Kim Bazley's Cambodian Adventure.  11/1/07 to 27/1/07

Thursday January 11^{th 2007} - Woke up on seat at 0500 in Bangkok airport after arriving from Manila at 2300 and checked in at 0505.  Boarded at 0745. Left at 0800. Landed in Phnom Penh at 0900 and paid $20USD for a visa on arrival. Picked up by Flamingos Van at 0940. Arrived Flamingos Hotel at 1015. Ate breakfast 1030-1050. Met Nicky (pom actor in  "Shameless") then Ben (tour leader) and hired a bike each. Rode down to waterfront restaurant for lunch and a beer. Rode to a service station to refuel then to the Tuol Sleng genocide museum. Followed local on bike out of city to the firing range and we fired a K54 Takarov for $10 USD and an AK47 Kalashnikov for $30 USD ($1 per bullet) at 1520. We declined the offer to shoot a chicken with the machine gun or a buffalo with a rocket launcher or throw a grenade. Rode back to genocide museum and walked around. Back to Flamingos at  1640. Walked to mall with Phil and, Nicky and Chris. Fish fillets in mall restaurant. Back to hotel for beers and internet. Left at 2030 with group to Tell Restaurant. Then on way to Sharky Bar I had a flat on the way with Harry. We found a street mechanic to fix it. Then to Heart of Darkness nightclub, Howie’s  Place, and Walkabout Bar with Harry. To bed at 0615.

Friday January 12^th  - Rose at 1000. Had breakfast then a hamburger in Flamingos Hotel.  Rode to Russian Market with Phil and Chris 1630-1730. Saw thousands of motorbike forks and a walking fish. Riders briefing on rooftop bar of hotel 1900-2000. Then to Intercontinental Hotel for seafood Buffet 2100-2215. Doubled back by Nicky to Sharky Bar - nearly cleaned up on roundabout by another bike! To Walkabout Bar 'til 0345.

Ben (CRM250 - tour leader, Aussie), Leng (modified XR400 - Cambodian guide, mechanic, sweep), Harry (XR650, Aussie), Joe (XR250, Hungarian), Peter(XR250, Hungarian surgeon), Nicky (XR250 Baja, Pom), Noel (XR250, American), Chris (XR250, Aussie), Phil (XR250, Aussie), Sandro (XR250, Peruvian/Italian), Todd (CRM250, American), Eric (CRM250, American), Alex (CRM250, Pom - bar owner in Siem Reap), Kim (XLR250, KTM rider from Oz)

Saturday January 13^th -  Rose at 0600. Left at 0830. Stopped for lunch at Joe’s café at Mekong Crossing  for a hamburger 1130-1230. Stopped for Alex with a leaking water pump. Harry fixed my puncture 1700-1730. Arrived at Pichkiri Guest House in Mondulkiri at 1830 (in the dark). Cold beers in an esky. Shared a room with Nicky. Bed at 2230 after he came back from town.

Sunday January 14^th - Rose at 0645. Left at 0910. Drag race down airstrip then down to waterfall. Leng took some good helmet cam footage of this. Noel went past me on a corner. Ben gave instructions regarding riding in the bush. Eric went wrong way down track so we took the same track as him. Subframe on my XR broke and had to be welded as we had drinks and noodles. Noel came down in front of me and injured his ribs. Eric, Kim, Noel, Leng, Harry, Chris arrived to Mai Man village without the others and waited over lunch time. Others arrived for lunch 1300-1330. Whilst riding along a wooded section Todd came down in front of me and was knocked out momentarily. At 1700 walked down to Memung gold mine from the town. Bush camp at 1930 after riding sandy tracks past bush fires for one and a half hours. Slept on Thermarest and space blanket.

Monday January 15^th - Rose at 0615. Began riding at 0745. Stopped for a cattle train to pass at 0950 (saw a watering hole beside the track with a symbol that Leng could not interpret). Noel came down in dust in village (took a pic). Lunch in a village 1200-1330 rode down to petrol station - key stuck ! Crossed a creek and waited on other side with Chris, Leng, Sandro, Eric and Ben came to tell us Phil had broken his collarbone ! Doubled by Ben on sandy track.

Crossed the river just on dark - rode down bank onto pontoon boat at 1800. No headlight ! Rode along sandy track to graded road. Saw Ben shining laser. Found a small shop with some petrol and food and drinks 2330. Rode to next village and some fuelled up. Rode with Noel, Nicky, Chris and locals on moto. Sandro turned right and was lost in a village until later in the morning. Saw red light on tv tower when close to town. Roundabout at town entrance - the other road (Japanese funded) leads to the crater lake.

Arrived Hotel Ban Lung in Ratanakkiri room 213 with Nicky at 0230. Tried to get one beer but none left !

Tuesday January 16^th - Rose at 0900. Doubled by Harry to Star Hotel (Lengs Restaurant) for breakfast. Met Sean there (DRZ400 - he had lived in Dee Why for one year). Rode out to Crater Lake 1315 with Chris, Joe and Peter. Doubled Phil there. Left at 1415 after refuelling - arrived 1820 at Stung Treng after following Leng around a bridge not completed. Dinner at Mr T 2000-2144.

Wednesday January 17^th - Rose at 0630 and breakfast at Mr T. Sandro, Harry and Noel left on bikes. Todd and Eric stayed. Ben, Leng, Nicky, Chris, Peter, Joe and I left at 0900 on a boat for up the Mekong River to the Laotion border at 1430. Landed bikes at 1500. Riding at 1530. Rode along river bank through villages. Over a partially collapsed bridge in the dark. Through an open air theatre. Flat rear tyre, which Ben and Leng replaced tube. Dinner 2030-2200 in a riverside restaurant. Camped in bush at 2300.

Thursday January 18^th - Rose at 0645 and left after sardines and bread at 0745. Arrived at the Laos border at 1030 and paid $4USD.
Alex rode off the boards crossing the creek. Tracks very sandy, waited on corner for Nicky and Ben. Nicky came off twice in ruts !Arrived at a small classroom at 1300 near a village and took photos. Ben and Chris played with kids with silly string and crackers. Back across the border  at 1400. Tracks very sandy, rutted and fires burning. Arrived May 27 Guest House at 1800. Rode to Darareah Restaurant 1915 for dinner and beers. Went to a festival 2100. Famous female singer covered in garlands of flowers. Bed 2200.

Friday January 19^th - Rose at 0630. Left at 1000 after changing gear O ring on Nicky’s XR. Arrived Preah Vihear Temple. 1300 and walked around until 1400. Thai girls took a pic of us.Walked across Thai border to restaurant for lunch. Left at 1530. Some brief showers. Arrived Siam Reap 2030. Stopped for three beers in Ivy Bar. Checked in Reaksmey Channeas Hotel Preah Vihear Province
The most remote of the most remote temples, from the Cambodian side. A two day dirt bike trip, through deep sand and river crossings will take you to the base of the plateau where this temple sits over-looking Thailand, from where there is a four hour walk straight up to the top. Conversely, on the Thai side there is a tarmac road that leads to the shorter walk straight to the summit. A bone of contention between both Cambodia and Thailand as the Thais also claim sovereignty over this very impressive Angkorian monument. A garrison of Cambodian soldiers stand guard over the ancient stones, while it is still inhabited by saffron robed monks, a rarity amongst the ancient temples.
Preah Vihear was the target of the Caltex Extreme Rally Raid 2000, and reached by 22 of the original 50 participants. Can only be seen by dirt bikers or helicopter pilots and passengers from the Cambodian side, not even our six wheel drive support trucks can make it out here.room #402 with Nicky. Went to Angkor What? Bar 2200-0230. Alex shouted free drinks and two whiskey buckets. Nicky finished off one and Todd and  I the other.

Saturday January 20^th - Rose at 0800 and walked to Bar Street for breakfast in Le Tigre de Papier. Paid hotel 3 X $15 USD. Took a minibus to Angkor Wat ruins- Phil, Chris, Joe, Pete, Leng, Nicky. 1020 Victory Gate  1200 East Gate 1205 Ta Prohm Temple (Tomb Raider - trees growing from ruins). 1330 Chez Mattheu Restaurant - fish and salad for lunch opposite Angkor Wat ruins. 1455-1630 walked around ruins. Back to hotel at 1645. 30 mins abs, chest, tris. 30mins internet. To Angkor What? Bar 1900. Dinner in Italian Restaurant 2030-2130 for pizza then Angkor What? Bar. Back to hotel at 0300.

Sunday January 21^st - Rose at 1000 for breakfast in Le Tigre de Papier. Left on bikes with Ben, Sandro, Todd and Leng to Banteay Srey  for an ultralight flight. 1330-1350 with Joe the pilot to temple. Back to hotel at 1500.   Lunch in Molley Molones with Alex, Richard (bar manager), Sandro. Went to Angkor What? Bar, Temple Club. Back to hotel at 0415.

Monday January 22^nd - Rose at 0850. Breakfast in Le Tigre de Papier. Waited in Ivy Bar 1200-1400 while my cam chain was replaced. Left at 1400. Rode along a very rough road from Battambang in the dark. Rode Lengs bike as lighting was very poor on my bike. Arrived at Hang Meus Palin Hotel in Palin at 2055. $10 USD for a room. Two beers and dinner in the restaurant. Showered and bed at 2220.

Tuesday January 23^rd - Rose at 0645. Breakfast in restaurant at 0720. Left at 0800. Chris left on main road as he was feeling ill. Drinks in Pranoy 1740. Rode across plank bridges and rough track in the dark. Some steep ascents. Nicky came off in a rut in front of me. Ben lost his mobile phone at a stop. Arrived Osom Guest House at 2030. Fresh chicken and rice dinner. Bed at 2230.

Wednesday January 24^th - Rose at 0630 and left at 0800. Travelled through Cardoman Mountains. Bitten by an ant and had an allergic reaction. Came over a pass and had a good view of the river and sea.

Arrived Koh Kong at 1600 for lunch in a Thai restaurant. Booked into Asean Hotel at 1700 = $12 USD with balcony and river view. Drank beers from fridge outside hotel and chatted with some locals. Nicky came back from a market with a spiffy new shirt.  At 1940 rode with Playboy (WR450F) and his mate (CRM250) (Cambodian riders) over the privately funded bridge (tollway) to the casino for seafood dinner. Left at 2100 back to hotel. Drank more beers outside hotel.  Bed 0045.

Thursday January 25^th - Rose at 0615 and left at 0835. Some roadworks to ride over and around. Four ferry river crossings. Lunch in restaurant next to dry rice paddy field at 1330-1430. Felt tired due to Zyrtec anti-histamines.

Arrived at Flamingos at 1630. Took a tuk tuk to FCC bar/restaurant at 2040. To Sharky Bar, Howie Bar (played connect four and connect five) and Walkabout Bar til 0400. Saw Sean on his bike as I walked home.

Friday January 26^th - Australia Day - Rose at 0830. Paid $100 USD for damage to the bike and two days extra rental. Lunch with Eric and Sandro on the river front. Posted post cards, went there on motorbike taxi. Had two beers in rooftop bar of Flamingos.  Dinner outside Flamingos Hotel. Went to Howies Place, Heart of Darkness Nightclub (Ben, Nicky, Sandro, Todd and family, Eric), then Walkabout bar. Bed at 0345.

Saturday January 27^th - Rose at 0645. Went to ATM in tuk-tuk to take out $120 USD. Breakfast and woke up Sandro. Left the hotel in hotel minibus at 0807 with Sandro. Arrived airport at 0850. Paid $25 USD departure tax. Left at 1005. Landed in Bangkok at 1115. Breakfast in Bangkok Café and Bar. Left at 1750 for overnight flight to Sydney.