Day 39: Phnom Penh - Takeo - Frankie goes to.....Indochina

February 8, 2018

Day 39: Phnom Penh - Takeo

Routing: #2

My last errand was run last night by picking up my Thai visa at the Lucky Lucky Services. Worked out perfectly well - only to be recommended for any sort of visa issues. Although I had a really good time in Phnom Penh I was ready to move on: Me myself refreshed, the bike in perfect shape again and Vietnam is calling. A country I have been to before but only in the North and never on a bicycle.

I knew the ride today shouldn´t be all that bad, Jan enjoyed his in 2009, I liked it when doing it in 2012 but I have learnt over the last few weeks that things develop rapidly down here. In both directions. Unfortunately the Cambodian infrastructure knows only one direction: downhill. No difference today, at least the middle section along Hway 2.

Getting out of the city was again as easy as I had always experienced it. I honestly believe you are better off exploring Phnom Penh on your bicycle as part of the traffic mob than struggling against it as a pedestrian. Sounds weird but my walk to and back from the visa agency last night was almost apocalyptic. There is a clear pecking order on Cambodia´s roads; on foot you are at the very bottom of it and pavements are only used for one purpose - parking space for vehicles or motorbikes. Anyways, the very best noodle soup restaurant in Cambodia was on my way out so that was definitely lifting my mood for the day ahead of me.

I had to turn left onto the Preah Norodom Boulevard, later called Hway 2, only a couple of hundred meters from the restaurant. You can stay on the #2 all the way through but I followed the google maps advice and took the shortcut along the Hun Sen Blvd. Not nice scenerywise but a wide dual carriageway without any cross traffic. Once back on Hway 2 that nasty middle section I mentioned above commenced. Very dense traffic, very poor surface, very dusty, - the usual Cambodian highway nuisance. Fortunately the further south I got the more all relevant conditions improved. I would even call the last 20 km into Takeo pleasant. And the final impressions are the lasting ones, aren´t they? So not a bad day overall and Takeo (also called Krong Doun Kaev) is a nice place to me. Funny setup with some sort of town center around a dried out pond but a real lake a bit further north with guesthouses aplenty and very, very good seafood stalls. You will see what I mean further down. I am staying in the Nita Guesthouse in a decent fan room for 5 bucks.

The boys in orange seem to admire that river as much as I do

I don´t know what sort of water plants they are cultivating but it looks appealing

Along the #2 the stalls were all selling fancy hammocks, doormats and a very popular fruit called Kwat. I don´t like it, makes your tongue numb

The wetlands approaching Takeo. Great life for the buffaloes on the island!

Highway 2 in the nicer, more southern part

View from my balcony of the Nita Guesthouse

The stilt houses opposite the guesthouse

Only my second course. The grilled mackerel stuffed with lemongrass, garlic and chili was as good!

Phnom Penh - Takeo (aka Krong Doun Kaev)

Today's ride: 78 km (48 miles)
Total: 3,233 km (2,008 miles)

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