The 6AM departure from Siem Reap was perfect with cloudy skies, a temperature of 27 degrees, a tail wind and few cars and cyclists on the road. A steady 28 to 29 kph was maintained through to the first rest point at Kampong Kdei where the support car caught up with the drinks and food. The temperature had risen to 34 degrees by this time and the skies were less cloudy, a bad sign. Shortly after leaving Kampong Kdei, the temperature started to climb rapidly into the high thirties and, eventually, to 40 degrees. Both of us were starting to burn under the blazing sun. The next break was at Stoung where Coke, water and fresh fruit was consumed. The half way mark had been passed with only 50 or so kms remaining of the first day’s ride. Even with the tail wind, the sun was continuing to provide harsh riding conditions. Another stop was taken at Prey Pros where sun block was again applied and cold drinks consumed before the final 25 kms were tackled. It was an early finish to the day’s riding, largely due to the tail wind but 143 kms had been covered in trying conditions. The Arunras Hotel was a welcome sight, as were the showers and beds and the pasta salads we had brought with us from Siem Reap. The early finish meant a longer recovery period before the 6AM start to Day 2.

As with the previous day, we started our ride at 6AM. The road is considerably narrower on the Phnom Penh side of Kampong Thom and, therefore, far more dangerous. The sky had the thin, wispy grey cloud that warned me of the impending heat. It was a short distance to our breakfast stop at Kampong Thmor where we both had instant noodles and orange juice. We still had our tail wind but it was not as strong as yesterday and the thin cloud quickly dissipated, leaving us roasting in the unseasonal heat. And, true to form, the overtaking cars heading towards Kampong Thom, began their dangerous practice of overtaking into the path of oncoming vehicles, us included. A few near misses and a great deal of cursing from me made the trip more eventful. No matter how tired I might be, I can still give these drivers the ‘bird’…at least it makes me feel better. The support car caught us with us before Skun and we arranged to meet just out of the town at a very good restaurant. Plenty of food and drink was consumed, enabling Tom and me to tackle the last fifty kilometres into Kampong Cham. The advantage of an afternoon ride along the road from the roundabout at Skun to Kampong Cham is that, for much of the way, the side of the road is shaded by the trees which grow right up to the edge of the bitumen. Nevertheless, the temperature continued to climb, finally reaching 41 degrees as we reached the Mekong Hotel on the banks of the magnificent, flooded Mekong River.

The skies over Kampong Cham gave notice that today would provide us with some cloud cover for most of the days. The sky had a smattering of thicker clouds, not rain clouds but those that give the promise of rain. It was 25 degrees as we rode up to the top of the Mekong Bridge and flew down the other side. The wind was still behind us and it provided the assistance that tired legs need. We rode straight through Soung and, after about 35 kilometres, a stop at Pra Theat for noodles, coffee and Coke prepared us for the day ahead, the most strenuous of the days thus far. The land around us changed with more and more vegetable gardens and fruit trees replacing the previously dominant rice fields. A few gentle rises in the road tested us with the downhill ride on the other side, powered by the tail wind, being welcome. With the increased cloud cover comes the humidity. We had left the Mekong behind us but we would rejoin it at Kracheh. The wind was shifting, first to our left shoulder and then to our right as we wound our way towards Memot where we again stopped for much needed refreshment. With only another forty kilometres to the end of our Day Three journey, we decided to press on, stopping once before reaching our destination. By now, the clouds had parted and the temperature quickly rose to 40 degrees again, the third day of extreme temperatures. We had hoped the clouds would produce a cooling shower but no such luck. As we reached the hills outside Snuol, the clouds returned thankfully but it was still tough going and the sight of our guest house on the far side of Snuol was just the tonic needed. The restaurant near the Dara Guest House makes the best chips in the world, big, chunky, hot and very delicious with plenty of salt. The entire crew tucked into the chips, Lok Lak, soup and vegetables before sleeping off the day’s journey.

The wispy grey clouds promised more of the same hot weather that had dogged us for the first three days of the ride. Where was the wet season? Not one drop of rain had fallen on us in three days of riding and this morning’s ride was the same. After a short ride to the top of the hill, we were able to speed down the far side in the cool morning air. None of the motorbikes, buses, carts or cows, just the open road through the Cambodian countryside. The landscape to Kratie is dotted with very basic palm walled houses, built by people trying to make their fortune in this new area of development. Cassava, fruit and vegetables appear to be the main crops with patches of rice. Every now and again, the telltale signs of ‘having made it’, new houses next to the old are being constructed from beautiful timber, much of it probably from illegal logging. Our burnt skin was again being bombarded by the sun filtering through the clouds. The terrain was fairly flat with the odd rise to test out our legs. The speeding Lexus' and Land Rovers together with the intrastate buses heading out of Kratie caused a few headaches as they overtook slower cars in their quest for an uninterrupted run down to Kampong Cham and beyond. I could have touched one of the buses with my elbow had I lifted it ever so slightly. We arrived at our hotel in Kratie (Kracheh) at around ten in the morning. A great result as the heat was again starting to cook us. We would escape the heat today by virtue of the shortness of the ride. Our average speed for the morning was 24.5 kph, a very good result for the fourth day of our trek.

We had prepared ourselves for this day for the entire trip - uphill, probably into a slight headwind and, in all probability given the first four days, very hot. Our support vehicle and crew would have to provide all of our needs as a characteristic of this part of Cambodia is small roadside villages rather than the larger towns of the previous four days. Breakfast was consumed at our hotel in Kracheh as I knew that there would not a suitable place along the early part of the route. As a result, we left later, departing the hotel grounds at 6.45AM. Again the sky told a story...no cloud at all. We were in for a hot one. I was already burnt, as was Tom, despite applying sunblock to our sweaty bodies. The people in this area are more reserved and the houses spread further apart. This is outback where the people work their plots of land almost in total isolation from the rest of the country. A few morning and afternoon buses pass along with the taxis that fly along at top speed. When you do stop for a break near a settler's property, the people invite you to share the shelter of their home or shop. Today, it was shelter from the heat, the temperature reaching 38 degrees not long after our departure. We had decided that today we would be more conservative with our riding to ensure that we arrived at our destination. Much of the landscape in secondary forest growth being cleared to plant cassava, in some wet places the staple rice, and fruit trees. The houses are very rustic to say the least. These would appear to be the poorest farmers in this country eking out a living depending on their available finance. Progressively, the clouds started to gather and the temperature began to drop ever so slowly. Tom and I discussed the irony of the situation "What if it rained for the very last kilometre after five days of heat." Our final rest break was among the banana palms and cassava, some ten kilometres before our destination of Stung Treng, just before the turnoff to Ratanakiri and only about eighty kilometres from the border with Laos. We knew now that we would make it and we were pumped. Rain was falling in the distance and it was coming towards us very quickly. The temperature dropped sharply and the shower hit us and passed on, just enough to wash the sweat away. However, we could see the black sky in front of us as we climbed the final hill. We were at the final countdown...nine to go, eight to go. And the sky became blacker and blacker, the lightning flashed and the thunder boomed in the distance countryside. After leaving the main road and heading up the cobbly final seven kilometres of road, the skies opened. It certainly was ironical as we sped through the deluge, eager to reach safety from the possible lightning strikes. It bucketed down until the outskirts of Stung Treng where two very wet, but exhilarated, riders breathed a sigh of relief that they had made it safely. Many photographs were taken amidst the hugs and congratulations. It was Tom's first ride and my third. It was not as difficult as I had thought it would be due to a combination of factors. Having a companion makes the loneliness of this type of ride more bearable. I had prepared well, not excessively, but well and I had learnt from the previous rides how to handle, and relieve, the niggling body pains that are part of the adventure. I had prepared myself to make the distance, not to break records. Finally, on this ride I had a support crew who did their job wonderfully well, especially Sokhoeun our Director, who drove the car and organized all the accommodation, meals and daily requirements. One day, someone will take it over and I will drive the support car...but not yet.

Report by Les Stott

Photographs by Greg Blakey