Motorcycle Diaries

An unexpected adventure - Toby and I were bumming around on Sunday, the only day we don't teach at the school, and he had this great idea of renting a motorcycle and exploring out of the city for a bit. Thought we'd head somewhere to chill out, have lunch, bike around and head back by evening.

And then I found a place called Kirirom in my lonely planet guide and we decided to head there - 120km away, so we estimated it to take 2 hours to get there. Turned out to be 3, with crazy 2-ton trucks and a bike that didn't go too smoothly. By the time we got there it was mid-afternoon, and we knew we'd never get back before dark - and a motorcycle driven by a foreigner in a cambodia after dark = asking for trouble.

So turns out this place we went to offers homestays, so we checked in with a lovely Khmer family - Somna and Ravi and their 2 kids - and headed off for a hike. 3 waterfalls, steep hiking uphill, it was wonderful.



Girly toes are prettier than boy toes.


Chillin' by the 'fall



Our home away from home, away from home.


Our yummy dinner which they made vegetarian espescially for me =)


Check out how they power the TV


Ended up staying a bit too long at the waterfall and by the time we were on the way back, it was pitch black. Yes, it's true, me, the scaredy-cat, walked through a pitch-black cambodian jungle. At one point one of the locals was there and I couldn't see him and he said hello and I jumped about 6 feet into the air and screamed blue murder. But yes, it was fun.

The next day we woke up early for breakfast - rice soup, which I was excited about until I discovered it was porridge, urgh - and then headed for the mountain. Many mishaps occured, such as a lost helmet and a busted tyre, which is no joke when you're riding up a steep slope. Poor Toby had to push it all the way up, I tried and failed like a poor damsel in distress and was very annoyed with myself for not being able to.

Got help from an amazing Khmer family who had this ingenious way of fixing the large hole - they put this contraption on it with a piece of rubber, poured fuel inside, set it on fire, and submerged it into cold water once the rubber had melted. Took a bit of time but a good job indeed.



The family gathered round to watch the crazy foreigners who busted their bike.


After exploring the mountain a bit we were both tired, and headed on our 2.5 hour journey back home. The feeling of seeing Welcome to Phnom Penh! as we entered the mainland was similar to what I felt when I touched down in Changi Airport - oh, thank god I'm home!



We never made it to the top of the mountain - it had started to rain and we were both really tired. Toby asked if I was disappointed, and he looked pretty bummed out because he assumed I was.

Oh, not at all. I replied, to his surprise. You see, I'd choose adventure over mountains any day.

Toby and me very satisfied upon reaching the first waterfall.


Some cows on the road.



The mountain:


Born to be wild