"A trip to Beng Mealea, which in itself demands an entire day, can be combined with a hunting party, since the region is rich in both small and large game and wild animals; - tigers, panthers and elephants, herds of oxen and wild buffalo inhabit the forest as far as Prah Khan of Konpong Svay in the east." Maurice Glaize, The Angkor Guide
Needless to say times have changed since M. Glaize wrote this as there is nothing left to hunt and, ick. I settled on full day bike ride with the company I'm renting my bike from, Grasshopper Adventures. Along with guide, Sum and driver Date, was Allan from the UK and local student Sousoudey.
It rained last night and was nicely cooled off - may have even been below 30C. Sum took us off the beaten track but on well maintained dirt roads for the most part. They were more or less dry but enough puddles remained that I was coated headed to toe with red mud by the time we arrived. It was an early start - 6:30 - so we had a breakfast stop after about 10k. Local fare at a roadside restaurant: rice noodles in light coconut broth with and egg yolk stirred in, cabbage and green bean. Slightly sweet and very yummy - much needed carbs.
Heading east from there we had a stop to see some palm nectar collecting. A single pole bamboo ladder with the tiniest cross pieces for rungs is used to scale the trees. Bamboo segments act as cups and are set in place under the flower for the day - collection is done in the evening. This man had fashioned a bamboo bridge connecting several trees. He invited us to try some that he had collected over night. It was cool and lightly sweet. This will be boiled down in sugar.
Around the corner from here the road was lined with cut palm leaves for about 200m. Laid out perpendicular to the road and left to try. They'll be used in roof thatching.
Some rice harvesting is beginning. The ladies working in the fields are bundled up. Sum told us that the ladies covet white skin. Darker skinned people are looked down on and we're told that working in a supermarket is a coveted job as you are not exposed to the sun. Surprised to find out that young women may not be able to get a supermarket job if they are "too dark." Meanwhile people in North America are frying themselves in tanning machines...
AT the 1/2 way point we had a break with cool towels, cold water, lychee like fruit and bananas. I've come to LOVE bananas here. Fresh ones. Ones that have never seen the inside of boat or a plane. They are always yummy buttery and a touch tangy. Those banana shaped things we get at home pale by comparison.
Odd visitors on fancy bikes are a novelty out here so of course every child must yell Hello! One school emptied to should hello and wave. After a while I started leaning over to the side and high 5-ing then in a row as I rode by. Great fun - felt like Queen Lizzy and a rock star at the same time.
Another break with cold fresh mango and dragon fruit this time. I was chagrined that I was finding the going tough at the 2/3rd mark on such flat land when, duh, I realized that the bumpy roads had loosened the seat post and my seat had dropped by 2" which made pedalling more like deep knee bends. With that adjusted the rest of the ride was a breeze, a hot breeze.
Allan and I decide we deserved a cold beer with lunch (hot Khmer chicken+veg) after our 72k ride. Sum, our guide told us he aspires to do adventurous biking when he too when he's...older. Alana is 60 - I'm sure he was talking about him!
Beng Melea certainly has atmosphere. There's a wooden walkway threading through jumbles of mossy, tree covered cut stones - in the end we scramble though a heap of fallen columns to exit. Fun.
Chilled out with an ice cold tequila and Khmer King Prawns with star anise at the Butterflies Garden Restaurant after - they wash they veg in purified water and have a netted in patio full of butterflies. Then tracked down the Blue Pumpkin for another caramel cashew nut ice cream.
Today's ride - the first 72km are by bike, we returned by van: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/246545814
Needless to say times have changed since M. Glaize wrote this as there is nothing left to hunt and, ick. I settled on full day bike ride with the company I'm renting my bike from, Grasshopper Adventures. Along with guide, Sum and driver Date, was Allan from the UK and local student Sousoudey.
It rained last night and was nicely cooled off - may have even been below 30C. Sum took us off the beaten track but on well maintained dirt roads for the most part. They were more or less dry but enough puddles remained that I was coated headed to toe with red mud by the time we arrived. It was an early start - 6:30 - so we had a breakfast stop after about 10k. Local fare at a roadside restaurant: rice noodles in light coconut broth with and egg yolk stirred in, cabbage and green bean. Slightly sweet and very yummy - much needed carbs.
Heading east from there we had a stop to see some palm nectar collecting. A single pole bamboo ladder with the tiniest cross pieces for rungs is used to scale the trees. Bamboo segments act as cups and are set in place under the flower for the day - collection is done in the evening. This man had fashioned a bamboo bridge connecting several trees. He invited us to try some that he had collected over night. It was cool and lightly sweet. This will be boiled down in sugar.
Around the corner from here the road was lined with cut palm leaves for about 200m. Laid out perpendicular to the road and left to try. They'll be used in roof thatching.
Some rice harvesting is beginning. The ladies working in the fields are bundled up. Sum told us that the ladies covet white skin. Darker skinned people are looked down on and we're told that working in a supermarket is a coveted job as you are not exposed to the sun. Surprised to find out that young women may not be able to get a supermarket job if they are "too dark." Meanwhile people in North America are frying themselves in tanning machines...
AT the 1/2 way point we had a break with cool towels, cold water, lychee like fruit and bananas. I've come to LOVE bananas here. Fresh ones. Ones that have never seen the inside of boat or a plane. They are always yummy buttery and a touch tangy. Those banana shaped things we get at home pale by comparison.
Odd visitors on fancy bikes are a novelty out here so of course every child must yell Hello! One school emptied to should hello and wave. After a while I started leaning over to the side and high 5-ing then in a row as I rode by. Great fun - felt like Queen Lizzy and a rock star at the same time.
Another break with cold fresh mango and dragon fruit this time. I was chagrined that I was finding the going tough at the 2/3rd mark on such flat land when, duh, I realized that the bumpy roads had loosened the seat post and my seat had dropped by 2" which made pedalling more like deep knee bends. With that adjusted the rest of the ride was a breeze, a hot breeze.
Allan and I decide we deserved a cold beer with lunch (hot Khmer chicken+veg) after our 72k ride. Sum, our guide told us he aspires to do adventurous biking when he too when he's...older. Alana is 60 - I'm sure he was talking about him!
Beng Melea certainly has atmosphere. There's a wooden walkway threading through jumbles of mossy, tree covered cut stones - in the end we scramble though a heap of fallen columns to exit. Fun.
Chilled out with an ice cold tequila and Khmer King Prawns with star anise at the Butterflies Garden Restaurant after - they wash they veg in purified water and have a netted in patio full of butterflies. Then tracked down the Blue Pumpkin for another caramel cashew nut ice cream.
Today's ride - the first 72km are by bike, we returned by van: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/246545814
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