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.

Next day I get up at seven and go to the restaurant again to have breakfast. The plan is to spend some hours around Anlong Veng, to visit the relevant Khmer Rouge places. In the afternoon I want to leave Anlong Veng and ride to Siem Reap provincial capital, which is about 200 km from here.

After breakfast I kick of with the owner of the restaurant. We go with my bike. By now I don’t mind taking people on my bike. Everybody does. First we visit the local tourism office. The door is open but nobody is here. We find a name card and I call the guy. I learn that he is in the mountains right now, taking pictures for the provincial department of tourism’s homepage. He suggests we ride up the mountain and meet him there.

And this is what we do. Maybe for about 10 km we follow the main road to the north, which is broad and easy to ride. This changes when we reach the bottom of the mountain. Some distances are pretty steep. Others are covered with rocks or sand. However, it is not too steep and I even enjoy the rough road.

On the way we pass the statues of some soldiers, carved out of a single rock by Khmer Rouge members. Government soldiers have decapitated those statues.

After another 20 minutes we reach the top of the mountain range, which marks the border to Thailand. There is an accumulation of stalls which serves as local market. We park the bike and follow a guy from the tourist police about hundred meters, before we reach the place where Pol Pot was cremated and buried. Those spots would be difficult to find if there where not signs telling the visitor what he sees. Apparently not much attention is paid to those sites and they are covered with rubbish.

The sign to the right says this is the place where Pol Pot was cremated. Under the roof in the background is his grave. This is how it ends.

By accident, we meet the French guys who I was talking to yesterday before they left. They actually found a guesthouse up here and told me about the beautiful view they have had from their balcony. And we meet Un Khemara, who works in the local tourist office and is the guy I was talking to on the phone. We arrange to meet later in town to visit Ta Mok’s house close to the town.

In order to visit Pol Pots residence in the mountains we have still about 15 km to go. We pass the market and continue on a narrow road, which however is an easy ride. We ride mostly through forest. Sometimes we come across people, mostly in uniforms. Other than that the places we pass are not without beauty. Sometimes we see small lakes.

We pass a guard and pay some money for the priviledge of visiting Pol Pots house. After a few minutes we reach the remains of a concrete structure. There is a basement from concrete, which looks like it served as a bunker. Unfortunately my guide does not seem to know much more about the place than I do. There is nobody and nothing here to educate us about the historical significance of the place. We come across some sort of basin but do not know whether it served as swimming pool or for irrigation. We assume the surroundings are mined and leave the place after few minutes. I do not feel like I want to visit more places like that without understanding what I see. So we ride all the way back, passing the market and the statues and speeding a bit on the rest of the road back to Anlong Veng.

I presume those are the remains of Pol Pot’s last residence.

The place is not without beauty.

This looks like some sort of swimming pool. We don’t manage to find out what its purpose is or was.

I bring the restaurant owner to his restaurant and tell him I will be back for lunch after one hour or so. Than I ride back to the tourist office, but Un Khemara is not here again. Instead I talk to his colleague. I call Khemara again and learn he is at Ta Mok’s residence, which is just around the corner. Un Khemara picks me up at the office and we ride to the place. This is located at an artificial lake. This lake caused those trees to die and shaped the bizarre sight of the surroundings.

This house was set up first by Ta Mok and he lived in it for some time. The radio for leading the battle with government forces was close by. Un Khemara is about 30 years old and claims he was adopted by Ta Mok when he was a child. He also goes by the name So Phorn but I do not know why it is that he has so many names. Ta Mok had three daughters but no boys and took care of him.

Later a more solid house with a concrete structure was constructed. We enter and find the walls of the basement covered with paintings of Angkor Wat and Preah Vihear Temple. This is where meetings of the highest ranking Khmer Rouge took place.

Painting of Angkor Wat.

Painting of Preah Vihear.

This is the view from the window, at the artificial lake next to the house.

To the left, straight behind the buffalo is what remains from one of Pol Pot’s residences. Actually there was a house but it burnt down and only the toilet is still here.

We climb up to the second floor. The walls here are painted again, with a waterfall scene, a map of Cambodia and temples again.

This is Ta Mok’s bedroom.

We spend some time talking. Un Khemara tells me on various occasions about the dam which is the cause of the artificial lake outside. Ta Mok wanted to create this lake to provide water for humans and animals and for irrigation. However, Pol Pot was opposed to the idea.

Furthermore I am told the Thai government provided support in exchange for timber and ancient remains from the temples. At some point supposedly the Thai government demanded Prey Vihear in exchange for such services, but Ta Mok rejected this idea.

Later we go the basement, where we find Ta Mok’s bathroom. There are actually bunker under two of those buildings, which were used when the houses came under fire.

This is Un Khemara in Ta Mok’s bathroom.

After some time we leave. Something at the stand of my bike is broken, but it is a minor problem and I bring the bike to one of the local mechanics. Un Khemara insists that we ride to his house first so that he can give me his name card. He serves as teacher, too and what I find is a small school with this tiny classroom and many students.

After some time we ride back to the restaurant to have late lunch. Afterwards we hang out and talk, which is interesting.

I learn that the owner moved actually only recently to Anlong Veng and lived in Kampong Cham before. It is getting later and later. Finally I say bye, pick up my bike at the mechanic and ride back to the guesthouse. I pack my stuff and attached it to the bike. Then I head to Siem Reap.

After some kilometers I enter dense jungle. The road is alright but not very even. After some time the potholes get deeper and deeper. However, the fine sand makes that it is a smooth ride. It is at least three hours from here to Siem Reap and I hurry, because I don’t want to ride at night.

I rarely come across people or vehicles. Paul had warned me earlier that the roads in Siem Reap are ok but the bridges are in a bad shape. So whenever I see a bridge I reduce the speed significantly. Some bridges are in fact in bad shape and this one is a good example, although certainly not the worst one. In many cases there is an alternative way through the jungle for cars.

Bridges around here are in a bad shape.

Later on there is not much forest anymore, and trees are only thinly spread. Those are the first trucks I see on this road.

After maybe about two hours I reach Banteay Srei temple. Unfortunately I would be allowed to enter only with the Angkor Wat ticket for $20 a day. So I order food at one of the numerous empty stalls along the road. Then I go to take at least a picture of the gate.

This is the gate of Banteay Srei Temple.

This is inside.

I enjoy my food very much. I learn that it is only about 30 km from here to Siem Reap. When I kick off again it starts getting dark. However, the road is paved nicely from here. I have not seen a paved road for a long time. Moreover, there is not too much travel. So I speed up the bike and enjoy it.

Those 30 km are longer than I have thought. I expect to reach the center of the city every few minutes. However, I keep going. Only slowly the road is getting busier. And finally, when it is dark, I find myself in the dense traffic of Siem Reap city. This town seems to be much busier now compared to the rainy season, when I came here last time. I head to the popular guesthouse again, where I spend the night on my last trip here.

I manage to get a room and have a shower. Later I get a moto and ride to the local Seeing Hands massage place. Although I have gotten this massage many times I enjoy it particularly after I rode the bike for many hours. After the massage I go to the local happy herbs pizza restaurant to have diner. I talk to a couple for some time, he from California, she from Malaysia, living together in Hong Kong and traveling Asia. She works for a Swiss Investment bank and he for the Times magazine. This makes for an interesting conversation. Later I leave to the guesthouse and go to bed.

The plan for today is to get up early, visit the temples again and leave to have breakfast at the bottom of the mountain. From here, I have the priviledge of Vothea’s company for another hour, before we go separate ways. Vothear will continue to Tbaeng Mean Chey and Kampong Thom. I intend to travel to Anlong Veng, the very last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge. I hope to visit Pol Pot’s grave and other relevant places today and continue all the way to Siem Reap, before I travel back to Phnom Penh the tomorrow.

We get up at about 5:30, have coffee and get ready to leave. Some time later we leave, when it is still dark, and climb up all the steps to temples on top of the mountain.

We come across this canon which was used by the Khmer Rouge to defend this mountain. There are some concrete bunkers next to the temple. It is still dark.

I spend some time walking through the buildings trying to get some shots. However, most pictures come out too dark.

Then we sit down at one of the gates at the temple and watch the sun rising. This is actually Boxing Day. The top of the mountain range to left marks the border line to Thailand.

Sometimes clouds drift through the temples.

The ancient pool, which is still used to satisfy local water needs.

After some time it is getting warmer and we walk back to the guesthouse. We learn that we can freely cross the border and visit the market on the Thai side of the border. We join one of the local cigarette seller and another police man and walk over. As soon as we cross the border we find a nicely paved road. This is how tourists arrive from the Thai side. Those people have no idea what we went trough to get here. However, we see only very few people, most of them Thai walking over to Cambodia to sell stuff in the market.

We walk a few hundred meters and find the market. However, most shops are still closed. We find a place where we get coffee and hang out for some time and talk. Later we order some food and eat. Still later we walk back to Cambodia, pack our stuff and climb up those steps again to reach our motos. We pay the shop owner some thousand Riels and start riding down the mountain. This again is somewhat difficult but more so for Vothear. On the way down we come along another, female tourist traveling on the back of a moto.

By the time we reach the bottom of the mountain my rear tyre is flat again.

We find a local mechanic who is willing to fix my bike. I am not sure whether this is still possible, as the flat tyre involves the valve again. We meet Sokhom again, the guide we met before in Sambor Prey Kuk. He just arrived with another tourist on the back of his moto. I learn that he actually made it all the way up from Kampong Thom to here in just two days, which is a bit frustrating to me. Sokhom’s customer wants to hike up the hill and Sokhom is free to join us. We have plenty of opportunity to talk, as fixing the tyre turns out to be difficult and takes a long time. Sokhom is very knowledgeable, about the temples and provinces as well as topics beyond that. He is 38 years old and speaks excellent English. We have some food, while the tyre is being fixed over and over again.

It is three hours after we arrived here when the tube finally can bear the pressure. I wonder for how long. It is already afternoon and I have no choice but to go only to Anlong Veng today, and continue tomorrow to Siem Reap.

We ride this good dirt road for about one hour before I have to turn right on another good dirt road, which is not in my map. From here Vothea’s and my way are not the same anymore. We fill up the motos and say good bye. Vothear ensures me that I can go all the way to Siem Reap with this tyre, in case I cannot find a spare one in Anlong Veng. Oddly, he tells me he made sure the tyre will make it. I wonder how he did that, as he was not even involved in fixing it the last time. Under good conditions, Along Veng is about 3 hours away.

After I ride for just only about 10 minutes it is not the question anymore whether to change the tube in Anlong Veng or Siem Reap. The rear tyre is flat again and Vothear is gone with the tool set. There is actually not much else I can do other than continue riding slowly on the flat tyre. And this is what I do. There is almost no traffic and I do not see a truck which could give me a ride to my next destination. First I ride very slowly, with the bike vibrating badly due to the flat tyre. I try to ride faster and find that with higher speed the bike stabilizes somewhat and is easier to ride. So I continue with maybe about 40 km per hour.

Frequently I come along places where the grass is burning. I learnt the other day this is done by local people, so that the grass can grow easier in the coming rainy season, providing more food for animals.

I am actually happy that the tyre made it all the way to this place, and that it broke on this excellent road, the best one I have seen in days. However, I move only slowly and time is passing by. Shadows are getting longer. I pass a village and wonder whether I should stop and try to fix the tube. Yet I do not think there is much left to be fixed and don’t want to wait another couple of hours, possible not even making it to Anlong Veng today. So I continue the ride.

It takes me about four hours to reach Anlong Veng. The first thing I do is to find the mechanic. I try to explain my situation and after some time I learn they have a spare tube for $7, which makes me very happy. I learn the guesthouse next door is full and look for another one. What I find is a very simple one but I do not want to spend much time checking out the alternatives.

It is about 4 pm and there are almost two hours left before it is dark. After some minutes rest I go to the mechanic and pick up my bike. Somewhat tense I try to find somebody who could possibly guide me to the Pol Pot places. I check out the market but cannot see a single moto driver. I ride to the guesthouses I saw when I arrived in Anlong Veng. And I find that those rooms are much nicer compared to what I have gotten. There are at least six guesthouses in Anlong Veng (the guide books suggest there are only two) and I ask in four of them for a guide. I fail to find a single English speaking person. I even go to the district office and talk to a number of uniformed people but in vain. I come across a number of French people traveling by moto as well. They are leaving to spend the night about 15 km from here. I wonder whether I should try to find the places on my own but the guide books suggest it is difficult to find the spots without locals.

I come along this lake a number of times. I knew that this place is significant but at this point not much more about it. And one of the few things I understand from the people I ask is that Ta Mok’s house is situated directly at this lake. The mountains in the background mark the boarder to Thailand. This is the last picture I take today.

It is almost dark when I stop at a restaurant. I order food and later talk to the owner, who is 24. He speaks a few words English, at least many more than I speak Khmer. I understand that he is born here and assume he is familiar with the local history. After I finish my diner I ask him whether he would be willing to join me to Pol Pots residence and grave in the mountains. After some discussions and a number of misunderstandings he agrees to meet in the morning at 8 am.

This is the first time I really feel the difficulties of not being able to speak the local language. I never visited a town where no bilingual person seems to be available. I assume it might be due to the Khmer Rouge which most likely did not encourage learning foreign languages.

Later I ride back to the guesthouse and go to bed early.

I am the last one to wake up this day and I ride with Paul to the local mechanic to have my exhaust pipe reattached. Later we go with Gerry, Vothea and Mr. Slim to a local food place and have coffee. Gerry and companion want to visit a temple close by since it is not too far to Prey Vihear I agree with Vothea to join them, before we head to Preah Vihear in the afternoon. He quickly finds a local guide to show us the way.

We leave the town to the north and after we pass some open land with sandy roads we are back on the oxcart trail. Vothea is traveling with the guide on his moto while Gerry is sitting on the back of Paul’s bike and the equipment is on Mr. Slim’s bike. When we have to pass an obstacle along this muddy water Vothea’s bike gets stuck and he and the bike fall. This is the first time I see him dropping his bike. Moreover, he is the only one not traveling on a dirt bike and only because of him we recognize how difficult this passage is. So I feel sorry that it is here where he falls in front of everybody.

This is shortly before we leave Choam Khsant.

Vothea’s bike just falls all the way from the path to the left into the mud in the middle. However, he and the guide manage to get off the bike in time and not to fall into the dirt.

We continue on very sandy road. What those guys have is something like the modern pendant to an oxcart. However, moving stuff with this vehicle is still very slow and involves hard work.

I am actually the only one traveling with just my own luggage and it is significantly easier to maneuver the bike for me.

Later sand turns into an oxcart trail with deep, sandy prints, difficult to see under the grass. Usually the best way is driving between the trails but balancing the bikes on this rough ground is a difficult exercise with a passenger on the back. After some time Vothea’s front tyre is flat. He stops to repair it while we continue the trip and agree to meet him later again. Once in a while we get stuck for some time or have a break.

We come across a local police post. We hire the police guy to have another guide. Only my bike is left to carry him. I ask him to carry my bag on his back. He does and takes his M 16 assault rifle upfront, before he gets on my bike. I feel somewhat concerned to drop this guy with his gun but he seems to be a friendly person.

This is where we pick up the police guy. The house in the background is the local police post.

We ride a few more kilometers before we reach the temple. I manage not to drop the police fellow. We walk through the dense vegetation, carefully stepping on rocks because we are not sure whether there are mines.

It is dark inside this temple and many bats seem to live in it. There is a long bamboo stick and Mr. Slim starts to shake it inside the temple. This steers up dozens or hundreds of bats, and in panic they fly back and forth in the narrow building. Some of them escape through the gate.

Mr. Slim managed to catch a bat.

Later Gerry arrives and starts taking pictures. This is a lengthy process, since it involves sophisticated technology. We spend some time and later climb up another building.

The police guy is actually from Kampong Cham and was recently send to Preah Vihear. I wonder that he has an American gun. In addition, it says ‘Property of US. Govt.’. The only M 16 I have seen so far in Cambodia are with the guards at the Royal Palace. Maybe this guy has gotten it from Thailand. Paul asks whether he can do one shot and the police guy agrees. So Paul shoots at Thailand. Later we go back to the motos.

I find that my exhaust pipe is broken off again.

We reach the police station again and pay the guy and the police $5 each. Then we go back to Choam Khsant. We do not find Vothea where we left him and assume he left to the town already. We try an alternative way but finally fail to pass at one point, so that we have to travel back.

We ride all the way back to the guesthouse, where we meet Vothea. He has hurt his foot and walking is painful. I go with Paul to the mechanic again but he is not available. So we go to another mechanic and Paul instructs him how to fix my exhaust properly.

There is a monkey living at this garage and we spend some time playing with this funny animal. This is when Paul proofs that he looks just like the monkey.

Later Gerry, Paul and his brother leave to Anlong Veng. I hang out with Vothea for some more time, before we decide to continue to Preah Vihear. We leave in the afternoon traveling on a good dirt road. It takes us about one hour. Then we can see the hill. However, I fail to recognize the temple on top. We reach a number of huts at the bottom of the hill. I pay about $2 entrance fee and get a ticket. We hang out for some time and then continue the trip.

The road from Choam Khsant to Preah Vihear is in excellent condition. However, at some point I realize that my tyre is flat again. So we spend another hour fixing it.

This is before we reach Preah Vihear. The temple is located on the very top of this mountain, but cannot easily be recognized from down here.

I read in my guidebooks that the road up the mountain is a tough one, involving steep stretches with rocks and sand. However, after I rode the bike all the way I want to ride the final stretch as well. In some of the turns at the very bottom it looks like construction work is underway and a few meters are stabilized with concrete. Later on it is just rough and partly very steep ground, covered with rocks and sand. Vothea has some problems riding up this mountain, as his bike is low and not very strong. For my bike those steep and rocky stretches look more difficult than they actually are.

At one point we have a break to cool down Vothea’s engine. We just passed a number of women and they stop when they reach us. I practice myfew words Khmer. I believe it is very exhausting for them to climb up the steep mountain and offer my water. Furthermore I feel bad for some time for wasting petrol riding this bike for fun while this road seems to be their daily way to work.

In total it takes us less than 30 minutes to reach the top of the mountain. The sun set is over already but there is some light left and I hurry up the mountain to get a few pictures before it is too dark.

This temple complex together with its location leaves deep impressions on its visitors and walking up through its various levels is an uplifting experience. You see the first temple with the sky above it. After you pass it you see the second temple with the sky above it and pass it. Then you see the last temple, which includes the central sanctum, again with the sky above it. This last temple is located at the highest point of this mountain range directly at the cliff. When you pass this temple there is nothing but sky. Deep underneath you is Cambodian landscape with details so small that they do not appear to be significant.

The way this temple situated makes it difficult to provide meaningful pictures. What you get on those pictures is just details of the temple but they do not tell you how nicely those details fit together to make up the beauty and charm of the whole.

This is what you see when you walk up towards the first level. I find the sign to the right somewhat nationalist. I learn later that this was put in place by the Apsara Authority. I might mention that this is a good example of what I call nation building in my report about minority rights but I do not want to get into the details here. I might mention, too, that Cambodia’s possession of this temple was being contested on various occasions. Thailand is very eager to have this temple. The latest controversy is going on right now. The reader might know that massive riots on January 29, 2003 destroyed the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh and various Thai businesses, causing damages of more than $50 m. The Cambodia Government has transferred $6 m already to the Thai government. However, some days ago a professor in Thailand suggested Cambodia should hand over Preah Vihear temple as compensation for the damage. This led to some controversy and even caused the Thai embassy to request the government in Cambodia to stop the circulation of newspapers carrying associated articles, a demand which was rejected by Cambodia’s government.

This is the second level.

This is the third level.

This is the central sanctum, which is the highest spot around here.

This is what is behind the central sanctum.

I do not see anybody around and start climbing the roof of the central sanctum. I am not sure how appropriate that is but I was encouraged by Khmer people on other occasions to climb central sanctums and think it is all right.

When I walk back some locals have light a fire to burn rubbish. The smoke adds to the mysterious atmosphere surrounding this structure.

I spend almost one hour before it is entirely dark and I walk back to meet Vothea at the bikes. We bring our bikes to a shop close by and ask people to take care of them. Then we hang out for some time at this level of the temple, having a smoke and reflecting on the day. Two guys come along and hang out for some time, too. I learn they are thirty years old and served as soldiers in the Khmer Rouge. Today they serve in the Royal Army and protect the border. They tell me that many soldiers died when the Khmer Rouge army tried to maintain this strategic position. Their live was miserably under the Khmer Rouge. However, they still receive only very small money, frequently very late. I cannot see their faces but it is interesting talking to them here at night. They tell me about the temple and the border and that Thailand still attempts to get those temples.

After some time they leave and later we start stepping down the steep stairs, too. After some hundred meters we arrive at some sort of village with a few shacks used mostly as souvenir shops. We find the guesthouse, which is very basic.

We have some rest and later order some food. There is just one table in the guesthouse and a police commander is sitting on it, too. We learn that he is from Phnom Penh and was transferred some month ago to this remote area, to protect the border. His family is still in Phnom Penh. It is somewhat strange to me that all sorts of police seem to be in charge of protecting borders. We talk about all sorts of things. Later I discuss my route for the next days with Vothea. The police guy is getting very excited when I get out my map. He spends considerable time on analyzing the course of the border in the map and comparing it to the official coordinates in his notes. We learn that the map in fact reflects current international agreement. However, on the ground the frontier has moved about 500 m into Cambodia, when Thai military took over Khmer Rouge positions.

Again, it is late when we go to bed. Next day we want to get up early to see the sunrise from the temples.

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.