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  • Uncle Woully
Jan – Apr 2025

SE Asia

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  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia
    12

    Cambodia - Bavel

    March 4 in Cambodia ⋅ ⛅ 36 °C

    I wake up at 4:00 a.m, I still haven't really decided which way to go. Easy beach or hard adventure? Yesterday's ride was very tough and caught me by surprise. I got soft on that island, the payback is suffering from cramps and a sore butt.

    By 6:00 a.m. I make up my mind. I'm going! I have to get out of Thailand before my visa runs out so I have to go to this border anyway. Motivate and light the fire!

    At the border I have to adjust from organized Thai to chaotic Cambodian. They got me for an extra $13 on the Visa and the police officer who I mentioned it to just smiles and laughs and says yes that's how it goes!

    I asked if there is an ATM and I get "yes no there's no ATM" - Cambodians will always say yes even when it's no, or they have no idea what you're talking about. I ride around and find a bank, but it will only give me one very crisp brand new $100 bill, which I take to an exchange outfit and receive local currency. I try for a SIM card but we couldn't get that one to work. A superb avocado smoothie and an ice cold coffee drink boost the power drive and I'm off!

    64 more km to Bavel. I've got this. I'm back to being a traveling cyclist. Sometimes you really have to kick yourself in the butt to get back in the groove.

    The Cambodians are great, hellos and smiles come from all over the place as you fly by, lots of joy!

    I have the impression I am the only white guy in Bavel. There is an incredible amount of construction, industrial and agricultural business activity but it's all on an individual small scale. You see it by all the vehicles and how busy everybody is. The young kids of the restaurant owner were funny, we were making gestures at each other and laughing, great people in Cambodia.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Battambang

    March 5 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

    As I ride out the hotel alley I'm greeted at the intersection by a din of traffic; large trucks, lots of scooters and farm machinery crossing left and right in all four directions. I doublecheck the clock, 6:27am, the Cambodians get up early, school starts at 7am and everybody is busy working on something. There are lots of mom & pop shops along the way, everything is small scale, I love the feel of it. The human aspect is strong here.

    Arrived at Battambang early, it's just before 10am. The weather forecast shows 7 days of rain calling for a plan change. Battambang is the second largest city in Cambodia (pop 120k), it is fairly gritty, poor roads, most of the infrastructure is old. The hostel is full of backpackers who haven't been outside their quarters yet. Strange to see westerners in contrast to the last few days.

    Before the heat of the day I get to ride around some more in this town to discover it. Then I joined the backpackers at the pool and that led to an evening out on the town in a group of six, we meet a Dutch guy, Rick already 71, looking much younger who buys a round of shots for the table.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Battambang extra day

    March 6 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    I have an extra day in this city instead of riding direction of the Angkor Wat. (Wat translates to 'temples'). The early morning temperatures allow for a nice tour on the bicycle around the city. I'll have the afternoon to learn about Cambodian history and spend some time on the laptop.

    I love the Cambodian street food, but there is also an air conditioned cafe with wifi that makes for a great stop and the very interesting book to read about three centuries of Asian international relations.

    Three German cyclists come into the hotel, they did their tour since Christmas from Bangkok to Vientiane, across in the North and then headed through Laos. They go in the direction where I came from. I got very helpful intel from them. Mario has been cycling in Southeast Asia for 25 years, when the Cambodian border first opened and the roads in Phnom Penh were still dirt, as well as the two years the border was open to Myanmar. He has really seen a lot here.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia
    1

    zig & zag - Phnom Penh

    March 7 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    There is another widespread weather system coming through. No need to push through 8 rainy days to see the amazing temples at Angkor Wat. Bus to Phnom Penh instead, there are lots of indoor activities there. Time to zag.

    Phnom Penh is a large city becoming more westernized, while still retaining large areas that are typically Cambodian. At least that is the first impression. Skyscrapers are everywhere. I can hardly believe that it has been a scant three decades since they opened the country and the streets were still dirt.

    I am treating myself to a nice hotel for a change and I saw they offer a sports massage. On the other hand this is more like being in a western society than being in Indochina and connecting with the local culture. Something happens at the 6-week mark when traveling for several months or longer, the brain is oversupplied with cultural stimulation. Zig zag.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia
    2

    Architectural & Social Contrast

    March 8 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    Phnom Penh continues to surprise with an enormous contrast between old structures and new. Entire city blocks are being rased in order to build brand new complexes that have office residential and shopping, all of it in a very modern style.

    It's so nice to have a bicycle to be able to get around, even though it is said the traffic is chaotic, it for incredibly well, better than in the west, everybody just knows when to go and gives leeway when needed and takes the priority when you can. Not much hesitation you just go and it works! I live this style of driving and riding, it's real freedom.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Saturday Night Life

    March 9 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    It takes an entire separate entry for the social life on a Saturday night in Phnom Penh.

    What's really amazing is that they closed 2 entire miles of the road by the promenade along the Mekong river and turned it into a pedestrian zone. Vendors come out and set up their little shops, a million scooters are parked in the side streets and a crowd of people are enjoying the warm evening. There are lots of families and kids running around.

    There are lit up boats cruising the river and you can hop on for a ride. A Cambodian band is playing.

    I go to the night market, where they also have food and I get to sit on a cushion on the ground with a French couple who have traveled extensively. He retired as a sculptor for UNESCO, what an interesting job. They lost their entire family in a space of 2 years when they were 52, they realized time is short, quit their jobs and started traveling. I keep meeting fascinating people on the road.

    You're allowed to drink a beer on the street, there are no drunks, I did not smell any drugs, no screaming, no shuffles, just well behaved people enjoying the evening. There's one police car and two officers in total and they have nothing to do.

    It is an absolute joy to see people living like this.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Genocide Museum - downer post...

    March 9 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 33 °C

    Billed as a must-see, this museum houses photos, human remains and stories of the torturous atrocities commited by the Khmer rouge regime under Pol Pot.

    The raison d'etre of S21, as it is also called, is to prevent this from ever happening again. However, in the few hours that I spent there I feel pretty certain that somebody somewhere was being tortured in real life. Wars are still being fought, suffering happens every day, and the human species is not likely to ever learn the ways of peaceful coexistence. War has always been a part of the human existence. Mass psychology led by a single individual will most often be the root cause.

    Of the estimated 18,000 plus executed prisoners, only 7 survived. The last person of these seven was sitting at the exit greeting visitors.

    We would like to think that the USA operates on a higher ethical standard, but bombing by the USA killed over 100,000 Cambodian farmers during the Vietnam war. The USA is responsible for many conflicts in the name of monetary profits.

    Every day the sun rises and brings with it promises of another day in which we can do good.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Modern Phnom Penh

    March 9 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    Quick trip to upgrade the bike gear and I find a super modern shopping center that would not be out of place in any major advanced metropolis. Of course Phnom Penh is the capital of Cambodia, but the contrast between this and the rest of the country is huge! For further contrast I have dinner at a road side stand, supporting the little guy.

    In the evening I take a nice cruise on a river boat.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    National History Museum

    March 10 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    The museum has a large number of artifacts that were originally found at the Angkor Wat complex. They show the level of detail that this civilisation had achieved. The wooden and metal statues crowded into the side room have a lot of dark energy attached to them which could clearly be felt.

    Visited Wat Phnom as well.

    Enjoying the last night in my 'fancy' hotel.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Koh Toch Silk Island

    March 11 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C

    Early start at day break, ride across the bridge and took a ferry to reach Koh Dach, which I circumnavigated. There were two weddings and apparently there is no better space in both instances than to have the party in the middle of the street! The guests eat first while the bride and groom rehearse and have their pictures taken. I didn't stick around to see what's next.

    The silk community center is a smartly run affair showcasing the entire process from moth to cocoon to thread and weaving. They did it very well with a great guide and walk you right into the sales tent. Since my father and grandfather were in the weave knit business I was fascinated. The process is extremely labor intensive and the resulting silk fabrics are gorgeous. I bought a shawl to support the old fashioned art of weaving.

    Afternoon bus ride to Siem Reap, just managed to catch it on time.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Scenes of Angkor Wat

    March 12 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 33 °C

    Angkor Wat is a temple that impresses with it's sheer size. The design layout is straightforward and the sand stone carvings are well preserved for the most part. The second visit revealed more detail and a better feel for the ambiance. The crowds were manageable later in the day.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_Wat    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia
    111

    Khmer temples

    March 13 in Cambodia ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Yesterday I did a portion of the inner loop and today I'm riding the outer loop, here are some pictures of these smaller temples that are by no means any less intricate or excellent in design. Bentnay Kdei stood out for its architectural layout and just right proportionalities.Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Orchids and the sunrise

    March 14 in Cambodia ⋅ 🌙 31 °C

    With the clouds cleared the opportunity presents itself to join the massive crowds in order to get the compulsory classic sunrise over Angkor Wat photos.

    I'm absolutely drenched from the fast bike ride so I have to go back take a shower change clothes and I go to the cafe that was recommended to me by Pascal, the Belgian I met a week ago. It is an orchid garden, one of my favorite flowers and I catch up on photos and posts.

    It's only noon and it feels like 4pm. Plenty of time to do another big lap, I am completely drenched just sitting here, and there are more temples to discover, I guess I'll have another cup of coffee!    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia
    1111111

    Kaoh Ker by backroads

    March 15 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 35 °C

    Nice early morning start riding by the temples one more time on my way to the first stop cycling into Laos.

    Mapy.cz is a fantastic mapping app that works offline, perfect for someone without a SIM card. It is also very focused on bike touring so it knows where to send us pedalers.

    As a result I get on to some very small tracks deep into the countryside, places I would never venture without knowing where it leads.

    Fantastic day, and I arrived plenty tired and took an afternoon nap.

    For dinner I visited a roadside stand, where they served grilled meats and we had a hoot of a time trying to communicate about the sausages.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Krong Preaha Vihear

    March 16 in Cambodia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    A shorter day due to the location of the towns. Fantastic breakfast sandwich, I had a second one.

    The French couple who stayed at the same hotel are also bike touring but they are smart. They set up a van service with guide so they ride the best parts and see the rest from the van. They were visiting a set of temples nearby. It would have added 25km to my route and I passed.

    On the way I come by the Cambodian NE center for meditation. It's looking festive and I have time to go check it out. A lady speaks very broken English and introduces me to her teacher, who is the head monk for the center. The president of Cambodia had visited before and is returning on the 21st, the last day of a four day meditation festival. I am invited to come back and stay for as long as I want. It is tempting to attend the festival, that would be a very interesting experience. I was treated as an important guest, tourists probably never come here.

    The prayer hall was impressive, built with ancient trees that no longer exist in Cambodia. All the forests are third growth and there are a few protected areas.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Stung Treng

    March 17 in Cambodia ⋅ 🌙 31 °C

    140km, the long day, I'm a bit apprehensive I must admit, yesterday I arrived a bit tired and wet from a last minute thunder storm. Yesterday's dinner might have had MSG in it, I laid awake most of the night, but the show must go on.

    I set a mellow pace and get into the groove nicely. I miss some very cute picture opportunities of the young kids in assorted vehicles being brought to school before 7am.

    A branch across the road means there is work being done, no other notice necessary, unlike in America where the first notice is about 2 miles prior and by the time you get there you already forgot that there is work ahead. We really don't get a whole lot of credit for intelligence.

    Stung Treng lies on the Mekong the same river where the silk island was, which brought back nice memories.

    The hotel hosts six other bicycle travelers with whom I exchange some information, and as a result my trip changes again. The French couple travels with their little children, towing them behind their bicycles and still making 30 km a day with a total of 120 kilos of luggage!

    Dinner on the Mekong, work colleagues sit next to my table, she is Dutch and she works in water supply for animals and their rehabilitation, he is from Germany and visiting because he's responsible for funding the efforts.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Laos border crossing

    March 18 in Laos ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C

    Early start to get to the border, which used to have a bad reputation for required bribes. It's all cleaned up now and I got through pretty well but there were some lessons to be learned.

    Always carry American dollars and Euro in all kinds of smaller denominations, and make sure that they are super clean bills, no ink, no excessive folding, no tears whatsoever. I had one small black mark and it forced me to have to exchange 50 euros for $50 which at 1.09 normal exchange rate is not exactly a great deal, but it got me through the border. I also bought a SIM card for Thai baht and that worked out well at first.

    Mapy.cz sends me a spotty island hopping route that wasn't on Google and it saves me about 35 km of riding. As I get to the supposed ferry there is nothing there. A guy comes walking by and I show him my map and I point where I need to go. He gestures with the bike? and I shake my head yes, and he waves me down to the beach, where he has a few boats hidden in the deep tall grasses. Yeah! What a way to get into Laos, by crossing the Mekong river on a small pointy boat. Legendary adventure!

    Sudden consternation; the blue gps dot is gone from the map! Where am I? The Sim also stopped working. No form of reset works. I need to go back to the traditional method of tying landscape features to the map. I haul the bike up the steps and it turns out that I am in the middle of a touristy island with plenty of signs on the bicycle paths. It's a perfect solution but it's also a little bit of a letdown. The waterfalls are the attraction to Don Det island.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia
    1111

    4000 islands kayak tour

    March 19 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    It's a touristy kind of day, I'm joining a kayaking tour on the Mekong river.

    There are only three of us and I am teaming up with Sam from Hamburg Germany. It's a fun and conversational time. The guide shows us a waterfall that we climb into and we get under the heavy crushing water. You wouldn't get to do that in the US.

    Three sessions of paddling, a long rest stop with lunch and back in time for sunset. I spent quite a bit of time in the dusk watching the local boat traffic criss-crossing the river. Easy chill day.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    A bit of pie

    March 20 in Laos ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    As I'm loading the bike I see 7 touring cyclists come by, I catch them again, they are from Vietnam and come ride in Laos for 5 days. I get a great tip, visit Pho Wat tomorrow, they are headed there too.

    I set out with a pointy boat to the nearest island where a trail goes north. It's narrow and bumpy, my hip is not really liking it. I don't have the blue gps dot. No problem right? We never used to have that, A little referencing of land features and the map and if needed ask a local. No gps, no sim card, no ATM. Humble planning pie.

    Locals now look at you very funny when you ask for directions, don't you have gps? The land is flat and the trails are not on the map so I take a few more detours than expected, Humble pie.

    I meet up with the Vietnamese again by the ferry. You don't see any cycling tourists for weeks and then you also meet a couple from Germany who rode from their home and are still pedaling to Singapore. So far they have been on the road for 2.5 years and 36,000km. Humble pie.

    A long wait at another ferry, and 45 minutes at the bank exchanging money where they don't take euros and I'm out of USD so I get 14 dollars worth for the rest of my Thai bath. No ATM until tomorrow evening, the last one was empty. It is just enough to eat tonight and all day tomorrow, maybe. Humble pie.

    I'm falling asleep in the bank and at my late lunch that is actually breakfast. I'm feeling deeply tired. Humble pie.

    If I want to visit Pho Wat tomorrow I should ride another 47km, the meal kicks in and I flip the switch, let's go on. I'll eat the rest of that pie later.

    It's getting dark and I'm looking for a guest house, no advance booking for tonight. The signs don't say hotel, so you have to go by looks. I score one with a simple bed on a small farm like property, no wifi of course and no pie for dinner.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Pho Wat - Pakse & the millionaire

    March 21 in Laos ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    I have to manage my funds today, I have just enough to eat and drink to ride 80km. I count 48,000 kip, that's $2.45. I'll need 2 bottles of water, that's 1.00, leaving 1.45 for food. I'm poor today even by Laos standards.

    Breakfast is 15km into the ride, pork bbq with rice from a street vendor, delicious! 1 dollar.

    Pho Wat is a very old temple around 500AD, moved, rebuilt in an Indian Angkorian style. The architecture is as striking as the temples in Angkor Wat. This temple is set apart by the way leading up the 1.4km climb, the old steps are flanked by gnarled trunks of flowering Frangipani, It's worth sitting on a stone for a while to take in the scene.

    On the way to Pakse, which is a larger city, I manage effort vs water and food. Luckily, I have a leftover pack of crackers in my bag for lunch. The remaining 8000kip buys nothing in the shops along the road. I ride slow so I don't bonk. The 100 euros n my pocket are useless, if only they were dollars.

    Task number one is to find an ATM, the first one is local, it doesn't take Visa. No luck. Around the corner is a 7 eleven, they have wifi and I find out that the location of the hotel is nearby. Yes, still no sim card and no gps. Shower up and figure it out from there.

    ATM and super market are around the corner from the hotel I'm told. I score 1.5 million kip from the nice machine. Now I'm a Laos millionaire!

    I select a fancy restaurant on the Mekong river. Getting money from the ATM is like winning the lottery. I order three plates of food, watch the sunset, fireworks and a live Laotian band, and after all that I'm still a millionaire.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Pakse to Thakhek by bus

    March 22 in Laos ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    Slightly groggy wake up from the huge dinner last night, but what a joy on that terrace. Nice hotel too.

    Have to get up and physically check on the bus schedule at the station because of the bicycle, which not every bus line will take. I'm in luck, it leaves in 2 hours, I have time to enjoy the free breakfast at the hotel.

    I overpaid the fare based on the price written on the ticket and I check with the hotel manager who says that 8 is actually a 2, but in the west it's clearly an 8. I go back to ask the young lady at the counter and she quickly makes it right, but she was going to keep the extra if I hadn't asked.

    My Pakse stay was really efficient, it's a large city, but everything I needed was close by. Good flow.

    The bus driver walks to the back of the old bus with a wrench in his hand and lifts a panel that accesses the motor. This is going to be an interesting trip!

    A new Heineken sign is transported on a truck, my father knew Freddy well back in Amsterdam right after the war. Here I am in 2025 thinking Freddy would be happy to see that sign go up.

    337km glide by my window over a bumpy road, the bus finds itself on the wrong side often to avoid most of the potholes. Mind you, this the main North - South artery in Laos. All the big supply trucks for southern Laos go through Thailand instead. The air quality is dense with a lot of particulates. It's nice for an almost senior citizen to skip this section of low interest and poor air quality, the Germans rode it though.

    Across the Mekong is Thailand and I'm in time to have a sunset dinner at the 'Bouton d'or' right on the water. An older lady is fishing with a traditional net lifting it up regularly hoping for a fish. Lucky timing; I got to catch these shots.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Thakhek restday

    March 23 in Laos ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

    I managed to figure out the route quite quickly, but a bit more rest isn't all bad and a foot and calf massage even better.

    Richard, a cyclist originally from Newcastle UK, ran into me as I was ordering a coffee drink. He has been touring for a few months and is really taking some hard rides with a full load. Hats off! He lives in Dubai now and has all sorts of interesting stories about the middle east and his artificial tree business. We ride to the Stupa and hang out over a cup of decadent coffee.

    I'm reading a Dutch language version of the rough guide on Laos that I found in my hostel.

    I saunter back to yesterday's restaurant, I'll have the red curry again, hoping the loud Chinese won't be there. Instead I'm greeted by a couple from New Zealand whose picture I propose to take with backlighted flash into the sunset. He has a good camera and it came out great. I'm invited to sit with them. They are riding their Honda 300 CFLs, same as my bike, all over SE Asia. We have a lot to share. A French young cyclist, whom they met three times along their trip, joins us as we go to the night market for dinner. She rode here from Turkey. They are all serious and serial travelers.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Gnommalat

    March 24 in Laos ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    I'm only taking what I truly need to ride these next 7 days so left behind is the laptop and in total about 15 lb.

    Buddha and Xiengliab caves first. The lorries, as travelers tend to call the trucking convoys, rip by while honking. I find a side road, dirt and quiet for a while.

    By 2pm time for a café and some reconnaissance on the wifi. Missing the blue dot is mostly time consuming in order to geo reference. Without signs you'll miss things. But I'm coming back this way for a second shot.

    There is an outfit that does two day tours in the forest, I'm planning on staying on the loop until I go straight to Vientiane from Thakhek.

    The last grotto of the day is a find. There is only a small sign, a thin path, and a hole in the wall that rises over 300 feet overhead. I duck and enter, turn on my head lamp. It's just a passage to another hole and so it goes as I enter deeper and deeper into mother Earth.

    The kids are cooling off in the irrigation canal.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia
    1

    Thalang

    March 25 in Laos ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Wake up call by motorcycle at 3am, oh well. Got my full routine in, and the shorter ride has a 400m climb in it. Great visitor center at the hydraulic power station, very informative if not a little socially promotional.

    The ghost boat restaurant and lake view cafe are my target, but when I get there these operations have been unesrablished a long time ago. Just the remnants now.

    I run into the French couple I had heard about with the young children who pedal in the front of these specialized bikes, a combination regular and recumbent tandem. The kids have been weaving bracelets, and each offer me their creation. I explain to them how their bracelets are going to fly across the ocean from Singapore to San Francisco.

    My neighbor at the hotel is a Dutch traveler who at age 74 takes the locals bus since her kids think it is too dangerous for her to ride a scooter. We go to the BBQ buffet and sit with all the young kids, who are welcoming and conversational. They are curious to know what travel was like in the 80s.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyTravelerSE Asia

    Plan change

    March 26 in Laos

    At the barbecue in the evening I got information from the young crowd. It appears the entire top section of the loop is very difficult and dusty. They may have overstated the difficulties but I decide to take the southern approach until the French owner points out that it's fairly hilly.

    That doesn't normally phase me but it is also extremely smoky and dusty. I'm not feeling it so I decided to hightail it back to Thakhek with detours for a 140km ride. Despite the heat and the smoky air I finish strong. Tomorrow I will be on the rental scooter.

    On the way back I visit two caves that open back up to the daylight on the back side. They are pretty amazing. Topped that off with an avocado smoothie.    Read more

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