the joys of rural cambodia

A chance meeting with a motorbike enthusiast on my arrival in Cambodia led to an amazing and unforgettable journey through a country that exceeded all my expectations and led to what i know will be a life long love for the country. He had come to Cambodia to bike into the rural parts and to experience the raw and real side of the country, away from the tourists and the hectic cities. Immediately i was excited by this idea and was keen to accompany him, so off we went on our tour of Cambodia with one motorbike and very little else. We hired the motorbike in the manic and unforgettable city of Phnom Penh. This city is vastly different to Siem Reap in the north which has a constant flow of tourists and money from the nearby Angkor Wat; here we hit the real Cambodia, it's dirty, manic, wonderful, grimy and everything in-between. The evidence of past French rule is evident in the layout of the city and the colonial buildings which stand tall and proud with their somewhat faded grandeur shining through.

We hired the motorbike and headed off on a small road following the mighty Mekong river; as we drove the settlements on the roadsides started to thin out, the people became less and the road became bumpier. Soon enough we were sharing the road with cars, people, motorbikes, trucks, pigs, hens, you name it name it we saw it, coming at us from all directions and at all speeds- certainly not the most relaxed journey I have ever had. This mayhem twinned with the dusty bumpy road made for a memorable ride and an incredibly sore bottom!

Below: Our trusty bike (brakes failed once and tyre blew up once. Note to self: perhaps Phnom Penh is not the most reliable place to hire a bike)

Below: Various snaps on route

Below: Crossing the Mekong on this tiny boat was quite an experience. Before long we were absolutely packed on; again the chickens, pigs, dogs and children were the order of the day!

The Mekong delta is a green and fertile stretch of land, it is really very beautiful with the stilted houses sitting on the edge of green paddy fields. The river changes along its path, sometimes muddy and narrow, other times clear and as wide as the eye can see; it is one of the world’s major rivers and home to the rare and endangered Irrawaddy dolphin (which by the way, despite being one of the most unlucky people ever, I saw!). The rural buildings were charming structures; they stand on stilts to prevent flooding during the wet season and to allow adequate airflow. They were simple timber constructions with mostly thatched or tin roofs.

We continued like this for the next few days stopping at random places on the roadside for a rest and to wash the dirt out of our eyes. Without doubt each and every time we stopped people would venture out of their houses with a wide toothy smile and offer a plastic chair for us to sit on. The children we encountered were totally unaffected by tourism and just genuinely excited by our presence, a far cry from the kids in Phnom Penh who throw themselves at your feet begging for money. We were invited into their homes, offered food and shown around without a thought of anything in return. What a wonderful, wonderful experience.