Recently we were in Sihanoukville for a visit with Brian and Samantha (Nicole's brother and sister). While there we decided to go for a moto ride to the Sihanouk waterfall which is about 20 km from the city. During rainy season, the place is beautiful (see photos below). In dry season, February-April, the place is hardly worth a visit.
We did the trip on three motos with Nicole on the back of Stan's moto. Everything went well until we got within 1 km of the falls. As he braked, Brian's bike skidded on the dirt and he had a fall causing some scraping to his foot, leg and arm. It looked (and no doubt felt) very painful.
Just after Brian had a fall, Stan's bike started having mechanical problems. The petrol was getting clogged. This meant that he was able to drive 300 meters at a time before the bike would die. Then we'd have to wait ten minutes for enough petrol to trickle through to drive another 300 meters. It was going to take a long time to get back to Sihanoukville at that rate.
We got to the empty falls and Brian had a dip water (which was not too clean) to clear the dust out of his abrasions. Once Nicole and Samantha had cleaned him up, he and Samantha drove back to Sihanoukville. Samantha's moto lights were not working, so she and Brian had to drive home sharing the light of his bike.
Stan and Nic started making slow progress back, 300 meters at a time, while they waited for the moto owner to come out and pick them up. People along the way would stop and offer advice.
Eventually, just as it was getting dark, the owner came out and decided that we would have to push the moto back to Sihanoukville...Cambodian style. This consisted of him using his foot to push Stan on his bike all the way home for 20 km.
So for 10 km of bumpy dirt road, then 10 km of the busiest highway in Cambodia, Stan was pushed along by another motorbike at between 30-50 km per hour. It was a very scary experience as we struggled to stay together yet still weaving between potholes and out of the way of other bikes and cars along the road. Here is some of the footage of the event.
We did the trip on three motos with Nicole on the back of Stan's moto. Everything went well until we got within 1 km of the falls. As he braked, Brian's bike skidded on the dirt and he had a fall causing some scraping to his foot, leg and arm. It looked (and no doubt felt) very painful.
Just after Brian had a fall, Stan's bike started having mechanical problems. The petrol was getting clogged. This meant that he was able to drive 300 meters at a time before the bike would die. Then we'd have to wait ten minutes for enough petrol to trickle through to drive another 300 meters. It was going to take a long time to get back to Sihanoukville at that rate.
We got to the empty falls and Brian had a dip water (which was not too clean) to clear the dust out of his abrasions. Once Nicole and Samantha had cleaned him up, he and Samantha drove back to Sihanoukville. Samantha's moto lights were not working, so she and Brian had to drive home sharing the light of his bike.
Stan and Nic started making slow progress back, 300 meters at a time, while they waited for the moto owner to come out and pick them up. People along the way would stop and offer advice.
Eventually, just as it was getting dark, the owner came out and decided that we would have to push the moto back to Sihanoukville...Cambodian style. This consisted of him using his foot to push Stan on his bike all the way home for 20 km.
So for 10 km of bumpy dirt road, then 10 km of the busiest highway in Cambodia, Stan was pushed along by another motorbike at between 30-50 km per hour. It was a very scary experience as we struggled to stay together yet still weaving between potholes and out of the way of other bikes and cars along the road. Here is some of the footage of the event.
Along the dirt road at dusk.
On the highway and in the city at night.
Oh.My.Gosh. That is so Crazy. Love it!
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