After cycling for two weeks on a flat road with the wind in our backs we start finding things boring at last. Upon arrival in Stung Treng, Cambodia, another 650km of boring road lie between us and the temples of Angkor. A prospect we do not fancy. There should be a short-cut, straight through the country-side and jungle, but this is a road less traveled and not well documented. We take a day off to collect as much information as possible: internet, travel guides, maps but most of all advice from the local people. Their advice varies from “absolutely impossible” to “difficult but possible”. So there is some hope and we decide to go for it. We buy supplies for three days and buy the best map we can find from the wall of an internet cafe. Our adrenaline level rises and when the alarm clock wakes us we nearly jump out of bed. Will it be possible after all?
In the early morning we cross the Mekong by ferry and we land with our bikes on a dusty unpaved road. With a little luck we find the right “exit” to our route, a real hiking trail through the jungle. It is bumpy everywhere as we cycle over treeroots, cross water ways, duck for overhanging branches and walk tricky tree trunk bridges. Once in a while a scooter comes our way or we see an ox cart resting at the little bamboo huts. We feel strong and fit and the sand of the road is solid so we go faster than expected. In this area are still a lot of landmines which makes camping in the forest not a real option. We are happy to reach a village where we a family allows a home-stay.
The second day however is a lot tougher with long stretches of soft sand forcing us to push our bikes and get dusty. We reach the town of Preaher Vehear affter all and we feel another moment of triumph: we will make it! The next morning as we start cycling we spot a grass field where people are playing football and we decide to take a look. Within a minute Maarten is invited to join a game at the local Christmas footbal tournament. Many team members play bare foot and the line referees wave a leafy twig as a flag, but they play fanatically and a crowd is watching. People laugh as Maarten touches the ball for the first time and call “Van Nistelrooy!”.
The Cambodians are well humoured and laugh easily and the whole day. As we pass a man on his bicycle he can hardly control his bike while he is laughing loudly for minutes. Whether they are making fun of us or not does not really matter, we laugh with them and feel good. A team member of Maarten asks in his best French where we are heading. As he hears about the Angkor temples he askes seriously: “what do all foreigners find so interesting about these old temples?”.
The third day we reach the first temple, Koh Ker, remotely in the jungle. The guards allow us to camp next to it and the neighbours show us where we can wash ourselves. I get a sarong and Maarten a kind of skirt, like that we scoop the water from a container and poor it over our heads with the family watching us. In the twilight we walk around and in the impressive temple. It is Christmas Eve and we enjoy a great camping meal in front of our tent at this wonderful place.
Also the next day we pitch our tent next to another old temple, Beng Mealea, on the veranda of the guard. In the evening we crawl behind a tiny lady though the temple complex in search of the beautiful spots. After five days of hard work, covered in red dust, but with a broad smile we reach Siem Reap and the amazing temples of Angkor. We've made it! This short-cut adventure we wouldn't want to have missed.
In the short time we were in Cambodia we got very enthusiastic about the inhabitants of this country. People are always cheerful and interested and able to show us their most beautiful smiles. From here it is two days to the Thai border, straight ahead but it is not boring. The road is in a terrible state and we even have to buy dust masks to breath. Those we do not need on the Thai side as we hurry to Bangkok for New Year's Eve.
Our pictures you can find here: http://picasaweb.google.com/maartenhovers
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