper to squatting pans with ladles to wash and sluice it all away;
From the tranquil calm of the forested ruins to the blaring loudspeakers issuing forth from every gaudily decorated modern temple we passed;
From false gods of stone that have failed to protect a people from enormous tragedy to my God of love who has promised to be with me and protect me - He will not fail me or abandon me!
Its hard to believe how much we have experienced in just one day - and there is still another week to come! what a privilege it is to be here.
From Christchurch to Cambodia - “sursday” (hello) from Rebecca.
P.S. An honourable mention for the nuffy award went to Richard Johnson who while relieving himself behind a tree unknowingly bared a little more than he expected to a group of Cambodians eating their breakfast.
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