Kampong Chhnang-Battambang

Total Distance:203.71km
Total Time:10h20m06s
Average Speed:19.8km/h
Maximum Speed:32.5km/h
Total Distance So Far:3347.89km

That's right, 203.71km! Sometimes I even impress myself. I don't mean to toot my own horn... who I'm I kidding? I totally mean to toot my own horn. 203.71 km people! Come on, that's pretty damn good. Have you ever had one of those days where everything just seems to fall perfectly into place? For me, this was such a day. I woke up early, 4:30am. Having anticipated there would be a lack of places to eat in the morning, I had purchased some yogurt and fruit the night before (my room actually had a fridge. How cool is that?) which I ate along with some granola I carry in my bag in case of just such an event. After my nutritious and delicious breakfast I hit the road. I was off by 5:30, a good start time given the length of the ride. There are a few place to stop in between Kampong Chhnang and Battambang, but I don't have much time left in Cambodia and I want to make the most of it. It was still dark when I left this morning. Sunrise isn't until 6:30, which meant an hour of cycling in the dark. The upside is it was really quiet. No honking horns, no screaming kids, no random ladies running out of there huts trying to sell me baguettes. The downside was, not to state the obvious, that it was dark. The roads in Cambodia are pretty good, but you still get your odd rough patch. I also got chased by my first Cambodian dog. However one dog, in comparison to the many that tried to chase me down in Thailand, really wasn't that bad. Having awoken so early, by the time the sun had risen, I was beginning to fade. Luckily I happened upon this little hole-on-the wall restaurant which served their coffee hot and strong. Just the way I like it (there is no hidden meaning behind that statement, so get your minds out of the gutter). After chatting with the locals, or at least attempting to chat with the locals, I was ready to get back to business. I rode the rest of the morning without stopping, not feeling the slightest bit of fatigue. After 100km I stopped in Pursat for lunch. Having enjoyed my fried rice so much the other day, I decided to have it again. It was even better than the last one. There is a waterfall near by. I didn't have time to check it out today, but I think I will spend the night there on my way back and see it then. I continued on, ready for the next half of my journey. I kept waiting for the sun to come out and drain me of all my energy. The entire day was cloudy though, the perfect weather for such a long trip. I had a lot of fun with The Khmer children today. One of my favorite pass times on the road is engaging random kids in a race. A lot of these kids are really good and, I'm not ashamed to admit, I don't always win. Toward the end I did start to wear out, which is only natural.
Battambang seems like another typical city. Loud and full of people trying to sell you stuff. Tomorrow I may bike out to the surrounding area, as the country-side is supposed to be well worth a visit. One thing I'm absolutely going to do while I'm here is indulge in a massage.