Musings

One of the things I do when cycle is think - or muse. At the halfway mark the trip has settled down we have gained an understanding of each other, both in terms of cycling ability and how we respond to the new cultures.

We have also gained some understanding of the places we have visited. A bike brings into contact more closely with the local people compared with a car or tour bus. Even better, because we have had local guides they can help us understand what we are seeing and help us learn about the local conditions as well as guide our riding. The challenge is that there is also some degree of culture shock and learning what is an isn't appropriate.

A simple example at least for a cyclist is learning how to negotiate the traffic. In Cambodia this is made harder by the bumpy roads. Cars and lorries constantly beep their horns to warn and move the small motorbikes, cyclists and pedestrians out of the way. It is normal for cyclists in Cambodia to cycle in the road against the flow of traffic. If the road narrows then the trucks will expect cyclists to wait for them to go through. One of the advantages of being a foreigner those is that the local people will generally give you a little extra leeway.

Similarly learning about the food is interesting, In Thailand and Cambodia food is served with various dipping sauces, food is spicier in Thailand, but extra chillies are routinely made available on request in Cambodia. One of the issues all travellers face is eating local food. When staying in international hotels it is seldom an issue, we have been travelling closer to the country and when cycling you need to ensure a regular intake of food to replace the energy burned. This means either carrying food or buying it along the way. Done properly the food bought along the way is always more interesting and often better than the "picnic" food that the small hotels adapt for cyclists.

Of course you are always warned to be careful and not to eat at small stalls and restaurants, we have though and so far so good. The last thing a cyclist needs is diarrhoea, especially if a trip into the fields is impossible if there are landmines around. I carry Immodium Instants just in case things go wrong. I also have a course of antibiotics from the doctor. The breakfasts served in both Thailand and Cambodia include "rice soups" which I find to be great for the start of a long cycling day, they are easy to digest and sustaining.

The other challenge when constantly moving is to keep things clean. At the moment I have struggled, even cycle clothes take more than a night to dry, which means carrying around damp clothes. Also the gel I am using struggles to get the dirt out of the clothes, or maybe I struggle. One of the problems is that washing in a small sink, where often the plug does not work takes ages. Next time I do a trip I do need to get better at regularly washing my cycle gear. I have to admit that I am wearing the same clothes in the evening - because I put the DEET mosquito spray on my skin and clothes when we venture out in the evening and I figure that the dosages will build up. The real reason is that it is a pain wearing and washing two sets of clothes a day. Since I spend most of the day after the first half an hour hot, sweaty and dirty then it seems reasonable to me.

Jim and Mary are veterans of around 20 cycle tours and they have already passed on some good tips. One tip is to use the free toothbrush that you find in many hotels for washing the bicycle, cycle shoes and bar bag. It is almost impossible otherwise. Mary mentioned it after seeing my cycling shoes get dirtier by the day, especially after paddling in the mud.

The other striking thing is despite the poverty and tragic history in Cambodia how cheerful and open the people are. The constantly smile, say hello and gather around us whenever we stop. At first we were concerned that something might get pinched, however nothing like that has happened. It is not uncommon for a Cambodian person to pick a bike up to see how heavy it is, but they are very careful.

Lastly, despite the low cost of living it is clear that Cambodia is struggling to re-build, many children do not go to school and are working from an early age, it brings into perspective one of the reason for doing the trip - to raise money for the local charities, many exist on a shoestring, but are expert at making every penny count.