On my return trip from Siem Reap I wanted to take one of the overstuffed local vans I described in my Tour de Cambodge blog, just for the story but Kate from the Hash had an extra free bus ticket, and I couldn’t justify turning in down. I had to pay 2 bucks to bring my bike on board which seemed fair. It was cool passing through all the villages I just cycled through from the comfort of an air conditioned bus. When we arrived in Phnom Penh I disappointed all the moto and tuk-tuk drivers when I pulled my bike out of the bus and cycled off. Cycling through the city at dusk, I was reminded how much I love this place.
I had a lot to do in Phnom Penh before leaving in 5 days. One of the most daunting tasks was finding a box for my bicycle and breaking it down to bring it on the plane with me. About halfway to my apartment I saw a furniture store unloading a truck. There was a massive stack of cardboard boxes, and on top was the perfect box for my bike. I asked the worked if I could take the table box and he obliged. It was difficult ridding carrying the huge card board box and I cracked up the locals, but I was happy with my find. Later that night I went to Revolution to play poker. I am no Kenny Roggers, but I had fun.
The next day I dismantled my bike. Packed it up for my trip. It felt weird, just six month ago I pulled the bike out of a box and put it together. I thought I would be staying longer, there were a lot of things I wanted to do that I didn’t do (such as get a paycheck). I am sad to leave, don’t know when I will be back, but I do know I will be back.
