This is the first of three posts describing a 4 day Khmer New Year motorbike journey along the loop Phnom Penh, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Thom, Preah Vihear, Stung Treng, Kratie, Kampong Cham, Prey Veng and back to Phnom Penh. This post deals mainly with a ride through the dry flood plains of the Tonle Sap, the largest lake in Southeast Asia, between Kampong Chhnang and Kampong Thom.

This is the plan: we ride the 92km from Phnom Penh to Kampong Chhnang already in the evening of Friday, planning to get up early the next day, cross the river with the ferry and ride through the flood plains to Kampong Thom. This trip is not mentioned in any of the guide books I use but I found a helpful account of it by Mac on Khmer 440. Without it, I would not have known that this trip is possible and it also has good clues as to how to do it.

It is around 8pm when we reach the Samrong Sen Hotel in Kampong Chhnang, after a 2 hour night ride from Phnom Penh. This hotel, which is recommended, is located on the ride hand side of the road to the port, a few hundred meters after you pass the market. For $8 we get very decent rooms with fan and TV in this new and well-run hotel.

Later we talk to hotel staff, to find out about the ferry schedule to Kampong Leaeng, a town on an island opposite Kampong Chhnang town that we will have to pass on our way to Kampong Thom.

However, the guys tell us that this trip is not possible and that they have not heard of people who did it. We keep talking and later go with one of them on the bike to the port, to ask people around there.

We stop in front of the police station and talk to the officers. More people join during the course of a rather confusing discussion. At first people tell us again that it is not possible to get to Kampong Thom this way. Even attempting this trip is dangerous and ‘crazy’, because there are bandits and robbers out there. The officers accompany this piece of information with raising their hands to their heads like guns and pulling virtual triggers. They also tell us that the ferry to Kampong Leaeng is not operating tomorrow, due to Khmer New Year. When we ask for private boats they say, at first, that boats cannot land on the island because there is not enough water and because there is too much forest.

Later other people say that we can find a private boat but that it is very expensive. If we really want to cross the Tonle Sap, we should ride back either to the Japanese bridge in Phnom Penh or the ferry near Udong Mountain. It seems to emerge from the discussion that the best option for us is to take a private boat for $50 to cover the 40km stretch from here to Prey Kri and to continue from there to National Road 6 by bike. This option is not nearly as attractive as our initial plan as it does not get us very deep into the flood plains and would mean that we end up doing much of the trip on the national road. We are still not convinced that our original plan is not feasible but decide to wait with decisions until after we have talk to the people actually operating the boats in the morning.

So we turn around and have a good diner in the Monorom Restaurant about 5 km to the West along the National Road, the only place that still serves food at this late time of the day.

Next morning we get up around 7, have breakfast in the Mekong Restaurant at the national road, fill up the tank and some extra 3.5 liter gas in plastic bottles, check out, pack our stuff on the bike and ride to the port again.

Kampong Chhnang town in the morning.

Leaving the Samrong Sen Hotel in the morning.

On the way to the port.

We find the port rather busy. We ride down to the place were the ferry usually launches, right at the center of the water front. Many people are waiting for boats, many of them dressed for visiting family and friends over the holidays. Again we are getting contradicting advice. Yet nobody can confirm the possibility of going from here to Kampong Thom. People tell us that the big ferry to Kampong Leaeng is operating but will leave only at 1 pm. Smaller and bigger boats come and go but seemingly none of them with our destination and/or not willing to take our bike on board.

At the port.

During the rainy season, those houses are standing in the water.

Maraile talks to moto drivers at the riverside and Cham, one of them, takes her to the Vietnamese owner of a small private boat. She is willing to give us a ride to Kampong Leaeng for $10. The quoted price seems quite high but we accept as it is Khmer New Year and we don’t want to give up on this adventure. Our attempts to get Cham and his family a free ride to Kampong Leang fails as the boat owner insists that they pay extra.

It takes a few minutes (and a little fear on my part) until our moto is safely on the boat. We reach Kampong Leaeng about 20 minutes later, after a scenic boat ride on the Tonle Sap river.

Fearful moments

We talk to our fellow passengers during the ride. Cham is a teacher at a local high school. He was trained for teaching mathematics and physics but now teaches English, due to high demand and little availability of suitable teachers. He is on his way to visit his wife’s parents in a village on the island.

Fellow passengers.

Cham tells us that it is only about 10 minutes from the ferry landing point to Kampong Leaeng village where one reaches a dirt road that leads in a loop all around the island (consistent with the map). This road is in good condition and it takes about 1 hour to make the loop by moto bike. Also Cham did not know that it was possible to go directly from here to Kampong Thom but unlike everybody else so far he encourages us to try.

During the boat ride.

Rich people on a luxury cruise of the Tonle Sap.

Kampong Chhnang riverside.

Floating houses.

Kampong Leaeng.

After we have cleared the bike from the boat we follow the dirt road through pleasant rural landscape. After 20 minutes we stop in a village. One boy among a bunch of youngsters we ask for the way offers to guide us to the ring road. It turns out that it is hard to miss. The road is in good condition and leads through beautiful countryside and a few villages along the way. There are boats of various sizes sitting on the ground. The soil is very dry and right now this area appears an unlikely spot for boats. We also pass a number of hills. Some of them have Chenla-times temple ruins on top of them but we decide to continue and make getting to Kampong Thom our priority for today. Mac’s report and the map suggest that the trail to Kampong Thom departs from this ring road at the northern tip of the island and next to a temple.

On the island circle route.

We stop in a village when we think we are close to the northern tip of the island. The response of a group of young women we ask for the way indicates that we should go back just about hundred meters where we can see a gate indicating the location of a pagoda.

We stop at a food stall next to the gate for soft drinks, hoping to get people to tell us how to find the way to Kampong Thom. A group of about 8 middle aged men sit inside and appear pretty drunk while a dozen younger villagers are standing around. We approach the older men first but they are too drunk to be helpful. But even the sober younger men and women we ask outside say that it is impossible to go from here to Kampong Thom. We spend about 20 minutes but people insist. Yet they do seem to be saying that if one wanted to try, the way started here at the temple.

The trail to Kampong Thom starts behind the temple at this gate.

Despite all the discouraging advice we decide to give it a try, now that it is still early in the day and that we made it here already. After we pass the temple the trail branches of into half a dozen trails leading through a small cluster of simple houses. We ask one or two people for the way and they point us to a trail that leads towards a hill after we have passed the village.

Right at the bottom of this hill the track turns right. For the next hour or so we follow what looks like a narrow and not very frequently used ox cart trail. It is dry and bumpy and in places has deep and hard prints from left by oxcarts. The kind of prints that make it hard to avoid getting stuck in them with the front wheel. To the right and left are reeds, tall as men, making it impossible to see what is beyond them virtually all along the way.

We stop for a short break after about one hour. It is already getting pretty hot and we realize how painful it is going to be that there is no shade for virtually all along our way today.

We continue for another 30 minutes or so until we reach a fork in the road. Since we have left the village we have not come across anybody. However, until here the way has been very unambiguous and it is easy to identify the widest and most frequently used trail on the few occasions were there is more than one way to follow.

Also here it seems obvious that the ‘main road’ turns right but we check out the alternative, just to be sure. After only a few meters the road ends at some sort of lake, or pond, or lotus flower field. There are people working in this field but too far away from us to ask them for the way. Since this trail (the left one in the photo above) obviously leads to a dead end there does not seem to be much to ask about anyways.

At a closer look it seems the guys in the field are applying chemicals from large containers they carry on their backs.

Now we take a right turn at the above fork and follow the trail for another couple of minutes and there is at least one more track branching of to the left until we reach another lake. There is a guy bathing in the water. He does not look very friendly at first but starts smiling when Maraile talks to him in Khmer. He tells us that the track from here to Kampong Thom is better than the one to Kampong Chhnang. He also tells us that it is only about 20 km or about 1 hour from here to Kampong Thom. We just have to backtrack a short distance and follow a track to the right hand (or the left from Kampong Chhnang) at an intersection between here and the first lotus field.

Happily we do as we are told. However, the trail we get on just 10 minutes later seems to have seen substantial rain lately and has long stretches where the track is filled with mud and water.

We keep following this track. There are easier and tougher stretches but overall, this trail is definitely not better but worse than the one we were riding on before. After about on more hour the high reefs along the track disappear and we enter plains with only short but green grass and a few bushes. The view over the plains is wide open, occasionally we see exotic-looking birds, large and small. The trail is pretty good around here and we can ride faster. There are a couple of tracks, sometimes crossing each other or running in parallel.

After about 30 minutes we have passed the plains and find ourselves again on a muddy track between tall reefs and with little view other than the sight of a few dozen meters of ox cart trail in between thick vegetation. We are in the middle of the day now and it is very hot. Maraile has to get off the bike frequently to walk particularly bad stretches.

After one of those struggles with the mud I feel that the heat is too much to take and want to pause instantly. I try to find cover from the brutally hot sun by squeezing myself under some reeds but find that it does not help at all. It is at this time that we realize that we have lost 1 of 2 bottles of water, the full one, while the other has half a liter or so left. For some time it appears impossible to me that under these circumstances I will be able to cool down enough to be capable of riding to Kampong Thom.

At this point I find the police men’s mentioning of robbers out here rather stupid. Who in his right mind would be waiting out here, having his brains fried in the merciless sun, to hold up the few people insane or desperate enough to make this trip, hoping that one day somebody actually carries anything of any value, with very few ways to get away from the crime scene, none of them quick or easy.

Increasingly I suspect that we have gotten onto a wrong trail. The experience of the last two hours sharply contradicts what the man at the lake told us, namely, 20km good track and 1 hour riding to get to Kampong Thom. We check the compass and find that the track we follow leads to the east, probably already for quite some time, while at this point we should be going pretty straight to the north. And it appears possible that we took a wrong turn while passing through the open plains about 30 minutes ago.

We decide to backtrack and check if there are other trails leading north. We find one very soon, also leading through thick and tall reefs but it looks too abandoned to be the link to Kampong Thom. We continue to backtrack and follow some of the other trails in the open plains. However, we find that all of them are basically variations on the same trail, not leading anywhere else.

After we have passed the plains again we discuss and decide to turn around again and follow the track we were on. It is possible that we got onto the wrong track after talking to the man in the field. But at this stage we don’t want to ride all the way back there and given a substantial number of tracks around here, this must lead somewhere close to national road 6 sooner or later.

We pass the point were we had turned around before and continue for at least another hour on the trail through the reefs, with lots of sun, no shade and plenty of mud on the trail. Over time the track widens and the number of different tracks increases, which also makes it easier to avoid the deep mud in some places. After one more hour the landscape is wide open again.

By this time we had fallen twice altogether with the bike into the mud. The first fall gets Maraile some bruises and myself slightly burnt skin on the right leg. The second fall breaks one of the mirrors. After we lift the bike it does not start. It does not give a sound although it does not seem that any essential parts broke or have become wet.

We start to worry but decide to give the bike some time and try again. The good news is that we check the compass and find that we are traveling north, which from here makes probably for the shortest distance to the national road.

Reluctantly we start pushing the bike to start it. We don’t get the engine started the first time but at least the starter is coming back. We try one more time and this time we manage to start the engine.

We continue until we arrive at a freshly dug irrigation channel that crosses our way and reaches from one end of the horizon to the other. Afar we can recognize a couple of excavators. These are the first signs of obvious and immediate human activity since we left the village on the island. We have a short break before we continue on the dirt road along the channel to the left (north).

Exhausted.

We keep going until we follow a neat 90 degree right-turn of both channel and road.

Now we see occasionally trees and finally, people and cattle. We stop a young couple with a child on one of these modern-day ox carts. They tell us that they, too, are on a trip from Kampong Chhnang to Kampong Thom. The latter is about 1 hour from here.

Now the ground is entirely dry and much of the trail sandy. In the distance we recognize hills, groups of trees and finally, houses.

We enter a village with a well-maintained dirt road leading right through it. We follow the road and stop at the first sign of beverages for sale. We stop and buy a coke each from the friendly vendors.

There is a well with a hand-operated pump nearby and a couple of young men having a bath. We use the opportunity for refreshment, too. Then we just sit for a while with the drink vendors and some locals, talk and play with their kid.

Oddly, the guy on the left holds a dead snake in his hand.

People tell us that the main road is just 5 minutes from here and from there it is only 5km to Kampong Thom. We leave and ride the little remaining distance to the Arunras Hotel, where we have a reservation for these smart rooms with balcony on the top floor.

The last kilometers to Kampong Thom.

We are coming on this dirt road and it is here where it meets the national road, pretty accurately 5km south of Kampong Thom.

This sign reads “6” (like in national road 6) and, below, “Staung 85”.

After some rest and a shower we meet Vothear, my long time friend and guide in Kampong Thom, for diner. He is getting married next weekend. During our discussion it emerges that Maraile will return to Phnom Penh tomorrow morning, while Vothear and I proceed to Stung Treng, via Preah Vihear Province.

Smart hotel room

Views from the balcony

It is time for an extended weekend trip again. The plan is to ride from Phnom Penh to Kampong Thom today and meet up with Vothear and Sokhom, two friends of mine who are excellent guides for exploring the temples in Kampong Thom, Preah Vihear and Siem Reap.

The plan for tomorrow is to follow National Road 6 towards Siem Reap town for another 100 km or so, passing Stoung and Kouk Thlok Kraom on the way until we reach Dam Daek. From here, we follow the newly upgraded Road 66 to the north for about 30 km, until we reach Prasat Trapeang Noem, close to Beng Mealea (Boeng Mealea), an ancient temple. After visiting the temple we plan to proceed on what is a new road towards the northeast until via Svay Leu to Prasat Kor Ker (Kaoh Kerr, Chok Gargyar, Phnum Dai), another ancient temple, or rather, a complex of dozens of them. From here we continue on a more modest road and via an extensive detour through Trayang to Kulen (Koulen) and finally to Tbaeng Mean Chey (T’beng Meanchey), the provincial capital of Preah Vihear province, where we spend the night. The next day we return to Kampong Thom on Road 64 and from there I continue home to Phnom Penh.

02.10.2005

Unfortunately there will not be enough time to visit Preah Vihear temple (I, II) or Anlong Veng near the Dangkrek Mountains at the Thai border, two of my favorites in this part of the country.

There is not much to report from the ride on National Road 6 to Kampong Thom, it is one of the best in the country, at least along this stretch. The process of upgrading road 66 to Beng Mealea is obviously very close to completion and we enjoy a smooth ride on a very even dirt road after filling up the bikes in Dam Daek.

With that road, the ruins of Beng Mealea are very accessible even to big groups of tourists in buses from Siam Reap or Phnom Penh. However, I don’t see buses and during our visit only 2-3 foreigners and some local visitors. At some point we reach a ticket booth and pay a considerable amount to enter the complex. Also the ruins themselves have been made more accessible, with the construction of wooden bridges and stairs across the area. We go with one of the guides who provides us with more information.

This temple was built under Suryavarman II in the 12th century. The temple is at the centre of an ancient Angkorian road which connects Angkor Thom and Preah Khan. More than 10 bridges can still be found in the jungle along the way. I have come across one of them on a previous visit.

Vothear and the guard.

It is apparent that the much of the area and the interior of the few buildings still standing have been cleared to make it easy and comfortable for tourists to visit. It is also good to see in principle that guards have been employed to protect the site and prevent further looting, destruction and theft. I hope this is what they do. Besides, nothing indicates efforts to conserve functioning structures, leave alone reconstructing those that are collapsed.

For the most part, this place has been taken over by the forest, and there are stacks of stones from collapsed structures all over the place.

This is when we leave the temple compound, which is surrounded by a moat which measures 1200m by 900m.

The bridge over the moat is still intact, although it appears very worn. A crude wooden structure supports the Naga monument that marks the entrance to the temple compound.

From here we follow various simple but smooth dirt roads via Svay Leu to Koh Ker Temple.

There is a small group of people around when we reach the outer gate of Koh Ker temple, among them the district governor. We talk to them for some time and learn that we got lucky, today there are no personnel to collect entrance fee so we will get to see the place for free. Funny to be told this by the governor in charge of the district.

This is what the Lonely Planet writes about Koh Ker:

“Koh Ker, a former 10th-century capital of the Angkorian empire, is one of the most remote and inaccessible temple sites in Cambodia, long abandoned to the forests of northern Cambodia. Also known as Chok Gargyar, it served as the capital of Jayavarman IV who, having seized the throne from a rival, left Angkor and transferred his capital here, where it remained throughout this reign. His son and successor Harshavarman I moved the capital back to Angkor in 944.

There are a remarkable number of religious buildings in the Koh Ker region, considering the short space of time that it was the capital of the empire. There are more than 30 major structures and experts believe there may have been as many as 100 minor sacred buildings in the region. It was also a prolific period for gigantic sculpture and several of the most impressive pieces in the National Museum in Phnom Penh come from Koh Ker…”.

Well, the road is not too bad now, Koh Ker is fairly accessible and does not seem very remote. It still did when I came here a few years ago. Back then, the temple and indeed its inaccessibility left I lasting impression on me. On top, it was the first pyramid temple I saw in Cambodia and because back then I went here – with Sothear – straight from Kampong Thom town and much of the time through the jungle without any recognizable road. However, despite improved accessibility I don’t see any tourists, neither foreigners nor Khmers. Only a number of local people are around.

The actual pyramid is surrounded by at least two balustrades through which one follows a way through a number of smaller structures, most of them more or less intact.

The temple is actually higher than it appears in these pictures, and so are the wooden stairs that have been constructed for people to climb it. Yet climbing them is very rewarding as the top of this pyramid offers fantastic views of the surrounding area.

After some times we can see clouds accumulating and it starts raining in some places. Vothear tells me that it regularly rains at this time in the afternoon but that we will make it to Tbang Mean Chey without getting wet, because the rain is coming from the West and we stay ahead of it.

We climb down the temple and walk back to the motos. I see two armed man, not a totally uncommon sight in Cambodia yet I wonder who or what they are protecting against who around here.

From there we follow a narrow but new and perfectly even dirt road through the forest. This road provides access to a number of smaller temples around here. Some of them I have visited before. Others are ‘new’ as Vothear tells me, cleared of mines and made accessible through the road only in recent months. There are quite a number of temples in relative close proximity and we visit some of them before we head to Kulen in order to make it to Tbang Mean Chey before dark.

From here the condition of the roads varies greatly, but it is easily doable for motorbikes all along the way.

I was here before, and back then the road is very bad in some places.

This is around Phnom Kulen, a place that I would like to explore on another trip.

This is where we fill up the tanks and meet some locals.

It starts getting dark when we leave this place, which forces us to slow down. We are both tired when we reach Tbaeng Mean Chey. We check rooms in three accommodations and opt for the Prum Tep guesthouse, where we have a break and shower before we go to have tasty diner in a simple restaurant, after which we go to bed early.

There is dense fog all over the place when I wake up in the morning. The plan for today is to ride all the way back to Phnom Penh via Kampong Thom. I hope to see one or the other temple along the road, and that it will not be raining too much.

There are plenty of places that serve breakfast and we sit down to eat.

An old monk is begging for food.

After breakfast Vothear takes me to the place from where it is possible now to travel to Stung Treng. This is where you need to cross the river.

After a few minutes we leave Tbaeng Mean Chey on Road 64 to Kampong Thom. This road has very recently been upgraded. I have never traveled it before but right now it is a nice and safe ride, little traffic, few potholes, and more importantly, beautiful landscape all along the way.

This is when it is becoming obvious that it is raining just a few hundred meters in front of us.

We make it to this temple and find cover inside.

It does not seem as if the rain will stop anytime soon.

This is inside the temple.

After about one hour the rains starts getting weaker and we leave. Over there are some signs warning of land mines, so I assume this area has been demined only recently.

This town is called Phnom Dek and unfortunately is not in the map. It is about 60 km north of Kampong Thom. It was from here that we went through the jungle to Prasat Bakan last time I came here. This for is you face when coming from the south to north. Follow the road to your left to get to Tbaeng Mean Chey. Follow the road to the right and you get to Stung Treng.

From here we continue along road 64 towards Kampong Thom. The landscape along the way is scenic and the road has recently been upgraded.

It starts raining again but not for very long.

Then we reach the National Road 6 and Kampong Thom shortly after. We have lunch at a roadside restaurant. Later I say good bye to Vothear and head to Phnom Penh.

Only very few days are left before Water Festival. I come across a number of boat races and other events involving boats along the way.

Today the traffic is quite distinct from other days in the following way. The entire population including myself seems on the way to Phnom Penh, to attend the water festival, while virtually nobody is traveling the opposite direction. The traffic to Phnom Penh has taken over both of the road’s lanes in many places.

This is one of the few occasions that I am traveling Cambodia for work rather than pleasure, together with my Cambodian colleagues around the great lake. It is the first time that I am making a trip all around the Tonle Sap Lake. I tune out work related issues here and focus instead on impressions from the road starting from Phnom Penh via Kampong Thom to Siem Reap, Battambang and back to Phnom Penh via Kampong Chnang.

18.09.2005

This is when we cross the Japanese Bridge in Phnom Penh. It is obviously rainy season and most of the land is submerged in water. All along this trip it is not obvious where the river ends and the flooded land starts.

One of the brick production sides just outside Phnom Penh.

On the busy road from Phnom Penh towards Kampong Cham.

Girls are selling lotus seeds as snacks at the roadside.

There are some really nasty potholes in the otherwise superb road to Kampong Cham, shortly before you Skuon. Truck and car drivers claim the entire width of the road to avoid the potholes.

From left to right: Kidan, Dara, Phal, I and a random Cambodian man on a moto.

We have a break in a restaurant at a lake a few kilometers west of Kampong Thom town.

Some Cambodian tourists are going for a swim and have an excellent time.

We are driving behind a luxury Lexus SUV when we see an infant water buffalo starting to cross the road. A big truck is coming our way on the other side of the road and it is becoming obvious that either this truck will hit the buffalo and send it our way or the buffalo will avoid the truck by getting back on our part of the road. Yet the driver in front of us does not reduce his speed. The buffalo indeed turns around and is right in the middle of the road when the SUV hits it at fairly high speed, catapulting it dozens of meters. We can partly see how the infant buffalo is rolling over a number of times in front of the SUV. Surprisingly, it gets back on its feed next to the road and walks to its buffalo mother.

These are the fellows in the Lexus, inspecting their broken headlight.

We come across this bridge somewhere between Kampong Thom and Siem Reap. It is an ancient bridge without any obvious modern additions yet part of the National Road from Cambodia’s modern to its ancient capital and the nation’s greatest attraction Angkor Wat. Presumably hundreds of buses and trucks pass this bridge everyday, and the river water forcefully pushes through its gates every rainy season. It appears that a new bridge is being build a few hundred meters from here.

We come across many fields submerged in water and houses accessible only by boat.

In a market not so far from Siem Reap.

We reach Siem Reap town and briefly visit the gates of Angkor Wat.

As usual there are many people picnicking in the area around the main entrance.

On one of the following days we visit the provincial department of culture and get a chance to witness Apsara dancers practicing.

We visit a small temple in town, opposite the Royal Residence, before we head to Battambang. These are some sort of bats which live on a couple of trees around this place. These bats are rather big.

Along the way from Siem Reap to Battambang.

Only a few kilometers outside Siem Reap town the previously paved road turns into a dirt road with numerous, partly water-filled, potholes. This is remarkable since this is a national road connecting major centers of the country.

This town is famous for its stone carving. Unfortunately I have forgotten its name.

These men are working on two extraordinarily large stone lions. We hear these lions have been ordered by the governor of the province, presumably for a major bridge.

Then we reach a place with an enormous accumulation of big vehicles right on the road. It appears impassable from far.

A large truck got stuck in the middle of the road and heavy machinery was brought in to free it.

Another truck got stuck a few kilometers away.

Later we reach a town a few kilometers before Battambang. I forgot its name. It has a monument that houses what seems to be an ancient lingam (phallic object as a symbol of Shiva) of considerable proportions.

The place is also popular for the variety of foods served in local food stalls.

This is a major beetle, fried. I prefer it a number smaller and have some fried crickets.

Later we reach Battambang and visit one of the ancient temples close to town. I believe it is Ek Phnom.

Later we hit the road again, pass through Pursat, have diner in Kampong Chnang and finally arrive back in Phnom Penh.

Many of my colleagues are in Kampong Thom (Kompong Thom) this weekend and I decide to go there and meet up. I have been to Kampong Thom many times but until recently was not aware that there are countless temples to visit along the way, in particular between Kampong Thom town and Skuon (Skon). The plan for this weekend is to meet my colleagues in Kampong Thom and also Vothear and Sokhom, two friends and guides of mine whom I have been exploring the surrounding provinces with on a number of occasions. I am sure these people are the best guides you can find in Kampong Thom with detailed knowledge of the surrounding provinces.

Kampong Thom does not see many visitors, despite the fact that the site of the ancient capital of the Pre-Angkor kingdom of Chenla is right next to the provincial capital. The ruins of Sambor Prei Kok (Sambor Prei Kuk) cover a vast area of mostly forested land in close proximity to Kampong Thom town which is an excellent starting point for journeys into neighboring provinces also. The complex contains countless structures that are nearly 1400 years old and easily accessible even by coach. If this place was in Vietnam or Thailand it would be a sensation attracting thousands of tourists daily. Tourists who make it to Cambodia pass through Kampong Thom on their way from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh or just bypass it by aircraft. While exploring the site you will meet few tourists, if any. I have been to Sambor Prei Kuk before and my interest this time is more in these lesser known temples along the way to Phnom Penh.

13.08.2005

Vothear offers to show the way to some of the temples and my colleague Lydia comes along. We visit a number of temples along National Road 6, almost all of them relatively close to the road yet with only one exception not that easy to find. There are no signs and even once you leave the main road in the right place the way to the temples are not obvious. Most likely you will require a local guide or some Khmer language skills to find these places.

We visit the following places in this order, in Vothear’s spelling:

Prasat Rokha or Prateath
Prasat Tnotchum and Prasat Komboth
Prasat or Wat Prasat
Kukhaknokor or Prasat Kuha Nokor
Prasat Broteath

In all instances I provide a picture of the place where you want to leave the National Road in order to visit the site.

Lydia and Vothear in front of the gate through which you reach the following temple.

This temple is obviously leaning very much to one side, not unlike the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is remarkable that this structure has not collapsed yet. Even more so given what has caused these heavy stones to shift: Only a few meters away from the temple is the crater of a massive bomb, that locals tell us has been dropped here as part of an American bombing campaign.

The crater is basically what is in the bottoms halve of this picture and is covered with grass. There are school buildings right next to it and students leave in all directions after end of class.

Inside the temple.

Outside

Only few hundred meters away there is the site of a smaller temple but all that remains are a few stones, the biggest one depicting two elephants.

This is where you want to leave the main road to visit the following site.

We spend some time talking with this old man who lives next to the temple.

The next couple of places you can find by following the way through this gate, which is on your left when you are coming from Phnom Penh.

The road is somewhat muddy in some places.

Yet another temple.

The big, round stone upfront used to be the top of this temple but one day a drunken villager climbed the temple and broke it off, or so the locals tell us.

There used to be a statue on the backside of this temple and attached to it, something I did not see before. The shape of a standing person can still be recognized.

Kukhaknokor, or Prasat Kuha Nokor, is the one temple among those mentioned here that is listed in various guide books and easier to find due to a big sign at the main road. According to the Lonely Planet this 11th century temple was constructed during the reign of Suryavarman I and its good condition is due to lengthy renovation before the war. The book also says this place is 22km north of Skuon.

The ancient temple is on the ground of an active pagoda and there are some elderly man to look after it and nurture plants and flowers in the beautiful garden. There is even a guestbook. We are happy to leave a note. There are fewer entries than days in the guestbook.

This is the way to get to the above temple.

This is the last set of places we visit, pretty accessible by road.

This temple has collapsed.

We talk to an old man who lives nearby. He tells us that there are dozens of temple ruins across a wide area around here. Most of them have collapsed due to air bombings. Few of them are accessible at this time of the year. He also tells us about the hardships of his live during those times.

This is his adopted son watering the vegetables.

The following temple is close by and the last one we visit today. It appears to have collapsed partly but people have put it together again and given it a modern-style, concrete roof.

This is the access road.

Interestingly, we meet two French people who came here by bicycle all the way from France, using the airplane only to bypass Iraq and Pakistan. It has taken them about 1 year to make it here.

We spent some time talking. The sun is about to set by the time we say good bye to Vothear and head to Phnom Penh.

The plan for today is to travel back to Phnom Penh, which is about 310 km from here on national road via Kampong Thom. I get up at eight, have a shower and leave the guesthouse. I walk along the river for a bit and pass the market before I find a charming place at the river for breakfast.

In many ways Siem Reap is different from the rest of the country. Everybody appears to be busy, there are many tourists, most people understand English, and the city appears to be more Western and more affluent then any other place in the country. Siem Reap has a lot of appeal for Cambodians in many provinces, as it holds the promise of rapid economic and social development and immense individual opportunities that are not easily available elsewhere. There are countless luxury hotels, restaurants and bars, internet places and souvenir shops. As well as hospitals and schools. Other than Phnom Penh this is the only other truly urban place I know of in Cambodia.

This is in the morning at the market.

I spend about one hour with breakfast. Countless tourists pass by, most of them Westerners, many backpackers and young and not so young couples and even families. Later I walk a bit through this part of the town and back to the guesthouse. At about 10:30 I get ready and leave.

This is on the way.

Although much of the road to Kampong Thom is paved it does not allow for higher speed. There are construction sides all over the place, mostly small bridges and an awkward and bumpy way around it. There are at least two dozens of them.

This is one out of so many construction sides close to Siem Reap.

After more than three hours I am somewhat disappointed that I still did not reach Kampong Thom. I have a short break at this stall and get some bananas and water.

The women working here tell me Kampong Thom is just about 20 km from here. When I reach it I look out whether I can find Vothear and Sokhom. And in fact after only about two minutes I find Sokhom. I am glad to see him again and we go to a food place to hang out together. We call Vothear as well and then have food together, reflecting on the past days. I particularly enjoy talking to Sokhom, who is just 38 years old but close to be a wise man. He knows a lot and speaks excellent English. So we talk a lot about Cambodian history and contemporary politics. It is getting later and later and I still have to go back all the way to Phnom Penh.

From right to left: Vothea, Sokhom, me.

It is only by about 3:30 pm when I leave those guys, after many kind words. I have been riding this road for several times right now and it does not hold much surprises. Yet it remains challenging to deal with all the traffic and dust. At this point I feel somewhat tired from riding dirt bike and hurry to get this done and arrive at home safely.

Shortly before I arrive in Skun it is getting dark. I still have about 90 km to go. For some time I do not have the courage to turn my headlines on, since I know this is blinding the traffic on the other side of the road. This is not a nice thing to do, particularly on this busy road. However, when I want to give it a try I find that the headlights don’t work anymore. I switch on and off but it remains dark. I am annoyed by my self because again I did not manage to avoid riding at night. Without the headlight there is obviously additional risk. I can hardly overtake any vehicle. After all, cars coming at me cannot see me without light. Moreover, as long as I ride behind somebody with a headlight I have at least an idea of how the road looks like. However, after I overtake somebody and without another car in front of my I simply cannot see anything. In addition the traffic on the other lane is blinding me badly.

It takes me another 90 minutes to reach Phnom Penh in the dark. I really feel uncomfortable riding without headlight and all I do is keeping behind cars with reasonable speed and driving behavior and strong headlights.

When I arrive in Phnom Penh it is too late to bring the bike back to lucky! lucky! So I ride directly to my place, keep the bike on the parking spot of the insurance company close by and am glad to arrive at home safely.

We get up at about 7 am and following some breakfast we head of. Vothear is convinced we can make it all the way to Choam Khsant but I remain skeptical. As soon as we leave Khvav to the north the dirt road turns into oxcart trails again.

We continue riding those trails. First we pass sandy stretches through open landscape. Later we ride through dense forest forcing us to duck from the branches of trees and follow the tight turns of the trail. We do not think of having breaks, as we want to catch up with the initial schedule.

It is getting somewhat chilly at night. When I look out of my window in the morning I see a number of children trying to get warm at this fire.

After about two hours riding I realize that my rear tyre is flat. This is not even half the way to Sraryang Village (Moreal is what the map says, but people on the ground do not know this name), which is about 68 km from Khvav and not so far from the temples of Prasat Kaoh Ker.

Luckily we have tools with us. So we open the tyre. We find a puncture in the tube caused by a nail in the tyre. More seriously, the tube is broken directly at the valve and I doubt we can fix it. And the next location where a tube might be available is Anlong Veng, which I intended to see only three days from today.

Vothear is still confident he can fix it. So what he does is he takes the valve out entirely and fixes the hole. Then he attaches the valve in another place. It is hard for me to imagine this will hold. And even if it does for some time it is unlikely to survive the next three days until I have the chance to purchase a new tyre.

The entire exercise takes us about one hour. Two Khmer guys pass on a moto and stop to find out what we are doing. They join for some time and help to fix the tyre. One of them carries glasses, which I did not see in the countryside before and which give him a somewhat intellectual appearance.

However, when we inflate the tyre it seems to be capable of surviving the pressure. I feel relieved a lot and we continue the ride through tough terrain. I try to treat the bike carefully, still concerned the tyre will break again. However, it does not.

The ‘road’ does not get any better.

We reach Sraryang Village only after another two hours and my tube breaks again only shortly before we reach it. Instead of attempting to fix it here we ride the last few kilometers to the village to have it fixed properly.

We reach the village and go to the mechanic. As usual he is confident he will fix it. We spend some time talking to him and later sit down in a food place at the roadside, to have some refreshments and observe life on the street. We talk to a number of people and later have food. The bike is not yet ready and we decide to go with Vothear’s bike the about 20 km to the Kaoh Ker temples.

So we get on Vothear’s bike and continue. Predominantly we ride on tough road covered with deep sand. I am amazed how easily Vothear manages to ride this small and weak bike through the sand without loosing control or much speed. And I feel good about not having to ride my bike, which turns out to be more fragile than I expected. Not so long ago I was concerned the bike would break me. However, I feel confident about riding dirt bikes by now and my major concern is that I might break the bike.

Those 20 km take us almost one hour. Then we arrive at the gate of Kaoh Ker’s main temple, Prasat Thom (Prasat Kompeng). There are more than 50 smaller sacred buildings in the surrounding. We enter and walk through the various towers and temples. Much of the structures are not intact anymore. Yet high towers are still standing and the ruins clearly give an idea of how this was supposed to look like.

“Koh Ker, a former 10th century capital of the Angkorian Empire, is one of the most remote and inaccessible temple sites in Cambodia, long abandoned to the forests of northern Cambodia.” This is how the current Lonely Planet introduces this destination, and goes on: “Koh Ker is one of the least-studied temple areas from the Angkorian period. Louis Delaporte visited in 1880 during his extensive investigations into Angkorian temples. It was surveyed in 1921 by the great Henri Parmentier for an article in the Bulletin de l”Ecole D’Extreme Orient, but no restoration work was ever undertaken here. Archaeological surveys were carried out by Cambodian teams in the 1950s and 1960s, but all records vanished during the destruction of the 1970s, helping to preserve this complex as something of an enigma”.

The later is in fact the impression those ruins convey. After we pass the gates we step out of the forest and the view opens up and we see the impressive 40 meter high temple pyramid. There is nothing around here as high as this temple. We walk over and start climbing up the steep stairs of this fragile ladder. This is an exhausting task in the sun of midday and I am happy to find a fresh breeze when I reach the summit.

From up here the view is open and through the clear air we can oversee the flat landscape. Only the mountains at the very horizon are higher than this temple. This mountain range marks the border to Thailand.

We have a smoke and hang out. We did not see a single tourist so far. The only indication of human settlement seems to be a small village some hundred meters to the north and the smoke of some spots where the grass is burning at the horizon.

Over there are a village and some rice field.

This is the direction towards the entrance gates.

After some time a group of children emerges from the forest and starts climbing up the pyramid. It takes them some time until they arrive at the summit. We hang out for some time, silently appreciating the fascination and history of this sight.

After maybe one hour we climb down again and walk around the temple. I learn the surroundings have been cleared from vegetation only some weeks ago by a government program. We walk back through the gates and to the moto and continue.

There are a number of smaller buildings around and we visit a number of temples which look rather similar to me. Inside each there is a linga (phallus symbol devoted to Shiva), mostly buried in the ground. We stop at two of those temples and than continue the trip to the next spot.

Small temple

Linga

We passed this temple when we came here and at this time locals where working hard to clear this structure from vegetation. After I saw a good number of temples today I do not have much appreciation left for this one, although I think it is cute.

We continue and at a junction turn and follow a road which’s’ sides are marked with red signs signaling that the surroundings are mined. However, the road has been cleared recently.

We reach the temples and I learn they are cleared as well. There are about five or six smaller temples which are still standing. We walk around for some time. Multiple rock plates covering the ground inside the temples are opened or broken by looters with heavy tools.

Scenery somewhere between the village and the temples.

It is already afternoon when we ride back to the village. When we arrive my bike is not ready. But the mechanics say they will manage to fix it. So we have some refreshment. Those guys really fix the tube again and we continue our trip.

We intend to travel to Choam Khsant via Kulen. From Kulen there are already roads marked in my map and I assume it is possible to travel those significant distances today given that we can ride faster.

This is before we reach Kulen. Bridges on this stretch are in poor conditions and the road is rather sandy.

To Kulen the road is in fact not too bad. In Kulen we reach a road which looks decent and find petrol to fill up the bikes.

This is in Kulen.

We continue traveling on this road but soon it turns into something that looks like it was cluster bombed recently. I learn this road has been constructed just one year ago which really is hard to imagine. There are deep wholes in the ground and sometimes the difference to the level of the initial road is more than one meter. Riding this road involves constant ups and downs and permanent choices which way to go. However, this sand offers better grip than it looks like and we manage to travel with significant speed. Sometimes we find smoother stretches where we can speed up but generally this road is in a very bad shape. Moreover, it is getting dark and I am riding behind Vothear’s bike, which produces a lot of dust and makes it hard for me to recognize what remains of the road.

Rarely do we come across vehicles and if so it is mostly military trucks and police on big bikes and with automatic weapons. After some time it is dark. At some point we turn and continue on an excellent dirt road, which really looks like recently constructed. Nothing in the map suggests this road exists.

It is still a long way to go and we travel with relatively high speed in the dark. We pass a number of modern iron bridges before we finally reach the guesthouse in Choam Khsant.

We see two dirt bikes in front. After we get rooms we walk to the main table, where we meet the other travelers. We get to know Paul Hay as well as Gerry and Paul’s brother ‘Mr. Slim’. I actually have heard a lot about Paul Hay before and was in contact with him. I found recommendations and his contact in Andy Brouwers Cambodia Forum and contacted him prior to traveling to Cambodia. I had a number of email exchanges with Paul and his wife Sheila. However, after I learned about the prices I felt it might be worth it but I certainly cannot afford it. And I am introduced to Gerry, who is Australian and here to take pictures of temples which are not yet published.

From left to right: Vothear, Gerry, Paul, and Mr. Slim

We order food and start talking about all sorts of issues. Mr. Slim tells me I have problems with my exhaust pipe. I expect something inside the sophisticated machinery which I would not be able to determine. It does not surprise me, though. However, the screw which attaches the exhaust to the frame is simply broken and the pipe is hanging down. This does not seem to be a major problem.

Later Gerry disappears with Mr. Slim and one of the prostitutes. Later we learn more about the threesome experience they just had. For some time I was hoping that we could reach Preah Vihear by Christmas Eve, which is today. However, I would not have expected hanging out in a brothel like guesthouse having this sort of conversation at night. I talk to Gerry and learn a lot about the temples, the impossibility to ‘discover’ temples and the difference between discovering and publishing temples. Gerry is freelance photographer. He has booked Paul and his brother for a number of days and they travel through the north to take pictures of temples which are not yet well known. Interestingly, Gerry is in touch with Andy Brouwer whose Cambodia Forum I visit regularly. And he has met Nick Ray, who is the author of the Lonely Planet on Cambodia. Gerry travels on the back of Paul’s bike, while his 35 km of cameras and equipment are on Mr. Slim’s bike. Later I spend a lot of time talking with Paul. This is very interesting and I learn a lot about Cambodia, the temples and dirt bikes.

It is late when we decide to go to bed.

It is at about 4 am when cocks start their noisy business. The village is getting busy when it is still dark. We get up at about 7 am and have breakfast, fish and rice, which is tasty.

Later we head out to see another temple of the Prasat Bakan complex, Prasat Domrei (temple of the elephants). Vanna and his friend give us company and the four of us ride on two motos. Vanna is traveling with Vothear and it is actually the first time I am not alone on my moto. I felt I do not want to risk other people’s health or live. However, it turns out not to be too difficult, although the road is pretty rough and sandy. After about 20 minutes we arrive at the temple, which is located at a beautiful lake. This is the first pyramid shaped temple I see.

Children in the morning.

View from the house at the road.

This is one of the gates, covered with nicely carved apsara figures.

Carved stones are buried in the ground, too.

There was a shrine on top of this temple, guarded by four nicely carved stone elephants. Only two of those elephants remain here. Another one is in the National Museum in Phnom Penh and still another one in the Musee Guimet in Paris.

The lake in the background is said to be home to a number of crocodiles.

Later we travel back to the village, pack our stuff, fill up the tanks and leave, heading to Khvav village. This is about 45 km tough terrain. I learn that we are traveling partly on the ancient road which used to connect Sambor Prei Kuk in Kampong Thom and Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. Nothing in my map suggests that there is a road or anything to travel on. And in fact what it is is another ox cart trail. There are stretches of sand and of solid soil. Sometimes we pass fields, at times even travel on them because there is nothing else.

Mostly we pass through landscape dominated by high, resistant grass and small numbers of trees. Everything is pretty dry and sometimes the grass is burning. Sometimes there are bigger groups of trees or bamboo. The way is sometimes covered with leaves or grass, providing some traction for the tires but no certainty whether there is sand, rocks or the deep, narrow print of the oxcart underneath.

Sometimes the roots of trees put obstacles in the way, more so for Vothear’s moto than for me. A number of times he has to lift the moto or gets stuck. On one occasion he hits a rock with the brake pedal, so that it bents down and backwards. We do not manage to push it back, and now it is more difficult to ride this bike. Particularly as the front brake does not work either. However, Vothear is relaxed about it and we continue.

Vothear’s brake pedal is bend down and backwards.

We come across some people who are cutting bamboo.

We talk to them and they tell us they have seen many parts of the ancient ‘highway’ to Angkor in the jungle. We continue the journey, but not for long. Vothear’s rear tyre is flat and we stop to fix it. Vothea seems to have a lot of routine in doing that. After maybe 40 min. we continue. The road is not getting any better.

Initially we wanted to spend the night close to Kaoh Ker, in Sraryang Village, about 68 km north of Khvav. Traveling to Kaoh Ker makes for a challenging day trip and involves many hours of riding through difficult terrain. Given this plan the state of our bikes is frustrating. Vothear does not really have a brake anymore. In addition, he hits everything higher than few cm on the right of his moto. I fixed my headlight module transitionally with a rubber band, which makes it almost useless in the dark. And I am concerned the hydraulic tubes of my brake or the eclectics might suffer.

While we continue on rough terrain Vothear’s brake keeps hitting rocks and roots. I think he is taking quite some risk, but he ensures me we should continue like this. No question, it is much easier for me to ride this bike, and those obstacles mostly are insignificant to the suspension of my moto. Still later we are traveling in denser forest, and occasionally branches of trees hit our helmets.

After we have been traveling for about three hours we have a break again. I learn we are standing on a small bridge, part of what remains from the ancient highway to Angkor. This is in the middle of the jungle and we did not come across people for hours.

Vothear mentions his bike has many problems. This is very true. Not only has the brake moved about 120 degree towards the back tire and is almost touching the ground. In addition, the pedals to the left have taken serious blows and are deformed. Yet Vothear insists we continue.

After some time the road is getting easier and we can travel faster. Still later we reach another village. It takes us some time to find the way through the confusing system of very bad ‘roads’.

After another 30 min. we reach Khvav. This is a more significant village and I am surprised that a new dirt road passes through it. We learn that the mechanic has left the village to join a wedding. It seems we are not so lucky today.

This is in the village.

We have food and chat with the charming lady who prepared it. We discuss our situation and agree on the following. We better not try to travel to Kaoh Ker like this. Instead of traveling north from here, we travel south on this amazing new dirt road all the way to Kampong Kdei, which is a town on National Road 6. We attempt to fix both bikes there properly and travel back here to Khvav to spend the night. Tomorrow we continue to Kaoh Ker. Vothear is confident we can make it all the way to Preah Vihear Temple, or at least Choam Khsant, both at the Thai Border, roughly 120 km from here.

This is in Khvav.

This is where we have food.

So we follow this excellent road south. Initially it is a bit broken but later it is very alright.

I have the chance to take pictures once in a while, because I can easily catch up with Vothear’s moto. Many stretches along the toad are settled and we see countless rice fields. And a number of vehicles on the road. I am a bit disappointed about a road as busy and comfortable as this one next to where I am doing my adventure trip.

After maybe 90 minutes we reach Kampong Kdei and find the mechanic directly at the main road. There is a lot of traffic, including huge trucks carrying soil for construction of road elsewhere. The mechanic is confident he can solve our problems. Luckily, he has new spare parts for those pedals which are broken on Vothear’s bike.

This is how Vothear’s brake pedal looks by now.

This is Kampong Kdei, with National Road 6 running right through it.

We hang out for some time. Later I walk through the town. I passed this town twice in the rainy season on my way to Siem Reap and back to Phnom Penh. However, there is not much to see. Still later I go to a food place and have coffee and study my guide books. Later Vothea comes over; we have discussion with some locals and food. After two hours our bikes are far from being ready. We ride over to the famous ancient bridge about 500 m from here.

Two women are polishing those wooden pillars, which are used for decoration.

This is how those pillars look like when they are finished.

I am surprised this bridge not only is still able to carry its own weight, but the massive traffic between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, too, including those heavy trucks.

We wait about 20 min. to get a pictures of one of those trucks but apparently it is too late and no trucks are coming anymore. We ride back but the repair of our bikes is still going on.

We wait another hour before the headlights of my bike are properly attached to the frame again. It is almost dark when we start the trip back to Khvav. After few minutes we are riding in the dark. I realize that the headlights are welded firmly to the frame, yet they point upwards and significantly to the right. I can recognize the trees along the road but not easily obstacles on it. Moreover, I am blinding people coming the opposite direction and feel bad about it.

Once in a while we come across people, walking along the road, traveling on bicycles, motos or oxcarts.

After about one hour we reach Khvav and find some sort of guesthouse. We hang out for some time in front of the house and talk to the owner. On the opposite side of the street is a noisy karaoke event going on.

I have been riding all day behind Vothear on dusty terrain and my clothes and myself are covered with dust. I am happy to have the opportunity to take an extended shower. Later we go to bed. Rooms are simple and clean and mosquito nets are provided.

The noise from the karaoke place continues for some time. In this regard those villages do not match my expectation. For some reasons I though villages in those remoter parts would be quite places at night.

I met Vothea at 8 am in front of the guesthouse. This is the plan for the next three days. We follow National Road 64 to the north, until we reach Phnom Dek (a village which is not in my map). This is about 75 km from Kampong Thom. From here we turn east, following the oxcart trail to Ta Seng Village and Prasat Bakan (both places are in my map). After we spend the night in Ta Seng we continue north to Kulen and then to Prasat Kaoh Ker. After spending the night in Kulen we attempt to go further north to Prasat Preah Vihear, the best known temple in the province with the same name, next to the Thai border. I should mention other than road 64 there are no roads in my map. I was told the other day this way is adventurous and many people failed to make it with a big moto. I am advised to go on somebody else’s moto scooters’ back. And none of my guidebooks indicates that it is possible to go to those places on a road other than 64, or without hitting Tbaeng Mean Chey. Rather, most books suggest getting to those destinations on one or multiple day trips from the provincial capital. Yet Vothear and his friend Sokhom seem to be trustworthy and experienced. So I decide to try it.

The other choice is between going with one or two motos. I am told it is easier with the scooter. However, as I am paying for the big moto, and because I need a means of transportation in Preah Vihear, and not least because I enjoy biking I choose to go by the dirt bike. From Preah Vihear, I want to continue on better roads on my own to Anlong Veng (the last Khmer Rough stronghold, in Otdar Mean Chey Province) the next day and to Siem Reap and back to Phnom Penh on the following days.

We ride a few km roads to hit Vothear’s house and pick up his stuff. And we go to the mechanic to get spare parts. On occasion I try to figure out what we can do when something important at one of those bikes breaks. We carry a number of tools but almost no spare parts. Yet they ensure me those spare parts are not available in Kampong Thom anyway. And Vothea keeps telling me we will be lucky. Sometimes I am a bit frustrated about this sort of contingency planning.

This is still in Kampong Thom, opposite from the mechanic, where an accident has just taken place. This is actually the first accident I seen Cambodia and it is not too bad. Everybody is alright and only the motos need to be fixed.

Then we continue, leaving the national road, following Road 64 with direction to Tbaeng Mean Chey, which is to the north. I offer Vothea to ride my bike, to get him in a good mood and find out what he knows about it. What we are riding is a decent dirt road, with not too many potholes. I find that the front brake of Vothear’s Honda Wave does not work. I try to maneuver the small bike around all those potholes and find that Vothear does well on the dirt bike.

This is still close to the provincial capital.

After some time we see only few people or vehicles. There are only few settlements and the jungle along the road is dense. And heavily mined. Vothear tells me one of his brothers died on a landmine some years ago in this area. More and more potholes together with the pattern of shadows necessitate some attention, to spot the nastiest ones holes and continue riding with significant speed.

We see few cars, but where we meet them they create too much dust. This one belongs to UNDP.

We reach Phnom Dek village, where we fill up the motos and get excellent lunch.

This is at the petrol station.

This is where we have lunch.

Then we leave, not on the main road but on a small and very sandy track. And it is here where traveling turns into moto cross. There is no road or path but numerous prints from oxcarts. With deep sand. We have changed motos again. Riding this terrain involves many sharp turns and quick decisions which way to go. It appears to be easier for Vothear on the small bike, which is low and easy to balance. In contrast, my bike is strong and tall, which does not help me much as we are riding pretty slow. Mostly we are passing light forest. Everything is pretty dry and in some places the grass is burning.

Once in a while we have a break. I think this is more exhausting than I would have expected. And for some reasons I am afraid of dropping the bike and braking it. Yet I manage not to drop it and only once I have to restart. I think it would be easier to ride quickly through the sand, since speed provides some stability. Yet I am following an 100 cc bike and speed is not an option.

When we almost reach Ta Seng, there are long, sandy stretches. And it is here where I drop the bike the first time, gently in the sand. However, the headlight breaks off again, much to my frustration. It does not fell off entirely but is only loosely attached to the bike.

We continue, arrive in the village and pass through it. Few hundred meters later we come along the first ruins of Prasat Bakan Temple (Preah Khan). This is quite a unexpected thing to see after the trip through the middle of nowhere.

Moreover, we come across a helicopter. I learn that wealthy tourists can fly from Siem Reap to this place, to visit the temples. The helicopter comes once in two days. However, I do not see the people who came with this machine.

We park the bikes and have a break close to some ruins, where two local women hang out. Later another guy joins us, who is Vothear’s friend. Vanna has a job associated with the conservation of this temple complex. Then we start visiting the first temple.

Prasat Bakan is the largest temple enclosure constructed during the Angkor Period. Some of the structures are as old as from the 9th century. This place is said to have been the second city during those times, and the most important kings of Cambodia have lived here in times. The temple complex covers 5sq km.

We start with the central structure. It was badly looted as late as in the middle of the 90s, not least by members of the army, with hammers, pneumatic drills and mechanic diggers, looking for treasures. Most of the buildings collapsed and the ground is covered with rocks.

We walk around and later climb up the central tower to sit on top, have a smoke and appreciate the scenery.

This is the entrance.

Most of the gate is collapsed already.

This is inside. In the center is one of the few towers which are still standing.

This is the inner gate, picture taken from the top of the central tower.

Later we walk back to the motos and ride a few hundred meters. On the way we have a look at this ancient bridge, still in use but partly about to collapse.

We pass another temple but do not stop to explore it.

After about 20 minutes we reach this temple.

Like most of the temples I see here it looks like it could use some efforts aiming at its conservation.

Then we ride back to the village, with Vanna. We arrive at his house and rest for a bit, while it is rapidly getting dark. Like most rural Khmer house, this one is open and has just one room. However, it is relatively wealthy, built on stilts and made of costly timber and with a modern roof made of corrugated iron. The idea is to spend the night here. As anywhere, kids are curious and after some minutes a number of them hang out at the door to watch us.

Most villagers here are relatively poor and there is no electricity. Yet it is not very quite in the village, as there are countless noisy animals. We have conversations, partly involving Vanna’s charming wife. I learn that most people around here are farmers and sell rice, pigs, or chicken in the market about 45 km from here. There are some motos, of course. Gasoline is brought in with the oxcart and costs about 3000 Riel a liter. There is a school, but only a minority of the children attends classes, because there are only two teachers. Later we have food, which is excellent.

Food is served first for man while women and children are waiting.

Still later we continue discussion. I am taught some new words Khmer and suggest in turn questions and phrases to guide tourist in English through the temples. It has been dark for many hours and the village has gotten pretty quite. At about ten we go to bed. The family has accumulated a number of mats and pillows in one corner of the room and attached a mosquito net. They leave the room to us, more than I would have asked for. Vothea prefers to sleep in a hammock.

Next day is Sunday and I get up at 7:30 am, and have a shower and breakfast in the guesthouse. I ask one of the waiters whether he knows a good guide and of course he does. So I wait ten minutes and get introduced to Vothea. He is 30 years old, friendly and speaks reasonable English. While having breakfast we agree to visit the temple city of Sambor Prei Kuk and later in the afternoon travel to Phnom Santuk.

We kick of at about 9 pm, fill up the motos and ride north on a recently constructed dust road, which is in good condition. We turn left immediately after we pass the bridge. Our way leads us through fertile lowland with rice fields and a number of villages. Many people are harvesting in the field, in many cases children. Most of the time we see only the bicycles at the roadside, while people are working fare away, deep in the rice field. Sambor Pre Kuk is only about 35 km from Kampong Thom. We are riding with two bikes and moderate speed. So I have the chance to pay attention to the environment.

This is Vothea on his moto.

Once in a while I stop and take pictures. With my bike on this road I can easily catch up with Vothea. The scenery is pretty idyllic.

People are harvesting all over the place. This is hard work, compounded by the hot sun and the fact that there is no shadow.

As the road is dry and sandy, riding on it creates a lot of dust. Yet we are happy that there is a strong breeze, taking away clouds of dust quickly. Before we reach the temples we pass a tourist information. There is no ticket or entrance fee, but I am requested to give a contribution (“Could you please pay some money”), which I do.

The ‘Tourist Information’.

It is impossible for me to keep the names of all those temples in mind. So I provide this map and mention that we visit the Prasat Sambor complex first, and then see Prasat Tor and Prasat Yeay Puon next. With less than one day time it is impossible to see every temple around here.

We reach some huts with basic Khmer restaurants. Ruins of ancient temples are close by. Those structures are Preangkorian and served as the capital of the Isunapura Empire between the 6th and 8th century. At this time those temples where the highest buildings in South East Asia. This is said to be the oldest side within today’s Cambodia. More than 1300 years old.

This is the first temple we see. A number of carvings can still be recognized on its walls.

This one is octagonal, for a change.

It is made of bricks.

This one is almost closed at the top and because it is dark inside a number of bats inhabits it.

The bottoms of those temples consist of huge and heavy, flat rock. In any cases those rocks are broken or removed, mostly by looters looking for valuable ancient objects.

Most people we see are local Khmer.

Yet another temple. There are so many of them, too many to stand all of them.

In between I ran out of battery and we go back to our motos where I have another set and stop at the food place to have chicken with rice for lunch. We see a number of tourists, mostly Khmer from Phnom Pen.

This temple looks very different from the others, almost like made from concrete.

However, it is sandstone with some nice carvings. And the impacts of bullets from I do not know which recent armed confrontation.

This is a bomb crater, created by American air forces.

This temple is a fascinating one, with a tree growing out of and all over it.

Khmer family taking pictures in front of this nice carving.

Temples are all over the place.

Japanese scientists, taking a three dimensional picture with a laser camera.

This is where the local conservation project is located. This picture is somewhat symptomatically. This building was erected by the French and suffered badly during armed confrontations. So it seems the conservation projects’ building itself is in need of conservation.

At one point I get to talk to another guide (Sokhom) about my plans to travel to Preah Vihear temple. Initially I was planning to go tomorrow via Tbaeng Mean Chey on road 84 on my own. Guide books mention this road is tough but colleagues told me it is in good condition and easy to ride by now. From Tbaeng Mean Chey, which is the provincial capital of Preah Vihear province, I was planning to see Kaoh Ker on a day trip and continue north to Preah Vihear Temple the next day. The last stretch is said to be particularly challenging.

However, Sokhom and Sothear keep telling me about an alternative route, which is more adventurous. This route would pass Prasat Bakan on the first day, Kaoh Ker on the second and finally Preah Vihear Temple on the third day, while nights would be spend in villages. This route does not touch on Tbaeng Mean Chey at all. They suggest going on Road 84 only for a short distance and then following oxcart trails.

There is nothing in my map that would suggest that it is possible to do what those guys describe. Interestingly, none of my guidebooks indicates that there is a route like that either. Instead, most of them suggest visiting the locations in daytrips from Tbaeng Mean Chey.

Although this route would take three days to Preah Vihear temple it seems a promising thing to do. After all, it would touch on the most fascinating spots in Preah Vihear province, which would otherwise necessitate a day trip from the provincial capital each, with only few hours left to explore the temples. Sokhom and Vothea tell me they are the only guides in town who know the route and take maybe one or two persons on this trip per month. They say it is difficult and some people failed and came back quickly. Sokhom tells me that a dirt bike tends to be more difficult to ride in this terrain.

I see only very few tourists in or around those temples, most of them Khmer. There are two other dirt bikes and locals tell me it is Germans who came on them. I talk briefly to those guys but they have no intention to go to Preah Vihear.

It is already about 3:30 pm when we leave Sambor Prey Kuk the same way we came. I keep thinking about my travel plans for the next days while we move to Phnom Santuk. In order to get there we ride all the way back to Kampong Thom, pass it and travel on National Road 6 towards Phnom Penh, maybe about 20km on bad, bad road. However, it is daylight and we are riding slowly. Vothea travels on a Honda Wave with 100 ccm and we cannot go very fast anyway. It is an easy ride and I enjoy the exercise of riding slalom around potholes which are actually not very significant for my bike. Then we leave the national road to the north and travel for about two kilometers on a dirt road towards a huge mountain, which dominates the otherwise flat landscape.

Peasant, raising ducks.

We leave the bikes and start climbing up the 809 stairs leading up to the top. There is a number of old people who are begging and some children. A boy gives us company and I learn that he is deaf and dumb. However, he seems to be smart. And he is used to explain meaning in gestures. As I do not speak Khmer anyway I can communicate much easier with him than with his monolingual peers.

The handrail to the left depicts a Naga being hold by women, while it is man holding the handrail to the right.

Those staircases are actually pretty cute. The way involves many turns and stairs are sometimes very high and sometimes fairly flat. When we reach the top we see a number of monkeys. Later we meet Phillip, who is from southern Germany. He is 28 years old and studied economics and engineering. He works now as international manager for a German company and has vacation. Phillip travels on his own. He joins us and we talk a lot in German. We visit a number of spots on the top of the mountain. Later we sit down on a rock, talk and observe the sun setting down.

This is inside the concrete temple on top. To the right is a piece of laterite in an aquarium with water to demonstrate that this laterite has a lower density than water, I guess.

There are a number of Chinese temples, made of concrete, too.

We come across a number of Buddha, partly lying. They are said to be as old as from the 9th century, but there is no way for me to verify this information. Those Buddha are huge.

This is when we sit on the rock watching sunset.

It is almost dark when we leave the place. The ride back is somewhat more difficult. Later we meet Phillip for diner at the guesthouse. We talk a lot. I have still to make up my mind where I want to go tomorrow and which way to choose to get to Preah Vihear temples. For the time being I agree with Vothea to meet tomorrow at 8 pm. For the time being we assume we take the adventurous route through the jungle he suggested.

I get up at 7:30 am. The plan is to have breakfast at riverside and buy some stuff in the market before heading to Preah Vihear.

This is where I have breakfast at riverside.

People ensured me that it is possible to reach Tbaeng Mean Chey, the provincial capital of Preah Vihear province, in only one day from Phnom Penh. Yet it is the second half of the distance where the road is said to be adventurous. At the same time not many people live along this stretch of the road. So it is here where I do not want to get stuck or ride at night. I am planning to go just the 165 km to Kampong Thom, which is more than half the total distance, but on national roads. Actually, as I have been traveling to Kompong Thom by moto before I expect this to be a two hours’ ride.

After I return from the market I pack my stuff and tight it carefully to the moto. Learning from past experience I have reduced the weight of my luggage significantly.

I have gotten the moto yesterday evening at lucky! lucky! As usual this is not a smooth process. I talk to the managers’ sister and she promises me one of the best bikes for just $8, as I am a frequent customer. However, I learn that a group of five people will have the first choice in the afternoon, as they pay $14 per day.

When I get back in the evening there are only few bikes left. Among those, a Honda Baja seems to the best choice. I talk to the manager and he insists on $9, because I go to the countryside and he is concerned about his moto. As usual, he keeps telling me how good and well maintained his bikes are.

I decided to ride the Bike to the Phnom Penh Bike Shop and have those guys check it. After all, lucky is their competitor. After a short ride and a critical check they say the bike is ok but the front brake needs new lining. So I ride back to lucky. After some discussion the owner agrees to replace the lining and one of the employees starts taking care of that, not very enthusiastically, though. I am prepared to wait for a bit. However, it takes a long time to readjust the brake. It is taken apart and reassembled several times but still does not work properly.

This is busy Monivong Boulevard, at lunchtime on Saturday.

This is lucky in the background, with this man taking care of my brake in the foreground.

Meanwhile I try to convince the manager that he should provide me with spare parts and tools. He does not like the idea and all I get is a clutch cable. In particular, he says I don’t need a clutch lever or a tube. One after the other, various mechanics work on my bike. I wonder how much they charge the stand, after I broke the stand of one bike various times on another trip. On one occasion the bike drops and falls down with my luggage, in a lot of noise. The owner has been reading the newspaper and looks pretty upset. Ironically, the clutch lever is broken and he has to replace it. Watching those guys managing their bikes does not exactly help me to thrust this company and the way they maintain their bikes.

I actually spend almost three hours before I can kick of. There is not much to do and I get bored and inpatient. I kick off only at about 2:30 pm, still assuming to reach Kampong Thom after two hours and having the chance to see the temples there (Sambor Prei Kuk).

The first 84 km from Phnom Penh I travel towards Kampong Cham. I have been riding this road half a dozen times and travel with good speed. I reach Skun after about one hour and turn left to remain on National Road 6 to Siem Reap. The road is still good and there is not too much traffic. Once in a while there are short but bumpy unpaved stretches, forcing cars to reduce their speed. Like the one in the background.

No problems with the bike so far.

Overall, the road is pretty ok.

Last time I was traveling this road in the rainy season. Compared to that, it is a very dusty affair this time whenever unpaved road is involved. Only later on the road is getting more bumpy, about 50 km before Kampong Thom capital. However, after only few hundred meters of bumps my headlights brake off all of a sudden. Those headlights are big and this is one of the advantages of this bike. Furthermore, the starter and mountings are attached to the headlights. It takes me some time to belief that those two big headlights are hanging down the handle bar, kept from falling only be electrical and hydraulic cables. And this after not even two hours of traveling on national road. Only few hours ago the owner told me all about the virtues of his bikes.

Bumpy road.

Broken headlight.

There is significant traffic, involving a lot of dust.

I stop for some time to think what I do next. I take some pictures and than continue slowly on the bumpy road, watching out for a mechanic. After about five km I find some sort of garage. It is obvious what the problem is and they agree to fix it. People are really nice and appear to be trustworthy. So I leave my stuff here and look for a restaurant, to make efficient use of the few hours that remain today.

This is where I find the mechanic.

I find a place which looks like a restaurant, without customers. I ask for food and agree on soup with beef and noodles. What I get after few minutes is a cooker with a pot and boiling water. One of the ladies adds vegetables and spices. And she brings more spices, various noodles, beef, eggs and vegetables. I learn that she usually sells shoes in the market. This restaurant serves as karaoke place at night. It takes time to prepare the food, which turns out to be very tasty.

This is the food I am having for just about $1.50.

I spend about one hour before I leave, confident that my bike might be fixed already. Yet when I arrive everything is till very disassembled.

Obviously, this will take at least another hour. Yet people seem to be competently working on it. I sit down and start talking to a man. He looks like he is 45 but tells me he is 61 and has five children. He has been a teacher for more than 16 years. This is his home village and he studied in Kampong Cham. I think this is a god chance to work on my Khmer. So I ask many words and write down, practice counting and so on. He is a good and patient teacher and a nice person. However, I am slightly frustrated that it would be too late for anything in Kampong Thom by the time I arrive. Shadows are getting longer and there is still not much progress.

Many vehicles pass on the road outside.

Finally, everything works out. They ask for modest $5 and I give six before I leave to Kampong Thom, which is only about 40 km from here. The road is getting worse. I feel it has been much better just three months ago. And it is getting dark rapidly. Closer to town there are more vehicles on the road, creating a lot of dust. It is impossible to evade all of the potholes. There are long, unpaved stretches and sometimes I cannot see anything. Moreover, cars coming the other direction are blinding me constantly, forcing me to go significantly slower until I can see again. On one occasion I do not see a construction side in time and ride into a heap of sand, almost loosing control. On another occasion, an insect get stuck in my helmet and bites me really bad.

Finally I reach Kampong Thom. The Arun Rea guesthouse is said to be cheap and clean and I find it easily at the main road, next to the market. I check in and get a clean room with bathroom, TV and fan for just $3. I have a shower, watch a bit TV and spend some time sitting on the terrace watching the social interaction in the street below me.

Main road in Kampong Thom provincial capital.

Still later I go to bed.

This is the last weekend before I go back to Germany. I did not have much vacation so far and manage to get a day off on Monday. I always wanted to travel to Siem Reap and to see Angkor Wat but unfortunately I did not yet get the chance to go. So I thought better one day in Siem Reap than not at all.

I have planned to go to Siem Reap by moto for quite some time. And I have tried to find somebody to give me company. However, I did not find anybody who had both time and interest to go. After all, it is a distance of about 350 km one way.

So I decide to go on my own. The plan is to leave Saturday early in Phnom Penh in order to arrive in Siem Reap early enough to buy the ticket and see the sunset. The next day would be dedicated to visit the temples. And on Monday I would have to travel back early enough to go to work on Tuesday again.

Saturday I get of at about 8 am and go to riverside to have breakfast. This picture is taken from the restaurant at the Mekong River, which is in the background.

I have extensive breakfast. Then I take the moto dop to ‘Lucky! Lucky!’, my preferred moto rental service. The manager is not here today and I get to speak to his sister, which happens frequently. Usually he tries to give me the smaller bikes. However, she is very friendly and not as concerned about the bikes. Typically she is happy to give me whatever I ask for.

I came with the intention to get one of the lower (and cheaper) 250 ccm bikes. However, the lady tried to persuade me to take one of the bigger bikes. This is getting me into the area of the $8 bikes, which is still a fair price. Since I am choosing among the bigger bikes now I go for the biggest one available among them. After all, this is my last weekend in Cambodia.

The lady is still ok with giving me the bike. However, she informs me that it is $10 instead of $8 when the bike is driven outside Phnom Penh. I though this is still an ok price and I do not want to spend more time with negotiations. So I decide to take the bike and finalize the paper work. I bought some strong stripes the other day and take some time to fix my bag well to the moto. Then I leave to the north, to reach the road to Kompong Cham.

I have been traveling on this road before and thought this is one of the best roads I have been traveling on in Cambodia. I presume it is national road number seven, but are not exactly sure about the numbers.

As long as I am still close to Phnom Penh there is dense traffic which allows only for very low speed. Shortly after one crosses the Japanese bridge in the north of Phnom Penh it takes about 12 km until one reaches the first point where national police is monitoring the traffic. This usually means for the involved officers to collect bribes from bus and truck drivers. I have heard that tourists on big motos are easy targets for underpaid police men to extract some money. One of my guide books advises not to see the police in the first place, since it is too late after eye contact is established.

Since I am riding with a helmet with dark visor there is not much eye contact anyway. However, when I pass the spot two of the police men use their pipes, apparently to stop me. I am pretty sure that this was aimed at me but by that time I had almost passed them. So I just kept driving with the traffic without moving my head or reacting in any way to those signals. Only for a short time I am concerned they might be following me.

Going to Siem Reap it is important to leave this road at the traffic circle in Skun. This is about 50 km before one reaches Kompong Cham town. One has to turn left to get on national road six to Kompong Thom and Siem Reap.

Few km after I passed Skun I stop to have some food. I see this sort of restaurant, which does not look particularly charming.

I order some fried noodles and a soft drink. A Khmer guy comes over to sit on my table. We start a conversation and it turns out quickly that he had spent some time in Germany. Eastern Germany. He went to Rostock to study mechanical engineering. And he speaks fair German with this funny accent they have up there. This guy is working as an assistant to a German physician who is practicing here in town.

An animal transport arrives some time later. A good number of pigs are tight to a rack and to each other in two layers on this truck. This is a good number of pigs. Those pigs are tight well to the truck, so that they cannot move. But they make a lot of noise, indicating that they are not exactly comfortable.

It is a hot day around here and the pigs are getting a shower.

After some time, when the driver wants to leave again, the car get stuck. This does not come as surprise, since the truck is badly overloaded with all those pigs. People try reluctantly to free the car, but do not have much success.

However, I have still a long way to go and leave without waiting for the final result of those endeavors.

The road from here is not as plain as the road through Kompong Cham. After only 20 km from Skun one reaches the border of Kompong Thom province. Not only is the road not plain, but on a high number of relatively short stretches it is not paved and very bumpy. There are not as many cars on this road as there are on national road 7. Together this makes riding the motor bike an enjoyable affair. Whereas cars have to reduce the speed significantly to pass the bumpy distances with the moto one can travel with more steady and relatively high speed. And I know that I still have a long way of about 170 km to go.

I stop only few kilometers before I reach Kompong Thom. This is how the road looks like around here. This is what is called dust road and is comfortable in the current condition, when it is not too wet.

This is the moto, when it is still fairly clean.

I keep driving and pass Kompong Thom provincial capital. Shortly after passing the town one has to turn slightly left in order to stay on the road to Siem Reap. The road is getting better. It is mostly paved and pretty even, partly without any potholes. Moreover, there are only few vehicles on the road. So I can travel with fairly high speed.

Maybe about 30 km later it looks increasingly like it will start raining soon. When it starts raining I am getting wet a bit but manage to make it to this small restaurant like business at the road. People are very friendly and provide me with some plastic to cover my bag on the bike.

This is how the road looks like most of the time on this stretch.

This is how it looks like behind the shop at the road. I though this place is pretty cute.

Rain is getting stronger.

Only after I have spent about 45 minutes the rain starts getting weaker and finally stops entirely. I get on the bike again and keep driving. It is still very cloudy. The paved parts of the road are increasingly interrupted by unpaved and partly bumpy stretches.

This is what I see when I look down on me. The bike would have been the first one I see in Cambodia with a functioning tachometer.

More and more it looks like it is about to rain.

It starts raining after I pass one of the view towns. I am looking for a place where I can wait without getting wet. However, I cannot see something suitable. The rain is getting stronger and I decide to stop at one of those small huts, which provides a bit of cover from the rain. Given that there are quite strong winds and the fact that the roof is not exactly tight the hut does not prevent anything from getting wet.

I am lucky enough to have my complete rain gear with me. However, deep down in my bag. So it takes me some time to get on those pants and the jacket. After I made it I feel much better prepared to cope with the weather. But I decide to wait since the rain is very strong.

Although it keeps raining for about one hour, vehicles and people with animals keep passing this place.

The rain does not really stop but is getting somewhat weaker. It is still raining heavily when I decide to continue the trip. I am kind of concerned that it gets dark long before I reach Siem Reap, which is not a pleasing prospect. I do not know the area and I do not have time to spend the night somewhere else then in Siem Reap town.

The strong rain makes it difficult to recognize potholes or other obstacles on the road. So I cannot ride as fast anymore. Passing cars, predominantly trucks, splash big amounts of mud and dirty water all over the road. When those splashes hit my helmet it is difficult to see anything at all. Open the visor does not make it easier, since the stuff is flying straight into my face.

I presume that the road is most of the time not paved, since there is so much mud around. Even if parts of this road would be paved it would not make much of a difference given the thick layer of mud.

The rain is sometimes getting weaker or stronger but does not stop entirely. I continue driving without knowing how far it is from here to Phnom Penh. At some point I check the petrol and decide to get some fuel on the road. Even that turns out to be difficult since I cannot recognize those small shops along the street anymore through the thick layer of mud on my helmet. Finally I manage to get it.

It is getting dark while I am still riding on this road with relatively low speed. Only when it is almost entirely dark the road becomes better rapidly and the traffic increases. Shortly later I find myself in the dense traffic of Siem Reap provincial capital. This town turns out to be much more urban than I expected. I checked both of my guide books earlier and hat decided to go to the Popular Guesthouse, which is said to be cheap.

It took me some time to find the place. I kept getting contradicting advice in poor English and continued to drive around. Only after about half an hour I managed to find the guest house. This is in the court yard of the guest house together with the owner and one of the employees who is trying my helmet and glasses. At this point the moto is not clean anymore and neither am I.

Most of the rooms are occupied and what I get is a room with two beds for the price of a room with one bed which is $5. This is acceptable, given that prices in Siem Reap are generally higher than in Phnom Penh.

I feel very tired. So I decide to have a shower and some diner. I talk to the owner of the guesthouse in order to find a guide for tomorrow who is capable but not too expensive. He introduces me to Mr. Kim, who is 24 years old and supposedly studies ancient history of the temples. Mr. Kim appears with a book about the temples in his hand which makes me confident. I thought it would be a good idea to go on a ride through the town to get accommodated. What I get to see is a number of roads and markets which present a strong contrast to the rural areas I was passing on the way here. There are dozens of expensive hotels, restaurants, bars and a high proportion of tourists among those walking on the streets.

Mr. Kim turned out to be only moderately helpful, since he did not know too much about history and his English was fairly poor. However, at this point it would have been impolite to tell him I won’t need him tomorrow and I decide to explore the temples with him tomorrow.

In order to see Angkor Wat during the sun set we have to start at 5 am. This is quite early for me, particularly after this exhausting day. So at about 10 am we ride back to the hotel to get enough sleep.