Weds 5 Mar: The ride to Phnom Penh
The day began with an early wake up of 6am. After a quick breakfast and a final goodbye to the lush pool at our hotel in Sihanoukville, we began our first 17km cycle up and out of the coastal port town. This included a steady incline and some fantastic downhills that made everyone feel like they were 5 years old and riding a bike for the first time again.
Our first pitstop today was at Ream National Park where we hopped onto two boats and glided up the fresh water river. Our guide, Sokly, informed us that the mangroves surrounding the river were protected and home to many fish. We spotted local families fishing with small nets and by hand, apparently the only kind of fishing allowed in this area. The boat ride was relaxing and we enjoyed the break from the bikes momentarily.
Next up was a fairly flat 15km along a busy main highway. Big trucks passed us and made it very clear they were approaching, with their turbo charged horns. The team rode single file and stayed close to the shoulder of the road, looking out for each other as we passed through smaller towns in between.
Today the scenery was a mix of greenery and farmland, as well as some industrial development, such as the Angkor beer factory we spotted! We also passed a few schools, where the friendly children—in their white and blue uniforms—gave us a wave and cheered us on.
Roadside bovines butting heads…
Our final 18km was another fairly flat stretch, but by now it was hot and humid and our legs were feeling heavy and fatigued. We all had a celebratory high five at the finish line and congratulated Megan for finishing a 50km cycle on her birthday!
After the ride we hopped on the bus and transferred to Phnom Penh. On arrival, we checked into the hotel and freshened up. The team dined at Romdeng restaurant, a charity-run restaurant for Friends International, where its profits are reinvested into the students who train there to teach them new skills and to offer them a secure future. The food was excellent and widely praised. Those who dared also ordered some fried tarantulas and then held live tarantulas afterwards (They really do taste like chicken!)
Tour Leader, Isabel, lets a tarantula rest on her head…
Tarantula is on the menu for the brave who will try it, at Romdeng restaurant…
We celebrated Megan’s birthday today with a cake and our two local guides, Mr Vath and Sokly, gave her gorgeous lotus flowers for a present, another example of how fantastic our guides have been and how they have helped to make the adventure so special. Mr Vath and Sokly gave us a lesson into Cambodian history on the bus ride today, explaining how the Khmer Rouge genocide came about and how their families had been personally affected. It was hard not to cry listening to their horrific stories which will all be made more real when we visit the Choeung Ek Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum tomorrow. Cambodia has a deep and solemn past, and so many lives have been lost. After putting things into perspective, it made us realise how lucky we are to be travelling this now beautiful and charming country, with such an awesome bunch of people.
Tues 4 Mar: To Sihanoukville
Today was D day. A scheduled 83km—the furthest we had ridden during this adventure. We mentally prepared the team last night and everyone was excited to take the challenge on!
We began cycling at 7:15am. Riding this early was a treat as the weather was cool and overcast and allowed everyone to settle into it. After a fairly easy 20km on flat, straight road, we arrived in the river town of Kampot—a bustling old town with French colonial architecture. The team dedicated the rest of their rides with “I’m doing it for” signs. Some nominated friends and family back home, friends no longer with us, themselves for slogging it out and taking on the challenge, and also fellow team members that helped them tackle the may kilometres. Some also dedicated the ride to Cambodian girls, change, choice, and hope!
Next up was a 10km cycle, before we had our first snack stop of mangoes and watermelons. The scenery we passed was very rural and had little development. There were cows everywhere and Bokor mountain was in the background. Small brick houses, thatched roof houses and stilt houses were some of the sights we saw. The friendly children again provided a chorus of hellos wherever we passed. They also high fived us which helped lift our spirits.
Continuing along for a flat, easy ride, the main road to Sihanoukville gave us a show of passing mini bus taxis heading into town, most laden with chickens, wood, and sometimes just bursting with people.
The team make a brief stop to hydrate at the 65km mark…
The team was surprised when we reached 75km, which was the furthest most people had ever ridden! Taking the time to stretch and use the “happy trees” bordering the clearing, we all remarked how well we were doing and how fast the pace was.
After a simple lunch of fried rice at a small restaurant in Veal Rinh, the team continued on for the last 10km where we finally finished with Angkor beers and a huge cheers. The total tally for today was a whopping 88km!
That evening we began the bracelet game and awarded 5 bracelets to people who deserved some recognition. First up was Jane, who fell off her bike on the first day and got back up and continued cycling each day since. Second was Wendy, who overcame technical difficulties with her bike. Third was Imran, for cycling without padded shorts for 3 days. Fourth was Karly, for dealing with culture shock as a first time traveller and being so patient, and finally Hannah, who pushed through sunburn to complete the day. Honourable mention was also given to David, who helped Marty get to the end after some pedal issues.
Tomorrow, we’re up for a 50km hill ride. Bring it on!
Mon 3 Mar: Crossing the Vietnam Cambodia border
After breakfast the team said goodbye to our hotel in Ha Tien and transferred 15 minutes to the Vietnam–Cambodia border. We passed through customs and were stamped through.
After completing a required health check, the team then walked 5 minutes to be greeted by a large bright pink bus which would be our new vehicle for the adventure. We met our local guides and new bikes and soon set off to ride through Kampong Trach to Kep. Southern Cambodia is gorgeous and, while it’s in dry season, there’s still much to see, which we learnt passing salt flats and brown rice paddies.
Cycling to Kep…
Team Plan cyclist, Claire, on her way to Kep…
The ride was 35km and everyone pushed through the sore muscles and made the whole distance. Cycling the last 10km into the beachside town of Kep was beautiful and tonight we are staying right on the water, which is a fantastic treat. An ocean dip before sunset was enjoyed by some of the team, while others opted to have a well earned rest by kicking back in a hammock.
The team on arrival in Kep…
But it’s definitely not all rest and relaxation! Tomorrow we are set to cycle over 85km, a huge distance through 35-39 degree heat in the Cambodian sun.
Lunch today was one of the team’s favourites, with local fresh seafood and delicious Cambodian flavours (ginger, lemongrass, black pepper). The time we spend at lunch is a great way for us all to reflect on the ride and to share stories of what we have seen in the saddle, there’s just too much for one person to take in!
Sun 2 Mar: Can Tho to Ha Tien
Today we took a boat from Can Tho along the Mekong Delta to the Cai Rang floating markets. Phuoc, our local guide, advised us that these markets are an authentic part of Vietnamese culture and not designed to sell goods to tourists.
With over 200 boats carrying fruit and vegetables, these products are sold wholesale to local people, restaurants and cafés. Each boat has a long stick attached to the deck which has the item they are selling hanging. We spied pumpkins, onions, watermelons, lettuce, carrots and pineapple just to name a few.
We then continued to a market on shore which the team were able to walk through and admire. The sights and smells were quite overwhelming as market owners hacked up fish on the ground and live eels slithered around in buckets. Chicken heads, duck heads and rat meat was also spotted.
Lunch was next and we visited a crocodile farm where we saw hundreds of crocodiles. Nobody was keen to try crocodile for lunch and so we were treated with an array of fish, meat and vegetable dishes. I must say, the potato, papaya and shrimp soup was interesting….
After a bumpy bus ride to Tri Ton we finally began cycling for the day.
Everyone was incredibly keen to tackle the 50km and we set off excited, despite the afternoon heat and humidity. Today’s scenery was varied as we further delved into life along the Mekong Delta. As we rode, we passed many children who would wave and say ‘hello’, their enthusiasm never waning. Marnie remarked that this usually occurred just when you needed an extra push and having these kids as our cheer squad definitely made the ride more enjoyable and bearable.
We also rode through a small market, where sellers were just inches from our bike wheels. They took the sight of 26 Aussies and Brits in their stride and welcomed us through, ducking and weaving carts and motorbikes around our group.
Some of the team were also witness to an ox and cart accident, where two ox escaped from their farmers cart and ran down the road. It was a pretty incredible sight and we were all glad we weren’t in front of the running animals!
Here are Karen and Tim at the water break 15kms into the ride…
Everyone really dug deep today as we made up for lost time due to traffic earlier in the day. We kept a good pace and the 46km was further than some of the team had ever ridden before. What an achievement! We rode until just before sunset which gave the scenery an even more beautiful edge.
Megan and Linda after riding 46km…
Riding through Vietnam’s countryside is hard to describe, there are so many things to take in. Tomorrow we cross the border for Cambodia, can’t wait to see what’s in store for us there!
Sat 1 Mar: Let the cycling begin!
Today we began the first leg of our cycle challenge, a fairly flat 30km through the Mekong Delta. After a slightly scary start in My Tho, with the help of our local guides we weaved our way through traffic, motor bikes, trucks and cars. After 3km we started to see signs of the Delta – dragon fruit plantations, coconut trees and lots of greenery.
The team made great headway and we finished our first 15km in no time at all. After a quick break to eat locally grown sugar bananas and a pitstop at a random Vietnamese house for the ladies who needed to visit a ‘happy house’ (aka toilet), the team continued on the final 15km together.
We passed incredible scenery, from colonial style houses with the Mekong lapping at their doorstop (you wonder what happens to these families when it floods), to school children on bikes passing us giggling, to small motorbikes carrying 10 times their weight in leaves, sand, wood and other bits and pieces.
Many of the team remarked that it was an amazing experience, with Linda saying she “felt like she was in the scene of a movie”.
Next stop was the Vinh Trang Pagoda where we enjoyed the beautiful gardens and temple with various Buddha statues.
After lunch in Cai Be we caught a boat along the Mekong Delta where we got to see a taste of river life, whole families live on boats and sell their goods on a daily basis. Boats stacked with pumpkins, potatoes, green vegetables were easy to spot. Lots of children along the river waved to us and we were able to see families preparing for their nightly wash, using just a bucket and water pulleyed from the Delta.
Along the way we stopped to visit a variety of local shops which were selling handmade food. This tour included a toast with snake wine (alcohol with snakes inside fermented for a year) as well as seeing how rice paper, popped rice and coconut candy are made. We all agreed that the hand made care put into these foods was awe inspiring. Everything required a different methodical step and was repeated hundreds of time throughout the day. Patience is key!
Tonight we will have another team dinner and then will visit a local night market.
Team Cycle for Girls are in good spirits and everyone is getting to know each other. We have participants from remote Northern Territory, Horn Island off far North Queensland, Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth and the UK. It’s really exciting to hear why everyone was inspired to take on this challenge and why they have done it for Plan International Australia.
Fri 28 Feb: Team Cycle for Girls arrive in Ho Chi Minh City
Today is the first day of our Cycle for Girls adventure! 23 riders have flown from 5 different states and were joined by two international travellers from the UK (undertaking a 21 hour journey! )
The team got to know each other at the welcome dinner where we enjoyed delicious Vietnamese food and introduced ourselves. Overall the team have just passed $120,000 raised for Plan’s Because I Am A Girl campaign. Imran, from Plan Australia, has joined us on this adventure and he spoke to us about Plan’s work and his role within the organisation. Imran is in the gender equality taskforce and told everyone how incredible their fundraising efforts were!
Bec arrived earlier than the team and had the amazing experience of meeting her Plan sponsor child yesterday in Hanoi – this will make the Cycle for Girls even more special for her. It’s an early night tonight as we prepare for our first day of cycling tomorrow!
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