Vietnam-Cambodia
2012 Charity Challenge sponsored cycle from Saigon to Angkor Wat raising funds towards a Radio Frequency Ablation (HALO) machine for Barrett's Wessex to give to Southampton to stop Barrett's becoming cancer.
My photos are all available here. The map above shows the locations. Below is the itinerary.
Itinerary - Part 1 Vietnam:
Thursday 22nd November
11:30 depart Heathrow for Bangkok
Friday 23rd November
06:05 Arrive Bangkok
07:45 depart flight TG550 to Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City
09:15 arrive Saigon / Ho Chi Minh City
met and transferred to hotel for lunch
afternoon briefing & bike fitting
Overnight in hotel
Saturday 24th November
transfer two hours to My Tho
ferry across Tien Giang River and cycle narrow roads & lanes using numerous ferries, some gravel and dirt lanes and ferry across Co Chien River to Tra Vinh (Khmer village)
Overnight in hotel
Approx 52 Km cycle
Sunday 25th November
Visit Ba Om Pond
Cycle to Can Tho – narrow, peaceful roads and small plank bridges.
Overnight in hotel
Approx 82 Km
Monday 26th November
Very early breakfast.
Boat trip to Cai Rang floating market.
Narrow paved road to Phong Dien floating market.
Back to Can Tho.
Cycle to near Long Xuyen.
5 min ferry crossing and 1 hr transfer to hotel for dinner & overnight.
Approx 95 Km
Tuesday 27th November
Transfer to Tri Ton
To Chau Doc via Thot Not
Cycle to killing fields at Ba Chuc (loop)
Chau Doc for dinner & last overnight stay in Vietnam.
Optional climb Sam “mountain” to watch sunset.
Approx 75 Km
Itinerary - Part 2 Cambodia:
Wednesday 28th November
Early departure for boat journey up Mekong To Phnom Penh leaving bikes and Viet guide behind.
1hr up Bassac River to Cambodian border.
(Border formalities approx 1 hr)
Another 3 hours up river to Phnom Penh. (Meet new team and bikes.)
Includes killing fields and Tuoel Sieng genocide museum.
Overnight in hotel
No cycling today.
Thursday 29th November
Along Mekong to Kampong Cham & Skun (fried tarantula speciality).
Cycle from Thnong Village to Kampong Thom via Kampong Thmor
Dinner and overnight inhotel.
Approx 65 Km
Friday 30th November
Transfer via bridge at Kampong Kdei to Dombek Village (1½ hr).
Cycle to Siem Reap stopping at Rolous Pagoda (monastery) for lunch.
Cycle finish line at Western Gate to Siem Reap.
Dinner celebration at Aspara Theatre.
Overnight in hotel.
Approx 66 Km
Saturday 1st December
Optional sunrise tour of temples
Visit Angkor Wat
Then to Angkor Thom
Later, to airport for return journey
19:45 flight to Bangkok arriving 20:40
Sunday 2nd December
Flight from Bangkok dep 00:25 arr London Heathrow terminal 3 at 06:30
Saturday 24th November 2012
Finally got to cycling today.
After a 6:00am breakfast we were taken out of Saigon to the Mekong delta lands where we commenced our cycling. We covered 57 Km today. About 4 hours slow cycling. Very hot when out on open roads but much of today was through shady Coconut farms - where I was photographed with Joe, the cycle route leader for the Vietnam leg of the challenge.
Tomorrow is a longer day - 97 Km but don't know yet what time we set off.
Sunday 25th November 2012
A long day with another early start after breakfast at 6:00
We cycled a total of 87 Km today (apparently itinerary had previously been amended slightly). Not sure how far tomorrow. It was hot!
We cycled through the Khmer part of Vietnam in the Mekong Delta - crossing paddy fields where they were beginning to harvest this year's third (final) crop threshing by hand, spreading the grain on the road to dry and tossing it in trays for the wind to remove the husks.
We also visited a temple which, unlike Thailand, are few and far between.
But today was also compromised as half of us went down with an attack of food poisoning that came on extremely quickly and lasted a few hours. But not the sort of thing one finds easy to cope with whilst cycling. (Charity Challenge are asking the hotel to investigate what caused it - probably rewarmed rice?) And a few of us also took a tumble. In my case it was doing an emergency stop when the riders in front stopped without warning - and the bike brakes are the other way round to european standards, ie, the instinctive squeezing of the left lever first meant the front wheel stopped and I was catapulted over the handlebars. Nothing broken, I've had a few falls in my time - but don't like to make a habit of it.
Monday 26th November 2012
After another 6:00 breakfast, the longest ride day of the trip of 90 Km followed a visit to the floating market as an aside.
The journey was two thirds on the amazing network of minor concrete "roads" about 4 feet wide that interweave the Mekong delta - perfect for the ubiquitous motor scooters.
As the photo shows, some of the bridges can be a bit hairy! But it's great way to see the lovely people and how they live.
Tomorrow is our last day cycling in Vietnam. On Wednesday we transfer to Cambodia. We're having a half hour lie-in with breakfast at 6:30. The trip takes us to the Vietnamese "killing fields" in the afternoon and the total cycling distance is only 80 Km.
Tuesday 27th November 2012
An even hotter day cycling. Temperatures were mid thirties with a heat factor (from humidity) of an extra three or four degrees. Many resorted to pouring water over themselves to keep cool and we had frequent stops to replenish water bottles and Camelbaks,
We finished our Vietnam leg of the challenge at the Vietnamese killing fields where the remains of more than 3000 victims of Pol Pot's 1978 Khmer Rouge massacre were discovered.
As we entered the little museum, the clouds opened and we were treated to a tremendous thunderstorm.
Wednesday 28th November 2012
The non-cycling day moving from Vietnam to Cambodia. We travelled for five and a half hours by speedboat up one of the branches of the Mekong that was as wide as the Solent. The speedboat was like being in a coach with limited views but the distant banks were just lined with trees and occasional village houses. There will be a few photos amongst those I'll be posting later.
On arrival in Phnom Penh, we had a magnificent three course lunch on the roof terrace of the Foreign Correspondents' Club.
Then we had the tour. We went to S21 (one of the schools taken over by Khmer Rouge to "re-educate" (ie torture) those they didn't immediately slaughter followed by a tour of the Cambodia killing fields.There are two living survivors of S21. Each has written a book and each was there. I make no apologies for the cheesy photo with one. Every penny he makes goes to help the families of the victims. I hate war but by remembering these atrocities, hopefully, future generations will learn from history. I'll lend the book to anyone interested.
Thursday 29th November 2012
Refitted with different bikes for the Cambodia cycling days but stopped off at a market first where I was introduced to these lovely creatures which they eat. (Can you see the three tarantulas?)
Another hot day mainly on roads as we cycled north through Cambodia.
Quite a long. tiring day and a poor hotel in a village at the end of it. No lift and I was on 4th floor. And WiFi virtually non existent.
Friday 30th November
A hot dusty ride today as we hastened on towards Siem Reap and Angkor Wat. We used backroads that were extremely dusty and we were all covered in red dust when we eventually arrived. I have cycled nearly 500 Km in the last week raising nearly £3 for each Kilometre. Thank you!
We have been rewarded with a luxury spa hotel (a massive contrast to last night's) but I'm not really that impressed by trying to make things look "elegant" to justify charging $2.50 for a small bottle of water which other hotels may provide free.
Saturday 1st December 2012
It was worth getting up at 4:00 am to get to the temple in time to see the sunrise.
It was an almost spiritual experience with dozens of visitors sitting silently on blocks of sandstone from the ruins in the dark with the incessant whistle of cicada as the silhouetted shape gradually became more pronounced and the sky lightened and reddened.
After breakfast we returned to have a guided tour inside. Following lunch at Angkor, we moved on, passing Angkor Thom and its wat to the jungle wat that features in the film "Tomb Raider".
Returning to the hotel we had enough time for a quick swim before heading off to Siem Reap airport and the thirteen hour flight via Bankok to arrive at a cold and frosty Heathrow just after 6:00 am.
Reflections
We cycled on tracks through small settlements where most people have very little. But they were all so happy. All very friendly, generous and helpful. The little children running out to shout "Hello" and some trying to "high 5". The families who proudly let our ladies use their very basic toilets (hole in the ground and a jug of water) when they were bothered by the effects of the food poisoning.
It even reflects in the driving in very busy streets with everyone ignoring traffic lights and many scooters riding in the wrong direction on the streets. Everyone is prepared to give way with many horns used just to let others know you are there rather than aggressive honking and competition to see who can make the junction first.
I think we have a lot to learn. Have we become too competitive at the expense of human values?
For more details of my charity, please visit: www.barrettswessex.org.uk
The trip has been organised by Charity Challenge.