Thailand - Cambodia
We arrived in Thailand by air; not at all our usual style but we thought it was impossible to come overland from the Indian subcontinent to Thailand.
Firstly the crazy money China demands from those bringing in their own vehicle is prohibitive for us (around US$200 per day) and secondly, because Myanmar doesnt allow travellers to transit across the country, or so we thought .
We have since learnt that a German couple we met in Goa HAVE made it through from India to Thailand via Myanmar in their Landrover after successfully petitioning the Myanmar Embassy in Delhi. It took them two months but they finally got permission and a visa to follow a specific pre-determined route. So we are a bit jealous.
The heat and humidity in Bangkok left us reeling for a few days on arrival as there was no gradual climatic change for us this time.
Click here to see river view of Bangkok
Were surprised to see how much Bangkok has developed since we were last here. Its a gleaming modern city of 9 million inhabitants with 6 lane expressways and orderly traffic. A stark contrast to the Indian sub-continent and we were sent into shock that people really were using their indicators then turning them off again.
We spent a few days playing tourist around town before we could pick up B.O.B. (Battered, Oily and Beastly) from the airport. I spent all morning with customs whilst paperwork was shunted around offices, but finally I was back on the road again trying to find my way around a busy city without much idea of where I was going. Nothing new there but at least no cows to try to avoid ...We left the bike at Siam Superbikes, a shop and workshop owned by Peter Reid, a Kiwi ex-pat. The bike got treated to some much needed tyres, new fork seals fitted, a new camchain & tensioner, smaller front sprocket, carb cleaning and balancing and a replacement coil (a facial and manicure according to Lisa) and is a pleasure to ride again. Peter was great getting the work turned around in only a few days and the labour rate in this part of the world suits us.
Click here to see reclining Buddha
We caught up with other motorcycle travellers we had met in Kathmandu. Heidi and Bernd (www.welt-tour.com) were staying at the same guest house and we also met up with Mike Coan & Susan Ebers, an American couple travelling the world on a Yamaha GTS1000 but being far more sensible about it than us as they have taken 5 years so far (www.ttg-global.com).
So, a week after we flew into the country we were back on the road and heading for Cambodia.
We had an easy ride from Bangkok to the border and crossed into Cambodia at Poipet that afternoon, one of the quickest, easiest border crossings we have had yet.
Poipets raison d๊tre is to fleece Thai gamblers. There are a string of flash casinos complete with affluent gamblers but also lots of very poor locals trying to scratch a living - quite a contrast.
Click here to see Poipet petrol station
Riding from Poipet through to Siem Reap was our first taste of Cambodian roads. The first 50km or so was on undulating tarmac where we had to watch out for the potholes, then at Sisophon the seal ended and we were on a well graded red dirt road. Great fun to ride but we wouldnt want to be here when the monsoons hit.
click here to see Poipet - Siem Reap road
We arrived dirty, dusty and happy at Siem Reap, then spent several days using it as a base from which to explore the temples of Angkor.
Click here to see some of the huge sculptured faces at the Bayon
These temples are the premier tourist attraction in Cambodia and are justly popular with both foreigners and Cambodians alike. Unbeknown to us we had arrived during the middle of the Cambodian New Year celebrations and the temples were swarming with thousands of Cambodians enjoying the cultural heart and soul of their nation.
Click here for new year celebrations
Due to the crowds and the overwhelming heat reaching close to 40 each day we took our time, visiting in the mornings and late afternoon but hiding from the midday sun at our guesthouse.
Click here to see Lisa at Ta Phrom
Click here to see monks at Angkor Wat
The temples, built between the 9th and 14th centuries at the height of the Khmer civilisation, are pretty amazing and are a great place to explore by bike as they cover such a huge area. Weve been enthralled by the exquisite bas-reliefs and the sublime beauty of the jungle slowly reclaiming the temples.
Click here to see bas-reliefs from Banteay Srei
Heidi and Bernd on their KTMs (www.welt-tour.com) caught up with us in Siem Reap, spent a couple of days at Angkor then went on ahead.
Most things in Cambodia are charged in US dollars so things get rounded up to the nearest dollar and it ends up being costly relative to other South East Asian countries.
As in many developing countries, foreigners here usually get charged a lot more for everything than locals, sometimes its obvious and at other times its the try and charge the westerner as much as you think you can get away with thing which becomes frustrating after a while. This price difference was particularly apparent for Angkor where entry is free for locals but $20/day for foreigners.
Click here to see victims of land mines
Siem Reap is the countrys second city yet the road connecting it with the capital, Phnom Penh, also has large sections that are unpaved and must become hellish in the wet. Pre-monsoon though its well graded and no problem for the TDM, especially with the new dirt tyres.
We really liked Phnom Penh with its French colonial buildings, beautiful palaces and temples, great cafes stretching along the palm lined riverfront but most of all its good vibe. French baguettes, iced coffees, dragon fruit, pineapples and mangoes, barbequed squid and fish curries and of course the local Angkor beer.
Lisa couldnt resist the cheap shopping at its many markets (7 handbags in 7 days) and my bag also gained a few extra kilos...
Click here to see a heavy load
Sadly Phnom Penh also contains some chilling reminders of the horror the country endured under the Khmer Rouge - mass graves and an infamous prison where 14,000 were tortured and killed. The country is still getting back on its feet after many years of civil war and its very sad to see so many amputees - innocent victims of land mines, many of which remain in the fields.
The heat and humidity here during the hot season is pretty intense so it was with great pleasure that we rode down to Sihanoukville to hang out at the beach and chill for a few days. Our first taste of the Gulf of Thailand and its great. Lots of swimming, beach walks, great food, relaxing days and some spectacular electrical storms in the evenings.
Click here to see where we got our morning baguettes
We had left the best (or maybe the worst) ride until last. From Sihanoukville through to the border town Krong Koh Kong is only about 240 km but took us about 6 hours. For the first 90 km we backtracked up the road towards Phnom Penh, the best road in the country, and this took us just under an hour. The next 150 km was along a heavily corrugated dirt road, deeply rained rutted in places, through lush jungle with 4 river crossings. OK, so the river crossings were no drama as there were ferries to cross them all, but waiting for them slowed our progress and getting on and off them left no room for error.
Click here to see wonderful Cambodian roads
Once again a great days ride for me - just like dirt biking but with an extra 300kg. Im sure Lisa would have been happier if the road had been sealed though.
Cambodia has had the most dirt roads of any country we have visited, but by no means the worst roads (at least during the dry season). We found far worse roads in India, Nepal and Pakistan. The TDM has proven itself up to the job of carrying the 2 of us and far too much luggage across some grotty roads thanks to the dual purpose tyres and the lower gearing we fitted in Bangkok.
Click here to see monks at Angkor
So now we are back in Thailand. Excellent roads, sensible traffic and everything geared up to make life easy for the tourist. All too soon I imagine Cambodia will also be like this. Best to visit now before it all becomes sanitised.