“It feels good to be lost in the right direction…”
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| (A painting on the wall - the Apsara Dancers) |
Day 04: 13 December 2015 (Sunday)
Route: Siem Reap - Stung Treng
Distance: 507 km
After a short briefing and recital of prayers, around 09:30 we started riding out of Siem Reap. As usual everyone entered the destination coordinates in their GPS. In one small town along the way, because of heavy traffic and road construction, the group was split from Tuan Shawal. Our GPS was showing a different route and requesting to make a u-turn.
The group stopped by the roadside to check on the routing. Meanwhile, realizing that the group was not in sight, Tuan Shawal made a turn back and joined the group. By group consensus, we decided to follow Tuan Shawal’s GPS routing to Stung Treng, which was different from ours.
The journey meandered along the Mekong River through traditional villages of Muslim Community, Kampong Cham and Kratie. If you want to have a peep at a way of life of the Muslims in Cambodia, riding through their kampung and bendang, is an opportunity not to be missed. Situated along side the Mekong and surrounded by pockets of bamboo forest and friendly villages, there are small towns act as the jumping off point for boat trips to see rare Irrawaddy dolphins.
Some stretches of the road were good but most were under construction, dusty and bumpy, but heaven for dirt bike enthusiasts. We rode slowly and carefully on the un-tarmac roads avoiding potholes and rocks. We reached Stung Treng and checked in Sun Tha Guesthouse very late at night, clocking double the distance from the original routing. Although off-roading in the dark was a little tough for us with poor night sight, it was a very good experience and we reached our destination safely without any incidents.
I was quite surprised that some ‘experienced’ riders found the route treacherous and wearing their patience super thin. For me, there was no reason to be agitated and shed tears.
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| (Riding on un-paved road at night) |
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| (Fresh morning air of Siem Reap) |
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| (Riding out of town, heading towards the border) |
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| (Riding with the sun in our eyes) |
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| (Cambodia is upgrading most highways) |
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| (Dusty off-roading for quite a distance) |
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| (Beware of lorries and steam-rolls in the middle of the road) |
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| (A short break away from the red dust) |
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| (Cambodian children playing along the highway) |
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| (Slippery and muddy at some stretches) |
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| (Road-side stalls selling food, life must go on) |
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| (Sandwiched between heavy vehicles) |
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| (Even towns are not spared) |
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| (Crossing rivers and swamps) |
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| (A short split. We lost sight of our lead) |
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| (Continued riding on the un-tarmac road) |
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| (A true adventure experience in Cambodia) |
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| (A critical junction to Stung Treng) |
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| (Passing through small villages) |
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| (And through small towns) |
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| (Crossing rivers, small and large) |
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| (Continue riding on a trunk road) |
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| (Beware of animals crossing) |
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| (A remote, quiet town in the middle of nowhere) |
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| (Refueling and double checking on the routing) |
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| (The sun is setting fast) |
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| (A beautiful floating mosque in Kampong Cham) |
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| (Riding into a crowded market place) |
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| (A beautiful sunset by the Mekong) |
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