The mountains and casino ruins
Trip Start
Jan 20, 2008
1
3
4
Trip End
Feb 02, 2008
Kep,
Cambodia
Thursday, January 24, 2008
After a very nice breakfast on the beach I slam down a litre of water and 2 x painkillers, 2 x anti-nausea and 2 x immodium tablets. I only have 400km or so to cover so what better way to start the day. I manage to get on the road at about 10:30am and fuel up and find the road out of Sihanoukville, fill up with fuel and overtake all the sightseeing barangs (tourists) on their step through 100cc scooters on the way out to highway 4 again. I have to ride about 30km and then turn off onto highway three which threads it's way across the coast and should provide some great views with the water on one side and the 1000m plus Bokor mountain range on the other
fishing village and Bokor mountains
. I am hoping to get off the road there and visit the ruins of a grand casino and villa complex built by the french but subsequently destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. After travelling down the highway for a while I realise I have not seen the turn off yet and figure it might be a good idea to check my guidebook. Imagine the Lonely Planet guide written specifically for dirtbike riding and you have the excellent "Ädventure Cambodia". It is a few years old now but still has directions in the form of odometre readings such as - "zero odometre at the brewery in Sihanoukville, travel 32.5km and veer right onto highway 3 just after the railway line crosses the road". To say this is essential is an understatement. I have a road map and a compass as well, but this book is the one to have. I am guessing I have made the point that it is important now.
Well, I managed to lose my copy!!! Damn!
I left one of the top pockets on my backpack open and it has fallen out somewhere in the last 50km or so. I backtrack for a while but then give up as I have 400km to go and it could be all the way back at my hostel. I will just have to use my road map and hope for the best. The good news is that my dry bag containing my passport and other important stuff has not fallen out of the same pocket, although it was dangerously close
Bokor mountains
. Of course, I don't however bust the roadmap out at this point and assume that the turn off is just a bit further on. I guess it takes me another 50km before I realise I really have gone too far and I stop for fuel and a look at the map. It is huge and unfolding it is a lot more of an effort than simply opening up the guidebook. Thats my excuse anyways. After looking at the map it is clear I need to backtrack at least 40km or so if I want to take my intended scenic route. I look at my watch and decide to do it.
How I missed the turn off the first time I will never know. It is very obvious where to turn when I get back to the right spot and I guess I might of been busy trying not to run into a dog/cow/ox/water buffalo/chicken/car/tractor/bicycle/motorbike/truck/bus/kids /etc. It really doesn't pay to look away from whats ahead of you on these roads. Finally on the right track and also a less busier road I can open up the throttle and aim for the Bokor mountain range in the distance. There are heaps of cute little fishing villages along the way and I look forward to slowing down at each one to take a photo and observe every day life here.
The mountains just get more and more impressive as you get closer to them and I can see a couple of huge sheer rock faces that look like they would be sweet to basejump from
scary bridge
. I am looking forward to riding to the top of the escarpment and looking at the ruins and ocean views. Luckily I remember a few details from the guidebook and know I will find the turnoff about 8km from the town of Kampot and after passing through more of the little fishing villages scattered at the waters edge I spot it. At the same time I arrive a scooter turns onto the dirt with a guy riding and his girlfriend on the back. They have probably just come from Kampot for the day and give me a dirty look as I rip down the dirt road past them. It is only 1km down the dirt to a closed gate where the park ranger is setup and I stop hoping to pay the entrance fee. Well, that was not going to be the case unfortunately as the whole area had been closed so that the whole area could be rebuilt to it's former glory. I was informed that this would be at least a 2 year closure and no one would be allowed access. The temptation to bribe the guard/ranger was very strong, but as I have so much more dirt to ride I thought better of it and headed back to the main road. The scooter riders had stopped for a smoke so I gave them the bad news so they didn't need to head down the rough dirt unnecessarily.
A bit let down, I head for Kampot and then onwards to Kep where I am hoping to get some lunch and nice views of the beaches
seriously overloaded motorbikes
. As it turns out Kampot sits on a river and although some areas were picturesque there wasn't much to look at so I pushed on down a very busy but tiny road to Kep. Once again there really wasn't a lot there apart from some rocky beaches and a couple of expensive resorts. Apparently they used to ship the pure white sand from Sihanoukville in to cover the rocks and keep the beaches looking pretty. I grab some lunch at a very dodgy looking beachside place that looks like it is setup more for locals than foreigners. Chicken with ginger and a can of sprite hit the spot though and I am feeling a lot better.I have to ride all the way back down the same road to Kampot as without my guidebook it is a bit dodgy relying on a large road map of the area. Boring...but essential....I stop in Kampot to fuel up and get back to Phnom Penh before it gets dark. It is about 3pm and there is still 170km or something left to travel and I would like to get back before having to deal with these traffic conditions in the dark. I am quickly finding out that what seems easyily achievable back home is not here and I am quickly battling through crowds of kids that pour out onto the roads as they have just left school. They cover literally half of what little road there is and make the already dangerous antics of the other drivers even worse. Cars seem to just slow down a little, and motorbikes weave in and out at 50-60km/h whilst the kids wrestle, chase and fight each other on and off the road
fishing village near kampot 1
. Some of them are riding motor bikes, whilst heaps are riding bikes that are invariably too big for them to pedal properly. One close call comes whilst I am riding along completely on the other side of the road thinking things are looking safe and two girls stack their bicycles into each other and end up lying face down on the road in a tangle of bikes and scared faces. I hit the brakes and the horn and watch their friends laugh at them. haha. very funny, but if I was another 40 meters closer to them when that happened it might of been a different story.I slow down a little and eventually they begin to dissapear behind me as they all get home. There was probably a good 100km stretch where they were on the road and it has slowed down my progress so that it is starting to get dark and I am still 55km from Phnom Penh. The chain on the bike is getting really loose and it is slapping around as I change down gears all the time. I am guessing the sprockets have to be on the way out as it was adjusted last thing before I left Phnom Penh.
It's about 5:30pm and I have been riding since 11am or so with one lunch stop and some really quick camera stops. Dave's helmet is a bit too tight and it has been rubbing against a small spot on my forehead since lunch time
nice house
. My ass, hands and legs are sore and my mind is getting a little burnt out from all of the concentration. Perfect time for it to start raining I guess. So, I am riding into the outskirts of Phnom Penh, my concentration fading, chain slapping loosely around, the light is failing fast, it is just starting to rain and my visor is covered with bug splatter and dust. There is also the everpresent crazy drivers and machinery all over the road. I pick a car out that is travelling a reasonable speed and just try and keep up. Luckily they are hitting the horn the whole way and most of the other traffic is getting out of the way (especially the animal variety). It is pretty sketchy at the end as visibility is not great and even tailgating a car they are occasionally run onto the verge by bigger traffic coming the other way.I finally make it back into the city centre of Phnom Penh and work my way to the hostel that I had booked before I left. Very glad I made that choice too as trudging around in the dark and rain after today would be been a very bad idea indeed. After a quick shower I head down to Robbie's bar opening and bask in the airconditioning and lively atmosphere. After 441km of hard riding it is nice to just sit back and watch the rain come down outside.
The bike will need looking at and I think I need to go and find a new helmet that fits a bit better. Once that is sorted I will hit the road and get into the more remote areas of the country.
cheers
Z
