Today we rode 85km to Kompong Kdei. We had been told about a guesthouse which we expected to come across around the 60km mark, shortly after a town called Stoung, but as we were unable to find it we continued on to Kompong Kdei where we'll stay for the night.
We started our day with a great breakfast next to the guesthouse we had stayed at in Kompong Thom. It was made particularly good by the fact that the couple who ran the food stall were so happy and friendly. We hope that they could tell how much we enjoyed their delicious food. If only we knew how to say "how do you pickle your vegetables" in Khmer...
(The friendly couple who were cooking up excellent breakfasts in Kompong Thom)
We travelled along highway 6 all day. The road continued to be very flat and it was the first time in a few days that we've been on tarmac for almost the entire journey. Nice to only inhale a small amount of dust for a change.
(Flat and straight and great for cycling)
(Men transporting chicks on the backs of their motorbikes)
During the ride today, we talked about the possibility of some day being able to wear a piece of technology that allows you to speak in your own language and then translates it into the language of the person you’re speaking with and visa versa. Maybe it already exists?! While there have been lots of occasions where we wished we could have had a proper chat with some of the people we’ve met along the way, we decided that a device like that would have taken away from the experience more than it would have enhanced it. We’ve had lots of laughs with people by simply trying to explain something through a couple of basic words and some gestures and people seem to appreciate when we make the effort to speak a little of their language. In fact, some of the words that Nicky learnt in Vietnam helped her to order lunch here today in Cambodia so a little effort can go a long way. It’s amazing too how a few simple gestures such as miming eating or sleeping will get you. Nicky wouldn’t have got to have done her chicken laying an egg impression if we had had such a device and that would have been regretful.
(A man sleeps on the tray attached to the back of the van)
We arrived into Kompong Kdei shortly after midday and decided to scout around to see what accommodation we could find. We stopped to check out an old bridge and a young guy approached us and kindly offered to show us a nearby guesthouse. It was a pretty simple place so we decided to see what else the town had to offer before making a decision. We headed back into town as we had seen a sign for another guesthouse.
(An old bridge with large stone snake heads guarding it)
The standard of guesthouses here has now reached a new low. The place for which we had seen a sign was situated next door to some kind of industrial plant where large machinery was producing an almost deafening noise. The room we were shown backed onto the plant, smelt strongly of cigarettes and was filthy. This is not the kind of guesthouse we have been used to finding on the road and so we left, hoping we would find something better, and luckily we did, in the form of Mey Bo Guesthouse.
(Mey Bo Guesthouse)
As we were cycling around the town looking for accommodation, we had noticed another cycle tourist who was pulling into the market so after we checked in, we walked back to the market to try and find him. Sitting in the shade at a food stall, we met Michael from Windsor in the UK. Michael has also been on the road for about three months, following the Mekong from Thailand through to Cambodia. He is cycling by himself and plans to meet some friends in Bangkok in a few weeks. He had just left Siem Reap this morning - our next destination - and was heading to Kompong Thom, from where we had just arrived. Having previously lived in Thailand for nine months, he has travelled through parts of this region a few times before and he had some recommendations for us. We sat and chatted with him for about 30 minutes before it was time for him to continue on. We didn't envy him having to do another 85km in the heat of the afternoon and hope he took on board our tip about a guesthouse that he would find only 30km away.
(Michael riding off from Kompong Kdei)
Tomorrow we are off to Siem Reap from where we'll spend the next few days exploring Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples. Looking forward to seeing some ancient wonders!
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