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Kampong Thom is approximately halfway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. An early morning departure from the town had me admiring the architecture downtown and the potted plants on the

Day 6: Oudong to Kampong Thom 140km/87 miles The hardest day so far. I awoke to the call for prayers playing on loudspeakers at the minaret across the road starting at 4:30.

Leaving Pursat early in the morning. Entering ខេត្តកំពង់ឆ្នាំង Kampong Chhnang Province. Kampong Chhnang means "Port of Pottery" Stopped in a small town in ខេត្តកំពង់ឆ្នាំង Kampong Chhnang Province. The provincial slogan is sweet pomelos, delicious rice, beautiful young ladies.

After the visit to the past and future well recipients, we drove a Toyota HiLux (aka Tacoma) truck out to Kampong Luong (កំពង់លួង), a floating village on the Tonlé Sap. As the place name suggests, most of the inhabitants were Vietnamese.

Day 4 This is the purpose of this cycle tour. We got in a truck and went down a rough road, about 40km into the countryside. The houses got simpler and red dust from the road covered the trees and the fields.

Day 3: Battambang to Pursat 106km/65 miles We started at 6, in the dark. Breakfast was rice noodles at a country market. Mangoes for a dollar a kilo (2.2 lbs). I bought a baguette with jam for 25¢.

Leaving Sisophon at daybreak Leaving Sisophon at daybreak We left the Nasa Hotel in Sisophon at daybreak. The scenery became more lush as we continued south. I was happy to have some shade.

Departing Siem Reap A shot with our guide (left) and support driver (right). They were both pros. We started out from Siem Reap along Highway 6 around 7am. Streaming into the opposite direction were thousands of scooters and bicycles, their riders in the way to work or school.