Closing the loop.....

Sihanoukville, China's southernmost city. Am I still in Cambodia?? Did I take a wrong turn somewhere and end up in Yunnan? Damn GPS!

Chinaville, errrr, I mean Sihanoukville, is a concrete jungle of half finished high rises and casinos. Any soul or character the place may once of had has been buried under a tidal wave of Chinese "development".  I even had to prove my vaccination status before they would let me into the hotel; first and only time this was required in Cambodia. 

Met a mad Mancunian in a bar who was itching for a fight with someone; didn't seem to matter who or why. He kept on raving about how everybody there hated him; I could see why, he was very easy to hate. I made a tactical withdrawal before it got ugly. The mad manc, in a rare lucid moment warned me of the condition of the road to Kampot; so wasn't all bad. But again, I really need to start drinking in better quality bars.

Next stop: Kampot. The first stretch of road leaving Chinatown was OK, I needed petrol and some air in my front tyre then it was smooth riding up to where the road to Kampot branched off route 4. There the road immediately turned to broken tarmac, potholes and dust. It was easier to ride on the narrow dirt verge than the road itself; unfortunately, all the 4 wheelers decided to hug this line as well. Slow and dusty going (as mad Manc had said). I was getting used to this kind of surface now, so it wasn't a problem. The Baja seems to like these kinds of surface.

The road improved the further east it went. Then the turn off to Bokor Mountain arrived; there was a Covid vaccination status check at the start of the road (?); so I showed them my NHS app, and up I went. Beautiful, twisty road past the monkeys and up to the mists swirling near the top. A few odd buildings up there (the history of which I know nothing) and no view because of the low mist. But it was all about riding up and down that road; always happier when on the bike. Well worth it.

Then on to Kampot itself and my guesthouse by the river. Nice place, lots of bars and lots more interesting expats (for "interesting " read "barking mad"). It must be the relentless heat or the cheap beer, or the easily available weed, but some serious odd people about.  I was cornered in one bar by a guy who claimed his Filipino girlfriend (who worked for interpol....no less!) had just messaged him to warn him that there was a hit out on him. Uh yeah. OK mate. Enjoy your night......

A couple of days kicking back and relaxing here, including a ride out to Kep, where Cambodians go to the beach. They don't bother with swimming costumes, just wander into the sea in whatever they happen to have on: jeans, dresses, cardigans, you name it.

The time arrived to return to Phnom Penh and close the loop around Cambodia. Perfect tarmac all the way to the capital, easy ride. But then I hit the city and the fun started....total chaos: bikes, cars, lorries and buses coming at you from all angles. The bikes swarming around the 4 wheelers like a shoal of piranhas, eating up every available inch of empty road. Enormous fun.....embrace the chaos!!

Bike returned and deposit reclaimed. A 2500km loop around Cambodia. The Honda XR 250 Baja: it got me round; had a few quirks and issues, but overall a very capable little bike. It handled the rough stuff over the Cardamom mountains; flattering my appalling off road abilities. Old tech, easy to fix. Would I use the same bike again? Sure, but only if a CRF250/300 wasn't available. I like fuel injection!

So, a few days in Phnom Penh to sort out the paperwork to gain entry to Thailand. Just in time for the 6 nations weekend. Although as it is Scotland vs. France, I may have to resort to strong drink.

Soundtrack: Ozzy Osbourne - "Crazy Train"

The beautiful south......

The fuelling issue with the bike is bugging me. After consulting a couple of online motorbike forums; a few possibilities emerged. Spark plug failure; clogged air filter or contaminated fuel (ie water in the petrol). So with the help of the hotel owner, we went to a very local roadside mechanic. He diagnosed the contaminated fuel option; he purged the carb and revved the engine for a while and declared it OK. It only cost me US$0.50, so even if it made no difference, I'd lost nothing. The bike certainly initially ran much better, but the problem creeped back for a while, but then seemed to get better again. I have no idea!?!

Anyway: today's ride, it started well enough but the road was being worked on with lorries and heavy machinery churning up the mud from the previous days rain into a world war 1 trench style quagmire. Deep, gloopy sludge. Usually on an uphill or downhill section. So revs up (momentum is your friend...!) and feet down to paddle through as the rear wheel fish-tailed it's way forward. Amazingly, I didn't drop the bike. Light bikes rule; if I'd been on a 1200GS, I'd probably still be there.

Conditions improved as the ride went on. Followed the track into ever more remote areas; the occasional Chinese dam the only sign of life. This was more the kind of terrain and riding I was hoping for: just me and the bike rolling ever onwards in beautiful terrain. Red dirt roads and lush green forest, and then the blue of the sea appeared. Great day.

Arrived in Koh Kong to find a sleepy town, again suffering from the economic fallout from Covid. Many places listed on Google Maps, TripAdvisor etc apparently gone forever. The nearby closed border with Thailand not helping either. Beautiful area though. This south eastern corner of the country really is stunning.

Again, one night only......I really need to learn to slow down a bit. As I saddled up, I noticed fuel slowing dripping from the in line fuel filter that Monsieur Spliff had fitted. It was just a slow seep so I decided to ride anyway; I always think more clearly on the bike; that Zen like focused mind would tell me what to do!

Leaving Koh Kong, the road climbed and curled eastwards. The dodgy road was tempered by the beautiful scenery. A morning of dodging potholes was enjoyable on a bike; wouldn't be much fun in a 4 wheeled tin box though. There would be long smooth sections which just over the brow of a hill, or just at the apex of a sweeping bend would turn to shit......grab the brakes, aim for the least worst line and hope! This continued all the way to where the road joined the highway from PP to Sihanouk. Route no. 4.......worst drivers I have encountered so far. The overtaking traffic coming the other way would force you onto the gravel verge. This wasn't a one off, it was constant. Bastards!!

Anyway, I had the Zen epiphany. Zip ties! As luck would have it, I had a few with me (if only I'd brought some WD40 I'd have a complete tool kit!). The leak seemed to be coming from where the fuel filter attached to the fuel line, so snug them up with some zip ties. I duly tried and the slow sleep turned into a gush of fuel. It turned out the fuel filter was cracked and my efforts with the zip ties widened the crack. Fortunately English speaking hotel staff were on hand and in the space of about 5 minutes, a new fuel line appeared, cut to size and fitted (ditching Monsieur Spliffs fuel filter). And no money asked for! Gotta love Cambodia.

Soundtrack: Hawkwind - "The Right Stuff"

Back on the road......

The day before I left Siem Reap; I took the bike out for a quick spin to check all was OK (having not ridden for a few days). The same problem was back, the stuttering when dropping the revs. Took it back to the same place, who told me to come back the next day.

So, the next morning, loaded up I went back at the allotted time. The French guy was there, tinkering away at various bikes with a spliff permanently attached to his lips. No mechanic yet, but he was summoned as Monsieur Spliff set about dismantling my bike. My confidence was ebbing; but then the actual mechanic arrived and set to work. Removed, stripped and cleaned the carb, adjusted the valves, did something to the air/fuel mix. Nearly 3 hours later, it was ready to go!

I took it for a quick test ride; seemed OK. So I hit the road and headed west. Hadn't gone too far and the old problem was back. Bugger!!! Well, maybe a bit better. I think it is something I will have to live with, the bike still runs, she just gets a bit breathless at times. Poor thing. Give me a fuel injected bike any day.

An uneventful run to Battambang. I was originally going to do a detour to visit the Banteay Chhmar temple; but after Siem Reap I am all templed out. I'll save that for a future trip. 

Battambang seems good. Very quiet and laid back after Siem Reap, and my liver needs a break. Staying in the old French part of town; the historic colonial buildings decaying at a slower pace the old historic expats who still haunt the place. 

My itchy feet (literally, damn mosquitoes!) compelled to stay only one night before heading south to the Cardamom mountains. My destination was Praramoy and there were a couple of choices of routes; the highway, or the back roads. Easy choice. Good choice.

As soon as I turned off the main road, the traffic thinned to almost nothing, the view improving as the mountains began as a smudge on the horizon. I was expecting this route to be largely dirt, but the empty tarmac just kept on coming. Eventually there was a 15km or so stretch of dirt road, but after that, it was largely back to the tarmac. Really enjoyable ride today, one of the best on this trip so far. Most of the main highways in Cambodia are pretty dull: straight roads through flat land. Hitting the back/dirt roads is where the fun is to be had.

Rain. I arrived reasonably early as the road conditions were better than expected, so I checked into a hotel, had a feed and then decided to explore route 55 towards the Thai border. Rain, lots of it. Waited it out for a while, it eased and I jumped on the bike and headed west. Didn't get too far. Rain. This is another on the to do list next time. It's raining now. This could make the trip over the Cardamom mountains tomorrow "interesting". Heavy rain on dirt roads in the mountains. Hmmm.

Soundtrack: Levellers - "Leave this Town"

Siem Reap.......

So, a few days out of the routine of eat, sleep, ride repeat. Back in tourist central; but tourists are few and far between. Most of the foreigners here (at least that I've spoken to) are expats: an exotic menagerie of misfits, chancers, deadbeats and alcoholics. I really must start drinking in better quality bars.........

Had an abortive ride out to see Tonle Sap, the massive lake in the middle of Cambodia. I was stopped a couple of kms or so from the lake to be told I couldn't ride the rest of the way as the road was too dangerous and flooded (despite the 8 year old kids riding 5 up on scooters sailing past). I would have to take the boat the rest of the way, it would only cost me $25 (gawd bless 'em for trying!!).  Lake unseen, a quick U-turn and I was headed back to Siem Reap to buy my day pass for the Angkor Wat complex. Currently doing a 2 day pass for the price of a 1 day. All I need to do is get up early enough to use it.

Two full days of temple hopping, the "big" and "little loops" and Banterei Srei. Decided to hire a tuk tuk for the duration; partly so I didn't have to carry my lid and worry about the bike safety while in the temples, but also as I felt compelled to try and help the local economy a bit (other than the bars...!) Covid has decimated the tourist industry here.

 So many temples, but the real standout was Ta Phrom (the "tomb raider" temple). Beautiful, with the jungle noises hanging in the air and the trees devouring the ancient stone like a relentless alien life form.

Easy to get trapped in Siem Reap; an abundance of sights to see and bars to try. But, I need to tear myself away; this is a bike trip after all.

Soundtrack: Tool - "Sober"