120km
Back at the hotel, Lilly stood exactly where I left her and my luggage safely stored, all of which appeared to be no problem to the staff, a family run facility that undoubtedly will feel the pressure of trade as the high rise hotels expand more and more. The owner, his wife and two girls, hope they can survive as its all they have. The girls attend school and seem to be doing really well. It made me wonder if they would want to take on the business, is the cultural norm of taking on the family business stronger than the lure of pastures new, sold to them by the Internet and a more easilly accessed world?
I decided it was too hot to wear the rucksack and strapped it atop the roll top bag on the rear rack. Riding up the hill away from the hotel the front wheel skipped lightly with minimal weight bearing down on it. But that means more weight on the rear wheel and tyre. Whilst mulling that over in my head I completely missed my turning. A quick divert saw me running parallel to the sea front. For me, Sihanouk was just a gateway to the Island, and nothing had changed that view on return. I looked at the beach, the sand more grey than that on the Island and endless Chinese resteraunts adorned the front. I felt no need to stop.
I knew ahead were the 30km of roadworks but the further I got away from Sihanouk the more fresh tarmac I saw. At first I was baffled, surely they haven’t resurfaced this road in less than a week? But then the new tarmac would end and minutes later start again. I was hopeful as I was 20km into the return journey and no sign of the unsurfaced road but also no sign of the petrol station and coffee shop, I remembered so well.
There was advanced warning of a roundabout, at which point it all came flooding back, sure enough the roundabout that had signalled the end of the unsurfaced road, now signalled the start.
Eventually I rode back into Kampot and the Sunny Hotel. Promoted to the 6th floor the room was excellent.
I’m not sure I’ve mentioned this but my time with Lilly is coming to an end. I cant take her to Thailand for legal reasons. So I listed her for sale on a Cambodian bikes for sale site. An Ozzy guy Richard made contact and we arranged to meet in Kampot.
I contacted Richard and he asked to view Lilly the next morning. That was fine by me. It was Saturday night and from what I’d been told there was a big biker meet in town this weekend.
Washed and in clean clothes I made my way into the heart of the night life. It was very quiet, no rows of bikes, no leather clad bikers, nothing. I mean there were the usual rows of scooters but nothing bigger than 400cc. In the party bar of last Saturday I sat alone with live music supplied by a lone guitarist. The street was quiet and even the bar staff didn’t understand why. I even played myself at pool. I won!
It wasn’t a late night, early the next morning I made my way to Richards hotel and had breakfast there whilst waiting for him. There was an Australian couple there who had rented a scooter, we had a chat about each others trips and me selling the bike. In due course Richard came down. He is quite a big guy, ten years younger than me maybe. He told me how he had an XR250 which was falling apart. He wanted something more economic but able to cruise at 100kph. Inside, I wished he had told me that earlier as Lilly clearly wasn’t going to be the bike for him. He took a test ride and we hung out together for most of the day, getting odd jobs done on his XR250, although the engine was on its last legs. In a spare moment I listed Lilly for sale in Vietnam as that would be my next port of call, having realised her visa ran out the next day whilst mine still had 5 days left.
Earth, Wind and Tyres 