Arrived 3/7/2011
Holly torledo chips!!! I don’t know if it is because I’m tired from the hills in Laos but today was super tough. The heat was intense. Back to the times of old – sweating like a mad man, absolutely drenching my shirt and my drink bottles heating up in about hour again. And now there is a new addition… the road is melting. Awesome. The hills, even though only few hundred metres high were super tough, had to make a couple of stops up the way to try and recover – first time I have had to do that but everything was just exhausting in the heat for my poor wee body.
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| Some rice processing on the side of the road |
I also experienced the most incredible rain I have ridden through so far. Yesterday it rained around 4pm and today just like clockwork it kicked in again. Visibility slowly reduced to about 30m, the wind picked up driving the rain into my face like a million needles then the roads flooded. Like really flooded. One section (about 20m) was literally turned into a river about 2ft deep. Waited on the side of the road with a local on his moto and watched a dump truck drive through and it was pretty high on it and made quite the bow wave, but only being about 1km away from getting to a town with some accommodation my decision was made to just ride on through. Everyone watched me from their road side shelters in fascination wondering what on earth the crazy white guy was doing, laughing and cheering. Water above the hubs and more, the panniers got a real test of water proofness!! Made it to the other and got a cheer from the onlookers. Amazingly enough the panniers were 99% dry inside – stoked! Not sure how the speedo has held up though… it stopped in the rain again and I’m sure drowning it wouldn’t have helped.
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| Landslides became a common occurrence along this road |
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| some were big |
Food. I have been able to find out a few words for rice, beef and chicken should keep me going for a bit.
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| mmmm grasshopper looking things. Peanut butter flavour again. |
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| This was a good feed! |
Some spectacular scenery here though!
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| Still used |
Holly torledo chips!!! I don’t know if it is because I’m tired from the hills in Laos but today was super tough. The heat was intense. Back to the times of old – sweating like a mad man, absolutely drenching my shirt and my drink bottles heating up in about hour again. And now there is a new addition… the road is melting. Awesome. The hills, even though only few hundred metres high were super tough, had to make a couple of stops up the way to try and recover – first time I have had to do that but everything was just exhausting in the heat for my poor wee body.
Hey bro!! glad to see youre still rockin on! Ive been following your trip and it looks amazing!!! im so jealous! (im working like a dog with a very 'normal' seeming existence).. anyway i saw a wedding near phnom penh and chickened out cause of harsh/very curious looks at the entrance.. liek 'wtf do you think you are doing looks'
ReplyDeleteanyway let me know when youre in saigon.
TAILWINDS... MIKE
I chickened out myself on a few weddings, wasn't feeling the best cycling out of Cambodia (that's my excuse). Vietnam is super hot well it is in the north anyway. Should be down in Saigon start of august or there abouts.
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