Day 14: Wed 21 Nov - Kirirom Hillside Resort to Sihanouk Ville (named after the old King) 75km.

Ride: 75km; total: 679km

Day 12: Kirirom-Sihanouk Ville (75km). Early morning to see the bird and walking 1km to enjoy variety of different attractions including a 40m high water fall, variety of plants and animals while discovering the breathtaking nature and landscape. Continue cycling to Sihanouk Ville. We transfer by van at the the junction road to Sre Ambel and keep the hill part for the next day when we are fresh. (B,L,D)

Nice breaky of bacon, eggs & sausage with good coffee beside a great pool under plenty of tree cover.    It was then off on a dirt road through an interesting Cambodian rural area.  Came to Chambok village, which is a home stay zone with the tourists helping the locals with projects. 

A ride/walk to the waterfall in the Chambok enviro park; 3km round trip followed.  We then rode back past the resort out to the main highway.  Although it was busy I never felt in any danger at all. The only break from a fast ride down the hwy was the lunch stop at a local restaurant.   Apart from the normal food we had pigeon in one dish.  Everything was lovely. 

Another 20km odd on the busy hwy and we pulled over, loaded the bikes on the truck and headed off to Sihanouk Ville, about 100km away.  The shop lady at the place we stopped riding had a little monkey tied up with some rope and it was continually pacing up and down and panicking, horrible. 

Arrived Cambodian Resort, which is not far from the beach, about 5:15pm, a long hard day.  The heat had been getting to the Canberra people the last few days as it was particularly hot and humid.  It didn’t affect me as much being from a similar climate during out summer.  Also just about everyone (except me thank goodness) had stomach problems off and on from very early in the trip.  I suspect that some of it was due to people insisting on drinking the local ice with their iced coffee, soft drinks and different alcohol drinks.  It’s a good idea to never touch the ice in the backblocks of Asia as in the main it is made out of the local water, which is nearly always contaminated.  I saw this same result during a tour of Vietnam in 2010.

Just sufficient time to shower, change and do some washing before having to be at the foyer for the walk to dinner.  There was certainly no chance of getting bored on this schedule.  Dinner was at a local seafood restaurant just around the corner from the motel.  The lady who worked there also did the laundry for our people who wanted it at US$1 per kg.  These people are not work-shy that is for sure.   The dinner was great.  Went to bed early, 9:45pm.  

Chambok waterfall