7. Angkor Wat
The cycle to Ankor Wat from the border town of Poipet is all on the main road. I’m sure some cyclists can do it all in one day, but for us it’s a short hop to Sisophon of 45km and then a monster 100km to Siem Reap. It’s all flat, always into the wind, just like we’ve been since we left Bangkok and is relatively ok until the heat builds up, then it becomes seriously uncomfortable and, for us, difficult. So the plan for the 100km was to leave at 4am, 2 and half hours before sun rise! We had decided we needed to get up early in Poipet so we would be tired when we arrived...
Read More6. Papers Please!
The cycle too the border from Bangkok took a few days taking us though small villages and quiet roads and of course past many Temples.. It’s lovely cycling here when it’s not the middle of the day. Life starts about 4.30am. It’s the cool time of day and people take advantage of that to socialise with friends in groups walking, running and even cycling. Drive through breakfast… It’s also the best time to get up and get going for us so we slowly moved through the Thai countryside towards the border starting at dawn and watching the countryside change as the sun...
Read MoreYou really shouldn’t be that yellow….
Well, that wasn’t expected! The first two days of cycling I found really hard. I mean stupid hot, overheating feeling faint, knackered hard. Naturally being a complete idiot I did the British Stiff Upper Lip and Keep Calm and Carry on and on the third day I felt fine. Completely back to normal – it’s still very very hot from about 11am, but I didn’t literally crawl from 7-eleven to 7-eleven dreaming of cold drinks and Aircon. I said to Linda I feel I’ve adapted quite quickly, even though I’d felt the last two days were hard going. She replied “Well,...
Read More4. Farewell Bangkok
And we’re off..leaving Bangkok We thoroughly enjoyed Bangkok, it’s a very western city and you can easily live a completely western life there from Marks and Spencers food and clothes to numerous really high class restaurants. English is widely spoken and virtually ubiquitous in shops and menus and it’s a very easy introduction to SE Asia. Getting out of it on a bicycle however is not like the west. The city is like a bicycle wheel with huge roads forming the spokes out from the city and very few places to cross these 4 and 6 lane spokes. You end up either...
Read More3. Bangkok
Unless we venture to Phuket, this is likely to be the most touristy place we visit and you’re really spoilt here with everything being in English at all the touristy spots. English is widely spoken and it feels a very easy and soft introduction to SE Asia. It’s also very nice. Though the city is built entirely around the car with huge roads bludgeoning their way across town, the drivers themselves are quite polite and given the fact that half the time the roads are just a huge car park they seem very patient. No one hoots. Never. Not even when some idiot pulls out at a traffic...
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