DAY 14: The Challenge🚲 (06/04/19)
I woke up while it was still dark (to avoid riding long hours under the burning sun) only to find out the gate of the orphanage was locked, and I was forced to wake up everyone so I could start riding.
After a last-minute and emotive farewell, I was super motivated to ride fast with direction to Pnom Penh. I had 330km to cover and I was planning to make it in two days. In my head that made a lot of sense, 160km/D at around 20 km/h, I would have to ride around 8 hours and I would have plenty of time for a lunch break and a nap. The reality turned out to be quite different, especially considering that during the previous months I had barely done any exercise.
I started very energized, but after a couple of hours, my legs and butt began to burn. I stopped to rest in the playground of a school. Suddenly, a little kid showed up and through signs guided me towards one of the classrooms. There I found a bunch of 10ish yo kids having a party. They couldn’t speak English but still invited me to food and sodas. It was a nice way to recharge.
While riding again, I found out that Cambodian towns are just a bunch of houses piled at the sides of the main road, and most local shops wouldn’t sell water or food to me because I only had big bills and they didn’t have change. Thus, I had to keep riding for several hours to find a restaurant. At that time, my legs were in so much pain that they immediately went numb, I felt down and had to crawl to the nearest chair almost crying from the pain.
It got dark and I got lost. My only map was a drawing I had done before departing and in Cambodia there are no signs on the road. How I made it to my bed? It’s a long story involving a dirty road, being chased by dogs, police who didn’t know how to use google maps, and a special note. And that was only half of the way to PP, the next day it would be more of the same.
Best of the ride: Countless Cambodian kids running out of their houses chasing me to say HELLO🙋🏻♀️.
Worst part: Cars and trucks beeping at me (to say hello?) and so much soreness!
⚠️These are not my pictures (my phone was stolen), but they are a good representation of my stories.