27/1/11
Headed up to Kon Tum today, very interesting ride. After about an hour it started raining and continued raining for about 4 hours, this made the road from Ha Lam to Kham Duc quite difficult as they are building two or three dams up that road and the trucks are dropping a lot of dirt on it, and putting pot holes all through it.
This was a good test of the wet weather covers for the side panniers, which wasn't a complete success. They only cover the away from bike side letting all the splash off the tyres onto the inner side of the pannier, they also catch a lot of the water/mud that lands on the inner side, meaning they fill up with water. mmm have to think of a way around that one, maybe a Velcro on inner piece.
The road from Kham Duc to Kon Tum was much better and although there where not as many bikes as on highway 1 it had lots of buses, which do like to cut blind corners and go wide coming up to them so they can go faster around the corner. Luckily on a big ish straight a bus was passing a truck when there was a barrier on my side so I couldn't get out of his way. Luckily I convinced him to pull back or I would off had to jump off the bike over the barrier to live.
Nice market here in Kon Tum and the people aren't as pushy for selling to westerners, probable because there aren't many. This was my 15th hotel
28/1/11
Had short day today, only rode to Plieku which is 50km from Kon Tum. But I did leave the oil cap off when I filled up in the morning so got oil all over my leg and boot. Plieku is a busy little town with a nice market, although something I have eaten there wasn't so good as I had the runs for a little while that night.
Finally took some photos of speed limit signs here they are interesting.
29/1/11
Got up early to get some more American dollars for Cambodia as it sounds like I want be able to get any money from a bank for a while. On the way out of town, while on the phone to Murray and Caroline, I saw a bus drive past that had obviously rolled.
Got to the border about 10.30am and through with out any issues, the Cambodia visa only cost $20 with no extra charges added on for the motorbike. I was expecting a slow trip from the border to Ban Lung with a bad dirt road, but it was tarmac the whole way, a bit like the Australian out back long straights with bugger all traffic, just no road trains. It only took 1.5hrs instead of my estimate of 3-5hrs.
On the road to Ban Lung I stopped a Buddhist temple which had people riding crocodiles. All i could think was, before Steve Irwin there was Buddha.
Got to the border about 10.30am and through with out any issues, the Cambodia visa only cost $20 with no extra charges added on for the motorbike. I was expecting a slow trip from the border to Ban Lung with a bad dirt road, but it was tarmac the whole way, a bit like the Australian out back long straights with bugger all traffic, just no road trains. It only took 1.5hrs instead of my estimate of 3-5hrs.
Went to Beong Yeak Laom (lake) for a swim in the afternoon which was lovely. Also bought a Cambodian Sim card ($3) which means I now have some local money.
On the way back to the hotel I saw some locals standing around playing a game which is like bowls and platonk. Clay pitch with a bottle cap pushed into the ground at the chosen place then you can role the ball (little silver ones like platonk) or throw them to hit the other persons away, has the same dead ball area as in bowls, but the pitch isn't completely flat.
On the way back to the hotel I saw some locals standing around playing a game which is like bowls and platonk. Clay pitch with a bottle cap pushed into the ground at the chosen place then you can role the ball (little silver ones like platonk) or throw them to hit the other persons away, has the same dead ball area as in bowls, but the pitch isn't completely flat.
30/1/11
Rode to Strung Trend it was a dusty ride, over 100km of dirt, started out good quality dirt but got a lot worse in the for the middle section. At least the dust should help clean the oil off the bag and leg of my pants. Saw 3 cyclist riding around poor buggers.
Checked into a nice hotel by the river, and went for a walk around the market, found some fried chicken lol. Also went for a ride over a big bridge and ended up taking a local guy home, he would have had to walk another 4km so I think he was happy about it. I just hope his wife wasn't cheating on him or he may have got home too early.
Stopped on the bridge to watch the sunset, which was great although you couldn't see the sun when it actually hit the horizon because of all the smoke from the fires. Some guys I meet in Ban Lung said the bush is being burned to clear it, I haven't seen that yet but there are a lot of fires going, the ones I have seen are more people clearing long grass around their houses or from orchards.
31/1/11
Rode down to Kratie from Strung Trend, nice ride mostly tar, except some road works. Nowhere near the traffic here in Cambodia so far, I do expect that to change as I get further down river. Still cannot get a slow boat down the river, doesn't look like it's going to happen in Cambodia anyway, maybe Loas.
1/2/11
Went to see the Irrawara fresh water dolphins in the morning which was great, I got no photos but took over 20 videos of which I may keep 4. After the hour the boat driver offered to take us up to an island up river for an extra $1 each (3 on boat) which we took him up on the offer and had a swim up by some rapids.
Lumbini (which we went to).
Then I headed back toward Kratie and stopped at the Phom Sombok temple, which had some graphic, if you are naughty (I'm guessing they are) stuff in the first area I came to. Saw some Monks meditating in another area, Looked like they had been there for a long time as they had mosquito nets around them.
2/2/11
Rode to Kompong Cham by following the Mekong down, this meant the road wasn't as good but also a lot less traffic. Got a bit lost on the way down a couple of times, even got a bit worried when I ended up at a dead end in the middle of a bush area. Had to ride back to the river through a heap of farms with the local villagers standing around open mouthed staring at me, I don't think they had tourist go through there before.
Some of the tracks got so narrow that I was only just able to get the bike through with the side panniers on, but at least I know the bike can handle some very ruff tracks now. I did get a bit worried about the back tyre as it is getting a bit thin in places now, tried to change it here in Kompong Cham but no one seems to have the right tyre. Hopefully I can find one in Phom Phen when I get there tomorrow.
3/2/11
Ended up going the other way. I rode to Seim Reap instead, Great ride the road had little traffic most of the way. The roads where similar to Pilbra Region of West Australia, very dry and quite hot in the high 30's i think. On the ride i saw a van with the back door open a bit and a scooter tied there, they must not have had enough seats inside as there was a guy sitting on the bike, man i love the rules here.
Some of the tracks got so narrow that I was only just able to get the bike through with the side panniers on, but at least I know the bike can handle some very ruff tracks now. I did get a bit worried about the back tyre as it is getting a bit thin in places now, tried to change it here in Kompong Cham but no one seems to have the right tyre. Hopefully I can find one in Phom Phen when I get there tomorrow.
3/2/11
Ended up going the other way. I rode to Seim Reap instead, Great ride the road had little traffic most of the way. The roads where similar to Pilbra Region of West Australia, very dry and quite hot in the high 30's i think. On the ride i saw a van with the back door open a bit and a scooter tied there, they must not have had enough seats inside as there was a guy sitting on the bike, man i love the rules here.
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