Ooo, Ooo, Ooo-Udong Temple (45km)
Had a really good sleep last night (Ambien-free!) so started the day feeling much more human than on previous days! Apparently the anti-malarials can really mess with you too, so perhaps my body has adjusted to that also (although my guts are a complete mess – but we wont go there!). Today was a more relaxed pace with a bit of a lie-in as I didn’t have to get up until 7am, ready for an 8am departure. Went down for breakfast but some of the group who were already there said they’d been waiting ages for their orders to arrive, so instead I walked down to the local Mini-Mart and bought some pastries and orange juice, so had a very pleasant breakfast picnic in my room!

At 8am, we met our new local guides and picked up our next set of bikes. We were riding out of Phnom Penh in the throes of the rush hour traffic so you had to keep your wits about you to make sure you didn’t accidently ride into any vendor carts or tuk-tuks!. But again it was fascinating to be right in the thick of things, observing the passage of day to day life around you. For an experience of what a country is like, it really doesn’t get much more raw and unedited than this! The ride was at a very reasonable pace, so it wasn’t too taxing (not quite the speedy pace of Day 2 which was bloody hard work!). There was a bit of a headwind at times and I got a puncture but other than that, me and my new bike got on well!

Our route took us through many little villages along way. Today’s ride was 45km out to the temples of Oudong, with the option to either ride back (making it a 90km day) or take the bus to go see the Killing Fields. The countryside was quite different with the iconic sugar palm trees that you recognized from all the pictures of Angkor Wat. There are far fewer rice paddies or cultivated fields and, although its very green at the moment, apparently its usually far more dry and dusty, so a lot harder for the locals to eek out a living. Its obvious just riding through that there is a lot more poverty here – the streets are less well-paved, the dwellings more ramshackle, its generally more dirty with litter everywhere but, despite the impoverished conditions, the Khmer people are as friendly as before. Again, all along our ride, kids were running out to road to shout hello, beaming smiles and delighted when you gave them high fives (I’m sure I’m going to fall off my bike one of these days with a high five gone wrong!). The houses are also built differently, generally on stilts, with livestock or storage below, with the living quarters above. Despite the general poverty, there were some really nice houses and a lot of building too, so hopefully that’s a sign that things are improving and the area is starting to become more prosperous. After about 20kms, stopped for rest break with new Cambodian set of snacks – no more Choco Pies!

Another 25km, and arrived at Ouloong and were immediately surrounded by kids, wanting to sell us little trinkets and also offer to guide us up the steps to the top of the temple. I soon had this 14yr old boy who attached himself to me – I didn’t mind and ended up with him as my sherpa carrying my camera tripod! The 509 steps to the top will get the legs working overtime but the view was worth it. After several fish ponds along the way with hungry koi to feed (as well as a few monkeys) . View from top stunning of surrounding countryside.

Back down again and picnic lunch. Rice with beef, chicken satay and this gelatinous coconut rice thing for dessert which was v tasty. Then the group split – those of us who wanted to visit Killing Fields took bus back to Phnom Penh, the others rode back. As you’d expect Killing Fields were v grim. Another memorial filled with skulls but more disturbing was the clothing and bones, half buried, as you walked around the excavated graves. Found 8,900 bodies but think 40,000 may be buried here. Particularly gruesome was the "killing tree" which they used to kill babies with. We got back to the hotel around 4.30pm, had shower then arranged for massage later on in evening after dinner. Picked up laundry ($3 – result!) then had pina colada in lobby bar with Steve and chatted for a while. Dinner was in this restaurant down by the river, which was v nice - although we couldnt see very well, there was this woman doing traditional-style dancing, so it was a bit of a shame we didnt have a better view. Back to the hotel by 9.30pm and an early night!