Dharma bums

Our second day in Bangkok we were frequently accompanied by Doug. He
came with us when we went for our rice porridge but he wouldn’t eat
any, he rounded up a beer instead. After breakfast Norm, Don and I
went back to the barbershop for our morning shave. Doug had no
interest in coming with us; he didn’t want someone else shaving him.

Later that morning, while Don and I went to the electronics market, while
Norm took Doug on a little shopping trip. Doug’s shopping
list included but was not limited to baby powder and toilet paper.
Apparently, while the Dharma bums were getting their shave, Doug had
attempted to shave himself. He obviously found the cold water shave
experience lacking, Norm found him more easily persuaded to partake
in a professional shave on the way to the department store.

We didn’t hang-out with Doug the entire day; he had his own agenda
for his trip to Thailand. But we were staying in the same guest
house so avoiding him wasn’t possible. We actually ended up
spending a rather quiet and restful afternoon and evening having
dinner and beer at the Shanti Lodge. We said farewell to Joy
a woman we met on our flight from San Francisco. She was on her way
to Ko Tao, an island in the Gulf of Thailand. This was the beginning
of three months of travel for her through Thailand, India, Egypt and
on to Europe. We also said our good byes to Doug that evening
because we were taking a cab to the airport at 4:30 the following
morning to fly to Phnom Penh. It was the last we would see of Doug
for the next nine days.

Stay tuned for further enlightenment. Dharma Bernie

So we picked up our bikes first thing Friday morning. We’d already made a last minute run to the Russian Market to get (fake designer) cheap boots and backpacks for our road trip. We planned to go north, near the Thai border to Preah Vihear, then on to Siem Reap and the Angor temples. Our trip would cover hundreds of miles over several days. We were looking for the “other” Cambodia and for adventure. Over the next few days, we would find out if we were ready for it.

The adventure began when we faced driving in Phnom Penh traffic for the first time. It’s not like driving in Kansas…we were part of a mass of motorbikes, hand carts, trucks, SUVs and bicycles moving together at multiple speeds and in different directions. We gotten some tips at the bike shop: “don’t stop if a policeman tries to pull you over – just keep going – or you’ll have to pay a bribe”…”don’t get in an accident – it will always be your fault because you are a foreigner”…”watch out for oncoming, bigger vehicles passing on your side of the road – they won’t try to get back on their side – you have to get out of their way”…”the bigger vehicle has the right of way.” Neil told us to keep our eyes on what’s in front of us – “don’t look back, it’s just like skiing – it’s the responsibility of the driver behind you to watch/anticipate for you.” I guess the coaching worked. We made it out of the city.

For the next few hours we motored up Route 6 through beautiful country, with houses on stilts, flat open fields that would be flooded rice paddies in the rainy season, and periodic small “towns.” The roads were paved and traffic was not too bad. Water buffalos, cows, and chickens were as big a road hazzard as the on-rushing trucks. It was great fun and Normano set a fast pace (90-110 km/hr).

After a couple of hours, we stopped for lunch in Kompong Thom at Arunras Restaurant. The town is the provincial capital and a mid-way point between Phnom Penh. While in town, we replenished our gas and water supply. “Get gas whenever you can” was another piece of advice we got at the bike shop.

We were now ready for the Road Less Traveled. There was a fork in the road just north of town. Route 6 continued towards Siem Reap on one fork…a nice paved road. The other, soon to be dirt, dust, and gravel, headed towards Tbeng Meanchey, our destination. We had another 150 km ahead of us and we wanted to reach it before nightfall.

We were certainly headed towards the “other” Cambodia. Cars, motorcycles and towns were now few and far between. We put on surgical masks to combat the dust of the road. Children would come out and wave when we would come roaring through the occasional little towns. It was hot, but we stayed cool as long as we were moving.

Then adventure found us. Coming up upon a bridge, Don skidded in some gravel and went down. The Dharma Bums were relieved to find that nothing was broken, but he had a deep cut on his left knee (gruesome picture) and an even deeper cut on his left elbow. We were out in the middle of nowhere on a dirt road, hours from a doctor, and it was just the first day of our trip. We decided “nothing broken or spurting, no need to turn around.” Neil took charge, washing the wounds with bottled water, and stopping the bleeding by wrapping knee and elbow with traditional Cambodian scarves. Norm dispensed the ibuprphon. We headed on towards Tbeng Meanchey.

A little later, adventure found us again! Going across a wooden bridge, the back of Norm’s bike went down in a 3-foot hole in the bridge, scrapping his shin and punishing his ankle. He’d seen the hole just before he hit it, and had accelerated enough to get the front of the bike past it. Again we stopped, regrouped, passed out the ibuprophin, and pushed on.

We reached our destination near sundown. Neil found a hotel and negotiated good rates. The rooms were rough, but each had a shower and and tv. Neil went looking for medical supplies while we cleaned up. We had wounds to wash and were covered in dust (Norm, Bernie, Don). That night we had dinner in an open air “restaurant” while we drank beer and watched ESPN Asia on the satelite tv.

The next mornin brought a new day. Children passed by our hotel on their way to school, people went about their business, and the main street was getting paved. Neil cleaned the bikes and suggested that we change our plans and head towards Siem Reap rather than push farther north to the Thai border. We’d visit some temples along the way and be able to get Don to a doctor.

We apologize for our delay in posting. The wind has taken us far and wide and with the speed of a gazelle. Every day is packed with adventure. We are now back in Phnom Penh and planning the first ... [Continue reading this entry]

Thursday night and we're about to leave Phnom Penh. It's hard to believe we've only been here since Tuesday. The city is a blur of activity; there is something (or many things) to see everywhere you look... motorbikes, cars, ... [Continue reading this entry]

What can I say about our colorful friend Doug?, it is hard to narrow it down to just one incident. Day One-My fellow dharma bums Norm and Don and I arrived at the Shanti Lodge only to discover that they hadn't ... [Continue reading this entry]

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Our whistles are wet, our bags are in the back , the plane looks ready to fly. I like the look of silver in a plane. It looks strong and fast. Bag of Valium® hid ... [Continue reading this entry]

My mates and I are getting set to go east...way east.... I've got my passport, sunscreen, bug spray, shots, malaria pills, hiking boots, and travel blog. While we travel, I hope you enjoy the trip!!!