Not the ride we planned today. We started off slow, but all feeling okay after the big ride yesterday. It was close to 9am by the time we really got going and it was already really hot. We rode through rice paddy fields for about 15kms and Julie and Robert were not feeling great.
We had a break near a pagoda to recover, but Julie was still feeling weak.
I thought that because we hadn’t had a good meal in 24 hours that Julie may be needing some extra nutrition, so we stopped at a Khmer village store and purchased a couple of mangos.
Julie kept deteriorating and after another 5kms could not continue and had to lie down under a tree. We still had another 50kms to Phnom Penh and Julie was too sick to continue, so after a little research online found a phone number of a taxi driver from Takeo (the closest town – 15kms south). Even though the taxi driver spoke a little English it was hard to explain exactly what we needed, but enough to order the taxi and we had an hour wait.
While we waited the restaurant owner where we stopped was very hospitable and served us drinks and food. Including mangos and bananas that he grew himself. Robert entertained himself and the owners children playing BeyBlades.
When the taxi arrived it was a standard sedan. In Australia this would have been a concern, but in Cambodia not a problem. Ten minutes later with the help of the driver we had the bikes secured on top of the boot.
The trip into Phnom Penh was interesting and probably a good thing we were in a car. Traffic lights are pretty rare in Phnom Penh and the ones that are operational don’t seem to be followed. For the whole trip through the city we didn’t fully stop once.
We safely arrived at the hotel and the bikes no worse off from the trip. Once in our room Julie collapsed into bed and I organised dinner with Camila and Matias, Chilean touring friends who arrived a day earlier. Patrick wasn’t feeling well either, but was excited to catch up with Camila and Matias, so we left Julie in the room and walked four blocks to a restaurant. On arriving at the restaurant Patrick vomited at the entrance, so I carried him back to the hotel and got Robert to order for me. In the end Robert and I had a good meal with Camila and Matias, while Patrick and Julie recuperated in bed.
Check out my ride on Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/899428753/
You certainly need to be ready for everything. Thank goodness for phones. Hope Julie and paddy are feeling better. At Teresa’s Nellie at Mel and James five patters!!
Smart phones are an amazing asset and safety blanket. Julie and Patrick are finally feeling better and we all ventured out and about yesterday in Phnom Penh and today on the bus to Siem Reap. Nellie will have a great time with the Gentle’s.