The days in Battangbang passed very fast. After some shopping and readings we went for a local dish called Pot Stall. Fortunately we did no knew what we are going to eat the moment we ordered the plate. It was a kind of Fondue with bouillon and plenty of not identifiable ingrediants (kind of seafood, mushrooms, vegetable and some strange meatballs). They showed us how to prepare, and finally it was a tasty meal, but only for once! Always curious to discover new and unknown things, there were some strange smells.... The day after we were told that the meatballs were testicles from the beef!
Yesterday, Jan and I decided to visit the Dam on the way to Sisopohon. The day started early, turned tranquille and proved to be a crazy and real challenging adventure.
The Dam was originally built by the Khmer in order of the Khmer rouge to increse the productivity of rice fields. Many people died under the forced labour. In the meantime it got finished by a commen project financed by Germany and Japan. The lake behind the dam is now a lovely scenery. We hired a man that took us on his boat and for an hour or so we were in plane nature. Flowers surrounded the boat, trees came out of the water, other boats passed by, all without any noise of any engine, it was so relaxing. At the end we passed through a Lotus-flower field and the man we hired picked me one out of the water. Wow, such a nice flower just for me... I was impressed.
After an icecream-in-the-bread we started our tour up to Sispophon, we knew it will take us a while. At the beginning we could drive quickly, we had a good speed and we did not make any pause. Suddenly the road turned worse, more big road holes, some water turned the road muddy at the beginning than crazy through the end. It was so slippery, sometimes it was really difficult to control the bike. Then we came at the point we were in front of a completely inundated road. What shall we do? We decided to go through. The water came up and up... feets very already dirty before and now who cares... wet inside. The engine roaring under the waters resistence... the balance shaking under the unknown ground, just keep on going and not falling. After "some passages difficiles"we hoped to arrive in Sisophon, but at 6 o clock the dailight was over and only our lights and some indigenous that do not speak a word English showed us the way. Without saying I was already thinking of looking for a place to sleep in the middle of nowhere. The situation of knowing that soon it will be finished, moments of being tired, moments of being at the end of physical capacity, of patience made me think about my expierences a made in the Alpes and in South America. Climbing a mountain of more than 6000muM, taking the mountainbike on the top of the Pilatus to ride it down, spending hours and hours with climbing a mountain to walk it down on a glacier afterwards helped me to stay patient, to concentrate on the road, to do anything that would not lead to the arrival and just continue and continue.....
Finally we saw some slight buring wood on the road, a little village was in front of us with people talking lively in khmer. We did not understand a word, but they looked surprised to see us, and I think I would have been so, too. Ich war erleichtert...
At seven o clock we arrived in Sisophon and Simon was happy to see us again. We were telling him about the road, the people etc.
It was so fun riding the bike under these particular circumstances and I have never seen a region completely inundated like this, with so friendly people living there during the wet season. The bike ride was total adventure and so much fun, even if we were at the time limit and the limit of possibilities to manage the distance. Very important to add: I never felt in danger or insecure. I was riding my bike, and not the bike me. I knew we will arrive and I never felt alone.
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