The CCT visit....

Battambang, Cambodia

Battambang is a great city and it is the place where Cambodian Children's Trust (CCT) is located. This time around it was a much shorter visit, so the connection with the children was not as strong. It was a very nice feeling when I walked through the gates and some of the chldren and staff remembered me. There was a lot of hugging, laughing and smiling. Admittedly, I had to remind them of the big spunky German boy I was there with last visit, but they worked it out in the end. Not long after the penny had dropped one of the staff members, through various hand gesticulations, reminded me that last time I had weighed quite a few kilos less. But, she said it with such a lovely smile I could only nod and laugh along with her. 

Unfortunately Tara, the founder of CCT, was in Phnom Penh with a very sick child that had just been brought to their attention, so I was unable to meet with her again. Fortunately Jedha, Tara's right hand man, offered to take some time out of his very busy schedule, to drive me around to look at some of the work they are doing. So I thought I would write about some of the families that they are assisting.

The lady in this photograph is only 62 years old but she seemed older than my 86 year old nana. Her daughter had a nervous breakdown that she never recovered from, so the responsibility of raising the two young grandchildren fell on this lady. They lived in extreme poverty, their only shelter a bamboo and thatch shack that balanced precariously over the water. CCT has rented a small one room house for thie family and has also given them some clothes to sell by the roadside to bring in some income.

In the above picture you can see the new one room home that CCT has built for the two boys pictured above and their mother and other brother. In front of the new building, you can see the pile of thatch and bamboo that was their old home. CCT has built them a new home and also supplied the family with a food cart, as a way to bring in some income to begin to support themselves. The food cart was only $50.00 which, for some of us, is only a couple of hours work. Not much money to make two little boys and their family so happy.

CCT has many similiar projects throughout Battambang, as well as the children's home and transition homes for teenagers. The work they are doing is so important to people who face hardships we can not even imagine.

Kit and I are trying to raise some money to help CCT continue to help the Cambodian people in Battambang. If youwould like to donate as a way of showing your support for our bike ride from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City the money will go directly to CCT. We have also got a couple of ace prizes donated by Agency of Sculpture and Innishfree Accomadation Daylesford for the taking.

To donate : http://www.cambodianchildrenstrust.org/donation-form/p/149

We really really really appreciate your donation and I guarantee if you could meet these kids you would not hesitate for a second.

A picture from one of the CCT kids.
Thats me on the left/bottom and Kit on the right/top

We were treated to a demonstration of some traditional Cambodian dancing, known as Apsara, by the kids at CCT.

The CONFESSION POST....

Check out the new shirts

Okay. It's early days and we want to clear the slate. It is time to fess up before this goes any further. Kit and I would like to confess that, and in no particular order, talcum powder, coca cola, padded lycra and white bread are now items that we hold very dear to our hearts. Without these four things we could not have made it this far. These items that would never pass our lips or cover our bottoms back home, have been a Godsent over here in Asia. And surely drinking coke at 8am isn't that bad. Can one plead ignorance if the ingredients are listed in a foreign language?

Today was a bloody hard ride. 8 hrs and 85kms of heat and humidity but, lucky for us, paved roads. Up until 8 months ago the road from Pailin to Battambang was all dirt, dust and potholes, so we were most surprised to discover the opposite to be true. The traffic was constant but light, the people so lovely and curious and the going extremely tough.

The first 20kms was once again hills, as we continued to ride through the Cardomon mountains. The hills were not as steep as the previous few days riding but they were long. One hill would have been at least 2 kms long. We were quite surprised at how much easier it felt going up the hills and marvelled at the bodies ability to adapt and become fitter after only four days on the bike.

The scenery was awesome. Mountains, farms, palm trees, rice paddies and once again little children running and shouting 'hello, hello'. Whenever I turned to smile or shout 'hello' in return it took my mind off the heat, the never ending hill and the fatigue and gave me an extra boost of energy. Each time we stopped for a rest we had such a wonderful interaction with the local people and even though we could not understand one word that the other said we always had a laugh.

About 20kms away from Battambang I had a 'moment'. I was at the side of the road, close to throwing up and exhausted when an elderly lady with a baby took us into her house and offered us shade and a place to sit with her family. Cambodians are such lovely people. We rested, shared my packet of mentos and cuddled the baby and this gesture of kindness was all that I needed to get the energy to get back on the bike and keep on peddling.

So here we are in Battambang, staying in a fancy hotel that costs $15 US a night. We are showered, happy and amazed at our achievement. I feel like strutting my tired, sore little backside around town telling everyone I just how far we have ridden. I have never cycled a quarter of that before and then it was only on quiet country roads.

Tomorrow is a rest day. I will head to CCT and Kit will head over to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat. Gotta feeling I am going to need a day off the bike to rest my weary bones....

The RIDING BEGINS....

They even put a sign up just for us.

The first day of riding was a breaze. We estimate we did about 55kms of riding through rice paddies, prawn farms and papaya plantations. Surprisingly, Kit's hand drawn map got us to where we needed to be with many a smile and confused look from the local people. Chantaburi was where we spent our first night on the the road. It was a great city. So much more enjoyable than Bangkok.

Do they eat this or frame it? Deep fried smiling pig's face. Mmmmm

The next day we were driven 10kms out of the city where we began our ride. What a day! The last 10km was all hills and they were steep, as we made our way up into the mountains. It was a very hard day and we rode about 50 kms, ending up in a great large town called Pong Nam Ron. We had a fun time trying to find the only accomadation place in a town where no one spoke english and we were so thankful for a bed at the end of the day, even though the bed was as hard as a dining table, with no exaggeration.

Getting a passport photo in Pong Nam Ron is a serious affair.
They handed me a comb, tucked my hair behind my ears and told me not to smile (which was very hard to do)

I had heard and read about the friendliness of the Thai people but I had never found them to be any more hospitable than any other Asian country. But this trip has clearly pointed out the difference between taking the tourist trail, as I have done in the past, and being off the beaten track. In three days we saw only two other Western tourists and we experienced such wonderful Thai people. They love the fact that we are riding bicycles through their country and they have been so helpful, generous and friendly. Perhaps they are feeling sorry for these two girls from Australia who cannot even afford a scooter.

I would highly recommend Chantaburi and Pong Nam Ron for travellers for what felt to me like a real experience of Thailand. No young party ready teens drinking buckets, no end of season footy trips, no overweight, middle aged, over sexed white men. Just Thai people going about their daily lives, welcoming us and allowing us to catch a glimpse into their world.

Just one of the happy Thai shop vendors we met along the way to Pong Nam Ron

So, if we thought the hills on the second day were tough, Day Three was much worse. The difference being that with every up hill we got a chance to go down the other side of it. The border crossing at Prum was so easy and uneventful compared to the one I had done two years prior at Poipet, so I was feeling quite relaxed standing in Cambodia at 10.30am in the searing heat which must have been in the high 30's.

We purchased some checkered shirts to cover ourselves from the blazing sun and we were excited to be riding on those notoriously flat Cambodian roads. Alas, it was not meant to be. The hills continued one after the other all the way to Pailin. 65kms of sun, sweat and hills. We were knackered. But surely Day Four would be the downhill part....surely....

Ouch. Sunburnt and swollen feet and hands in Pailin.

The FIRST DAYS....

Two girls, two bikes and two babies (twins Audrey and Scarlett)

Getting the bikes over here was surprisingly easy. Everything went smoothly just as it would with checking in and picking up your back pack or suitcase. The only hitch was going through security. With each scan of my carry on pannier, an offending item was removed. I understand them confiscating the pocket knife (oops, who put that in there???) but the 10 cable ties and gaffa tape? When I queried this she said 'because they could be used to tie people up' I smiled to myself. Even Steven Segal in his prime could not have taken a plane hostage with 10 cable ties and 1/2 a roll of gaffa (especially with no pocket knife to cut the tape with). 'Interesting' I said, my imagination a flurry with just how this could be achieved. So as I ran to make the plane (yes again), I was thankful they didn't take my bike lock, occy straps and travelling clothesline....items which one would think would have made things much easier for Mr Segal to take a couple of hundred people hostage.

The garishness of Bangkok was amplified by the fact that we just wanted to get onto the bikes and  into more natural surrounds. So about 12 hrs after landing we were in a mini van heading to Pattaya. In Pattaya we stayed with some mates who are living there for a year and behind the walls of a luxurious gated community Kit rebuilt the bikes whilst I handed her allen keys and pumped up tyres. Thanks Kit for you bikey know how and Kelly and Ben for your hospitality.

Since very early this morning we have been awake and waiting for the sun to come up so we can head off and get this journey started. Today we will be driven to Laem Mae Phim, where we will begin our riding. The roads here in Pattaya are too crazy so we will head further east to a smaller beachside town with less traffic....we hope.....

Who says we are not prepared. We got a map....

The PRIZES....

A friend of Kit's, Benjamin Gilbert, of Agency of Sculpture, has very kindly donated a custom made garden sculpture to the value of $1500 to someone who donates money to sponsor our bike ride.

Please check out Ben's website. He is super talented..........not to mention very generous. And we are very appreciative of his support of our little Asian adventure.

This piece resides at the Contemporary Art Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Jim and June Swatman of Innishfree Spa Suites in Daylesford, have also decided to generously offer a prize to someone who donates to sponsor our bike trip.

Innishfree is a modern self contained apartment right in the heart of Daylesford and Jim and June are very friendly hosts. The prize is 3 nights accomadation with champagne and chocolates on arrival valued at over $500.00

For more information about Innishfree or Daylesford please click on the links on the side of this page.

The plan is to ask Tara Winkler, the founder of Cambodian Children's Trust (CCT), to randomly select one of the doners as the winner of these two awesome prizes. To donate please check out the Blog Archive, on the left of the page and select the post titled Cambodian Children's Trust. There you can read about CCT and at the bottom of the page you will find the bank account details to make a donation into the CCT bank account by direct deposit. Please remember to add 2g2b in the transaction description.

And a very big thank you to Ben Gilbert and Jim and June Swatman.

The PACKING....

As we have never done anything like this we have no idea what to pack. So here is the list of what we are going to take and we shall report back, via this blog, what was forgotten and probably should have been packed.

As we are flying bikes over with us, it is important to keep the weight down. The airline we are travelling with only allows one bag to be checked in at 20kg. Even though the bike is lighter than this, it would cost a minimum of $65.00 extra to check in an additional bag, even if the total of the two bags was less than 20kg. So, as the $65.00 can be better spent elsewhere, I have decided to take only what I can wear on the plane or whatever can fit within the 10kg carry on luggage allowance. A few items that can be purchased in Bangkok.

The bike all packed and ready to fly

Clothing

Rain jacket
Shorts x 2
Pants x1 (purchase in Bangkok)
Light weight skirt (purchase in Bangkok)
Couple of t-shirts (purchase in Bangkok)
Long sleeved shirt for sun protection
Sandals for riding. 1 pair of thongs for evening wear.
Underwear
Bathers

Other stuff

Toiletries
Towel
Sunglasses
Headlamp
Sunscreen
Occy straps
Camera/ipod/journal
Lock and cable
Basic first-aid kit
Bandannas (will be essential for keeping dust from our faces - buy in Bangkok)
Pocket knife or Leatherman (pliers and other tools are handy)
Water carrying bladders or containers (don't quite know if this will come in handy as you are unable to fill up at taps due to health concerns)

Bikey Stuff
As our knowledge about the tools necessary to undertake such a trip is very limited, I jumped on the internet and discovered the world of Mr Pumpy, touring bike enthusiast extraordinaire. And this is what he recommended taking on the road :

The bike!
Helmet
Pump
Puncture repair kit
Tyre levers
Allan keys
Shifting spanner
Spanners, screw drivers, pliers.
Gaffa tape
Ockie straps - handy for keeping your panniers on in rough terrain, or hanging your washing off them in the hotel room. Also good for tying people up.
Bike bell
Bike lock - never leave home without it
Photo of the bike, and bike serial number - In case the bike gets stolen, and you need to see the local police, take a photo of the bike and record its serial number.

                                                        Thanks Mr Pumpy ....

The ITENARY....

This is a rough itenary. We are open to change....and it is Asia we are talking about here, so we don't really have a choice but to be flexible.

We are not biking the whole way, due to time constraints. We will be busing into and out of major cities, due to a preference for preserving our life and limbs, and we will catch a bus from Battambang to Phnom Penh as a way to save time and allow us more time to spend at the childrens home CCT.

Click on each location to see where we plan to be riding each day.....

Date                              Location                                            Transport           Km’s

A U G U S T

Thurs 18th                   Kit flies to Bangkok                             Plane
Sunday 22nd              Mel flies to Bangkok                            Plane

Monday 23rd             Bangkok to Laem Mae Phim             Bus
Tuesday 24th             Slowly  we will make   our way along the        Cycle
Wednes 25th              south east coast of Thailand, acclimatising      Cycle
Thurs 26th                  to  the weather  and  conditions of  cycling      Cycle
Friday 27th                in Asian countries.      TOTAL 140km                   Cycle
Saturday 28th             Pong Nam Ron – Pailin                     Cycle                      65km
Sunday 29th                Pailin to Battambang                          Cycle                      80km

Monday 30th              Battambang                                       REST DAY
Tuesday 31st               Battambang                                       REST DAY

S E P T E M B E R

Wednes 1st                   Battambang                                       REST DAY
Thurs 2nd                     Battambang – Phnom Penh            Bus
Friday 3rd                    Phnom Penh - Takeo                         Cycle                      85km
Saturday 4th               Takeo – Kampot                                  Cycle                      85km
Sunday 5th                   Kampot - Kep - Ha Tien                   Cycle                      65km

Monday 6th                Ha Tien – Chau Doc                            Cycle                       75km
Tuesday 7th               Chau Doc – Long Xuyen                    Cycle                       60km
Wednes 8th                Long Xuyen – Vin Long                     Cycle                      70km
Thurs 9th                    Vin Long - Ho Chi Minh City           Cycle/Bus              16km
Friday 10th                Ho Chi Minh City                              REST DAY
Saturday 11th            Kit flies home Plane
                                        Mel heads to the beach          TOTAL REST DAYS
Sunday 12th               Mui Ne Beach                             TOTAL REST DAYS
Monday 13th             Mui Ne Beach                             TOTAL REST DAYS
Tuesday 14th             Mel flies home Plane

                                 THE END .... for now
                       (check out below for a map of the whole trip)



View Larger Map

CCT - Cambodian Children's Trust

Hai Nhem and me, CCT, 2008

Late 2008, I went to Asia for 3 months. Travelling to Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and south Vietnam. Upon hearing that I was going to Cambodia a local lady, Tulku Rose, asked if I would go to a children’s home in Battambang and deliver some money she had raised. Tulku Rose founded the charitable organisation called Global Good Samaritans. Over the years they have done some great work, particularly in Africa. This is a link to a radio interview she did.

With some additional money that I raised, I headed to Battambang upon the slow boat from Siem Reap. I had decided that I would like to spend a week or so at the children’s home, as I believe it is nice to give something back, in some small way, to the countries that are so accepting of me, my backpack and Western ways.

The children’s home is called Cambodian Children’s Trust (CCT)

Heang Nhem, CCT, 2008

I arrived late December 2008 and left a week later, having spent a very memorable Christmas with Tara and about 18 kids. Tara’s story is amazing and I have the utmost respect and admiration for what she does. She is still only in her mid 20’s, now has 34 kids under her care, supports many families to get back on their feet, resides full time in Cambodia and is out there doing it, living it and breathing it daily.

Her selfless love and compassion for these children is as big, beautiful and heartwarming as the smiles you see on their faces. They were always talking, laughing, dancing and singing and in the week I was there, I did not witness one disagreement between them. Can you imagine that many kids living together with no arguments or complaining? Their capacity for love and ability to live cohesively really overwhelmed me and I have not been able to forget them or their smiles.

To hear more about the CCT story, you can see Tara and the children on Australian Story (click here). This episode went to air in April of this year.

Tou Kein, Annie Lee and friend

Roua Mouern and Somnung Hai

So what does this have to do with our bike ride??

Well, I have wanted to head back to Cambodia and CCT since the moment I left and an idea of a much shorter bike ride through Cambodia somehow evolved into a trip from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh City. Kit and I then discussed the possibility that our bike ride could be sponsored as a way of raising money to give to CCT. A small gesture, to show our appreciation for the work of this wee lass from Sydney and the Cambodian staff that support her.

Sophy Cheury, CCT, 2008

$10-20 goes a long way in Cambodia. So if you can go without one takeaway lunch this week or that one glass of wine on the weekend and donate the money to sponsor our trip, you are assured that your money will go direct to the source.

And for your money? Well you get to know you have helped ease the financial burden of a small group of people making big changes in the lives of those in need.

And of course…..we will accept donation of more than $20.00 if you insist :)

To make a donation please go to the following link and please write 2g2b in the description box to make you eligible to win the $1500.00 prize kindly donated by Agency of Sculpture

http://www.cambodianchildrenstrust.org/donation-form/p/149

Ahkun jaan
(thank you very much in Khmer)

The TWO GIRLS riding the two bikes....

 MEL'S STORY

Hopefully I don't spend too many hours taking the bike for a walk

My name is Mel and I live in a wonderful regional town in the Central Highlands of Victoria. I am of moderate fitness but have not ridden a bike in 4 years. My last attempt was a 5 hour long ride down the world’s most dangerous road in Bolivia. Which was enough to delay any desire this self confessed wuss, might have had to ride again. And prior to that hmmmmm….I have lost count of the years since I rode a bike.

Thankfully my experience of travel is much greater than my experience on top of a bicycle. So this trip I am not fearful of the language barriers, eating from street carts, brushing my teeth with tap water, being stared at, getting totally lost, being followed, dodgy police, getting ill, crossing Asian roads or jumping into cars with strangers saying ‘trust me’ at border crossings in the middle of the night. No, this trip it is punctures, potholes, callouses, fatigue, dehydration, rain, dust, a sore butt, broken bikes, heat…..oh, and a complete lack of fitness, endurance, perseverance and humour in the face of adversity.

Yeah, I think I am being a little naïve to say the least. But at times ignorance can be bliss and for me, this is just such a time. No matter what happens, it will be an experience to remember….....travel always is.

KIT'S STORY

Kit riding through the streets of Melb on the way home from a masquerade ball, 2010

Two gals on bikes from Bangkok to Ho Chi Min City over 3 weeks! Are we crazy?? I think so! This trip was Mel’s idea. With my passion for cycling Mel knew I'd be an easy target to drag along,  and at the time I admit I thought it was a great suggestion.  But now as it's fast approaching Im feeling pretty scared and a little anxious... but excited and prepared for the challenge! I can’t wait to be there pedalling together through the hassle and bustle of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam! What better way to connect with a country – it’s people, it’s smells, it’s beauty, it’s traffic (eek!!) it’s dirt, it’s rivers and it’s rain. I’m sure we will experience it all.

I am passionate about living sustainably so cycling is a big part of my life. Whether it’s just about town for work or shopping, or an adventure along a long windy road or through a muddy forest one of my five beautiful bikes is never far away. Im feeling pretty fit already riding about 20kms most days, but with the humidity and dusty pot holes in front of us I think it's going to be a long road!!

It's been over four years since my last overseas venture to India. After that experience I think I am well prepared for the cultural and physical challenges which travelling in Asia brings.  But throw in a bike for a 20 day adventure, who know whats to come...