Why travel by bicycle?

It has been almost 2 months since I began this cycling mini-adventure through South East Asia.I have made my way from Bangkok,through south east Thailand,into the heart of Cambodia and now I find myself cycling north up the Vietnamese coast.

These days there are people traveling on two wheels(with no horsepower to help)all over the world.It is however,still amusing to see the reaction you get when you tell others how you are getting around.Probably my most memorable experience in this regard happened this past Friday when I arrived in Nha Trang. After a hectic day,I cycled into Nha Trang,found a clean bed and got myself cleaned up(this was no small task as the picture below will testify to).

Spot the difference...clean feet,disgustingly dirty legs!

After making myself beautiful I headed out to practice my English after 3 days in the sticks!Well,I could not have hoped to meet two nicer guys!Baptiste and Steve,friends on a 3-week trip from France!We got to talking about travel-where we were going,what we were planning on doing etc.When Baptiste found out that I was on a bicycle,he nearly fell off his chair for the second time(the first time was after a sip of the vile moonshine they had laced his cocktail with).As the night wore on,Steve,Baptiste and I discussed traveling by bicycle and what it entailed.

I ended up having a fantastic Friday and Saturday with Steve,Baptiste and a few other travelers we met the next day!What a great bunch of people and I am grateful to both Steve and Baptiste for letting me tag along on Saturday!

Anyway,my reason for telling this story is that while bicycle travel may seem crazy(and it really can be at times)it is nonetheless, the most rewarding of experiences in so many ways.It is also a feasible option for ANYONE with who seeks new challenges and unique adventures.

Out of the three countries I have cycled through,Cambodia has provided the sternest challenges.It also presented me with the most enduring memories.Witnessing what happened at the Killing Fields and being able to marvel at the magnificence that is Angkor will always remain with me.These are however,memories that most people who have traveled to Cambodia,share.

I am in the privileged position of possessing memories of another side of Cambodia,and this is what endears me so strongly to this beautiful country.

Which brings me back to riding a bicycle.The memories which endure are the ones which I experienced only because I was on a bicycle.

When I recall my time in Cambodia,it is not images of Angkor Wat that swirl around in my mind's eye.

No,the mention of Cambodia evokes images of the most wonderful smiling faces in the poverty-stricken rural area where very few foreigners have ever been seen.

When someone asks me what I remember about Cambodia,the Killing Fields comes second to the family who offered me-a total stranger-lunch from their very meager resources.It is memories of sitting in their house,eating a meal prepared solely for me,while the eldest brother tells me about his experiences as an English teacher in Cambodia that stand out.

The family who 'saved' me with food.

                                       

What will remain with me are not the hawkers of Phnom Penh or Siem Reap, prepared to sell me anything for 'one dollaa'(well not for long I hope because it is still ringing in my ears), but rather the people who stopped to say hello to me or stopped to peer at my strange bicycle,or the young guy who gave me fruit when there was no food to be found,or the kind ladies in their 'pajamas' who would fill my plate with mounds of rice to make sure I continued on a full stomach,or the guy who bought me dessert on my first day on the road.

The guy next to me treated me to a most welcome desert.

Were you to ask me about the natural beauty of Cambodia,I believe I would be in the fortunate position to be able to comment with some authority as to why Cambodia is indeed so beautiful.

Cambodia is a country with very little infrastructure outside of the cities.Cycling from Koh Kong-on the border with Thailand-to Sihanouk Ville on the Cambodian coast afforded me the rare opportunity to experience an area of Cambodia left largely untouched.

Make no mistake,this part of the trip was the most challenging cycling I have ever endured,but what stays with me is reaching the top of a climb early in the morning,taking a second to gather my breath,and hearing nothing...nothing else but the thudding of my heart;not a car,not a voice in the distance,not a thing but the magnificent sight of green mountain tops and misty, early morning skies!

What sends my heart racing is recalling the the broody,dark clouds which would blanket the mountains most afternoons or the massive rivers I would cycle over which would leave me in awe of a country with so little but yet with so much to offer.

Now I know that one is able to see similar sights and enjoy similar experiences using other modes of transport,but what other form of transport allows you to feel intimately attached to all that one interacts with,ALL THE TIME?Being given something as small as a piece of fruit has never meant more to me than after cycling all day on dusty,bumpy roads,under the searing Cambodian sun.

And this form of travel is ready and waiting for you.There is a wealth of information out there as to how to plan such a tour.Books,websites,bicycle stores and many individuals who have already toured on a bicycle are just waiting for you to ask the question,'Where do I start'? 

Do it!!Ask the question and know that if you are genuinely keen on giving it a bash,you will find all the information you need to give you peace of mind before embarking on a tour by bicycle.You will find that a planned trip through areas that appeal to you is not as crazy as it may at first sound.

I am confident that with a little preparation and application,you will experience a way of travel that we all crave.Travel which embraces purpose,reward,intimacy,beauty,satisfaction,a sense of achievement and,above all else,pure joy...

I look forward to hearing about your bicycle tour in the near future...