After living in Stung Treng for twenty months, we have not
yet exhausted areas to explore within cycling distance of our house.
A couple of months ago, Angela, Linda and I decided to go exploring
on our bikes, setting off about 8 am one Saturday morning. The sun was already
up and it was hot but we covered up with clothing and sunscreen and pushed on.
Linda has some detailed maps of Stung Treng and surrounding
villages and our eye had been taken by the West bank of the Mekong, in
particular a large island in the middle of the river.
The usual ferry we use to cross the Mekong had just motored
off (using a naked engine similar to a wagon without a silencer) but we had a backup
plan, which was cycle out of town and catch a smaller boat across which Angela
had used before on her travels to Health centers. We weren’t to know it was the
first of four ferries we took that day, all of them different and adding
greatly to the fun and spirit of adventure.
Small ferry crossing the Mekong with our bikes on board.
Once across we were on familiar ground at Thala Borivit district,
landing South of the town. Of the town, Lonely Planet says:
For all its past
glories, there is very little to see today. It is hardly worth the effort for
the casual visitor, but Temple fiends may feel the urge to tick it off.
How unkind, the temple reference refers to local
concentrations of old temples dated between the 6th and 9th
Centuries.
I found it hard to believe but this ancient structure is claimed to be older than the Temples of Angkor Watt.
A Sacred stone cow which again pre-dates Angkor Watt.
We cycled South along the river bank passing wooden house on
stilts with really friendly Cambodian people outside surprised, but delighted
to see, crazy Barrangs cycling in the heat.
Hello! What your name?-
next house- Hello!, What your name?-
interspersed with- ......where you go?
I then had a rear wheel puncture and being the practical lad
I am, I had brought a few bike tools and a new inner tube. However, VSO bikes
are fiddly things to work on especially the rear wheel so whenever possible we
let the local repairman do the job with his special tools.
We stopped by a sort of repair place, the repairman wasn’t in,
unbeknown to us a phone call had been made and the repairman appeared.
Soon we were on our way halted by a small tributary feeding
the Mekong. This location had the smallest ferry of the day powered by the operator
pulling on ropes. In this case three children aged maybe 10 y.o. pulled us
across; smiles, embarrassment and pride in the job all the way.
At this point I was on unfamiliar ground, we came to the
point at which the new bridge under construction will strike the West bank,
more on the new bridge another time.
The Bridge crossing on the West bank of the Mekong.Construction underway for completion in a year or two.
We were searching for a ferry crossing to put us on a large
island we could see lying of our bank of the Mekong.
A possible ferry landing point? Let's ask the locals.
We found a probable site
and Linda asked some curious locals to phone the ferry driver (I could see the
ferry moored to the side of the island, off in the distance).I watched and
imagined the driver waking in the shade to the sound of his mobile, mumbling
something and shaking off the sleep as he coached the oily engine into life.
Here comes the ferry so we make our way down to the river with our bikes.
Slowly the ferry came across and picked us up.
Linda and Angela on the ferry with their bikes.
What a lovely island we had discovered. We cycled east across
the island from bank to bank, maybe 10 mins cycling.
Peaceful cycling across the island to the far side.
We turned and rode down
the island some way, stopping for a rest on a patch of grass by the river.
No traffic insight.
Soon
a crowd had gathered whispering and growing bolder edging nearer to us. Crazy
barangs why lie there when you can rest at our house? An older women shouted,
well it sounded as if she was shouting but it was probably just the passion in
her invitation coming through.
A well earned rest on a Kamai families raised platform.
We followed and were hosted by a lovely Kamai family who peeled
us Pomaloes and let us rest on their sleeping platform; they went off to
continue harvesting the rice crop.
The children stayed practising their English language and
having their photos taken, finally asking us for some dollars- ah well.
Curious local children wondering what we are doing lying on the ground in the sun- why would you do that?
We retraced the track and found another departure point for
the 4th and last ferry of the day, again a friendly local phoned and
the ferry motored across from the mainland to pick us up.
The ferry had motored from the mainland to come and pick us up.
Once across with the bikes unloaded we were back on the
mainland South of Stung Treng town having travelled in an anti-clockwise
direction. Returning along a familiar road passing the prison and new bridge
construction site, we completed the loop back to town.
The new bridge under construction it will take a year or two to finish and then it will have a big impact on the local area- the ferries will be mostly redundant and a lot more traffic will pass through the area.
A really enjoyable, successful adventure which I will
remember for the beautiful countryside, the peaceful river, the smiling
friendly, happy, curious Cambodians living along our route.
I would recommend the trip to any visitors, maybe next time
it wouldn’t go as smoothly, but who knows all part of the adventure?
