Krong Preah Vihear to Koh Ker on my SE Asia bike tour

Todays wake up call at 5.30am were the neighbouring Buddhists chanting over their tannoy (how did religions get on before the invention of the outside loudspeaker – come to that are Tannoy still in business?).

I tried to get out but unfortunately the gate was locked and topped with razor wire. These folks take security seriously, all the windows are barred with 1” square section steel bars! Not made for easy escape from fires. Eventually after yelling HELLO up & down the corridors a man appeared & I was released into another very hot day.

The heat is really getting to me plus the long straight boring roads is not good 🙁 necessitating frequent stops for drinks also I notice, now, from the gps data it’s been quite a long shallow drag up hill.

At one of the stops a guy told me about the Koh Ker temple complex down the road, my eye was more trained on the pickup truck, wondering if I could hitch another lift, alas he started to fill it up with bags of charcoal they have made from the local felled trees.

I found the road to the complex and tried negotiating down the $10 entrance fee, to no avail. They said it was 1km down the road. Liars! it’s 8km which is a big difference in the heat. I sat, drinking my coconut, next to a guy who was acting as driver/translator/guide to a Canadian couple who were escaping the -30 temperatures in Toronto! He said there was a guest house near the ticket place which did food. So after a look round quite an amazing site, especially the racket from all the insects. I had some lunch and made by way back, taking in the other two sites. The tall buildings at Pram ? (Pram is Cambodian for 5) are clearly (to me) chimneys obviously for cremation, where I also had a chat to a Cambodian emigrant to the States who blamed Vietnam/China for all the countries woes.

I checked in at Mom Morokod Guesthouse totally whacked after only 49miles, only to find it has no electricity until the generator is started at sundown. Bit much for a place charging $12 a night. However, the food is good & I’ve booked breakfast for 6am so hopefully I can make Sien Reap before midday.