We are in a completely open and treeless landscape of a few paddy fields and scrubland, miles from any human habitation. Tess is about 50 metres ahead of me and we are each clinging to the back of a bounching twisting motorbike. I am amusing myself thinking of Richard E Grant in 'Withnail and I' where they find themselves in the inhospitable Lake District countryside and are seeking help
"We have come on holiday - by accident!"
We appear to have got engaged in some extreme form of moto-cross - equally by accident.
This was our second attempt to reach Tonle Sap a large lake in the centre of Cambodia. Yesterday we were visiting some temples nearby and hoped to carry on to the Lake but we misunderstood our tuk tuk driver who appeared to be unwilling or unable to get us there. Today all was sorted out, we would go with the tuk tuk until we reached a boat landing stage to take us onto the lake.
There is an easy way to reach the lake, very close to Siem Reap, but that was too touristy for us of course, we were encouraged by William Beavitt from Sarawak and by the guide book both of which suggested that our tuk tuk would get us to Kampong Phluk and the lake, here was an area 'little visited by tourists'.
Well as Yang wrestled his tuk tuk on an increasingly difficult dirt road we finally reached the Kampong after about an hour. A couple of motorbikes had come alongside and spoken to Yang as we went along and one of the motorcyclists drew up as we stopped. In the limited English he had he explained that the tuk tuk could now go no further and we had to go by motobike. For a moment I thought that both Tess and I plus small rucksack were to fit on the back of his 125cc machine but he quickly explained that another bike was on his way, checked on his mobile and it appeared soon after.
How far is it to the boat? It was 8km further! The problem is the lake shrinks in the dry season and clearly it was in a shrunken state now. Tess and I looked at each other - well we have come this far so lets carry on. So off we set. But anything resembling even a country road rapidly disappeared and the route became a sandy rutted surface you could hardly call a track. We passed local people transporting various goods manouvering their motos around us, waved to women working the paddy fields but there was nothing else to see in the utterly flat landscape that I guess is inundated by the lake in the wet season.
After half and hour I called a halt. The lake, supposedly only 2km further was still not in sight and I had to reckon that this sort of high impact twisting and bouncing was exactly was I was supposed NOT to be doing if my Indian hospital 'fix' for my kidney stones is to get me the rest of way around the world. We turned back feeling satisfied that we had had a good look at a rural area and one hell of an exciting bike ride!
I know, I know - serves us right for not taking that nice world cruise with the rest of the pensioners!
Brian
"We have come on holiday - by accident!"
We appear to have got engaged in some extreme form of moto-cross - equally by accident.
This was our second attempt to reach Tonle Sap a large lake in the centre of Cambodia. Yesterday we were visiting some temples nearby and hoped to carry on to the Lake but we misunderstood our tuk tuk driver who appeared to be unwilling or unable to get us there. Today all was sorted out, we would go with the tuk tuk until we reached a boat landing stage to take us onto the lake.
There is an easy way to reach the lake, very close to Siem Reap, but that was too touristy for us of course, we were encouraged by William Beavitt from Sarawak and by the guide book both of which suggested that our tuk tuk would get us to Kampong Phluk and the lake, here was an area 'little visited by tourists'.
Well as Yang wrestled his tuk tuk on an increasingly difficult dirt road we finally reached the Kampong after about an hour. A couple of motorbikes had come alongside and spoken to Yang as we went along and one of the motorcyclists drew up as we stopped. In the limited English he had he explained that the tuk tuk could now go no further and we had to go by motobike. For a moment I thought that both Tess and I plus small rucksack were to fit on the back of his 125cc machine but he quickly explained that another bike was on his way, checked on his mobile and it appeared soon after.
How far is it to the boat? It was 8km further! The problem is the lake shrinks in the dry season and clearly it was in a shrunken state now. Tess and I looked at each other - well we have come this far so lets carry on. So off we set. But anything resembling even a country road rapidly disappeared and the route became a sandy rutted surface you could hardly call a track. We passed local people transporting various goods manouvering their motos around us, waved to women working the paddy fields but there was nothing else to see in the utterly flat landscape that I guess is inundated by the lake in the wet season.
After half and hour I called a halt. The lake, supposedly only 2km further was still not in sight and I had to reckon that this sort of high impact twisting and bouncing was exactly was I was supposed NOT to be doing if my Indian hospital 'fix' for my kidney stones is to get me the rest of way around the world. We turned back feeling satisfied that we had had a good look at a rural area and one hell of an exciting bike ride!
I know, I know - serves us right for not taking that nice world cruise with the rest of the pensioners!
Brian
1 comment:
Oh dear! So you think the tuc-tuc would have reached the lake had it been full? Hmmm... that's probably what the advice in the guide book was based on. :)
Me? I think I would have taken the tourist route round the back!
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