(I realize this is over 2 weeks late! The ride finished and my busy life took over once again)
I was so excited to be heading back to Siem Reap but also I couldn’t sleep thinking how it was all over too. Having such a clear purpose was nice for once. For 3 weeks, all I had to think about was getting to point B. My alarm was set for 4am and I was preparing to ride in the dark as the day was my biggest so far and I wanted to get out before the humidity hit. 165km to get back home! I was nervous about the distance but with all the practice from the weeks before I was actually as prepared as I could be 😂 also unlike a lot of other locations , Battambang had a lot of restaurants to choose from so I was well fed e.g for my carbo loading dinner , I had spaghetti meatballs and garlic bread! This definitely helped fuel me more than packet noodles haha!
Top tip: I also found a lady who owns Battambang Fines Food , she makes protein balls and bars. They were delicious & helped me massively during the day! Highly recommended- you can find them on Facebook.
The day started in the dark but I loved watching the sun begin to rise. It felt super sentimental on my last day and I also found a beautiful path through the rice paddies to watch the sunrise . I had that feeling of contentment about Cambodia and my life decisions! It was a special start to a special day.
I remember thinking to myself , don’t rush, take everything in! The road was varied and one section was through local villages which I really enjoyed & I even met a fellow cyclist! Other roads were busy highways but there’s always something crazy going on …below photo! It really was such a mixture but I enjoyed every minute.
I started to get close and I knew Jake and Charles were meeting me on their motorbike. They were sending me texts saying hurry up and that they were on their way. I remember thinking to myself that I was still ages away , why have they left so early!! Finally I see two figures on the side of the road and I had already cycled 140km so I definitely was ready for some human contact! It was so nice to see them and we had big sweaty hugs. They don’t know it but they prepared me in so many ways for my ride, whether it was helping me get all the bits for the bike ready or setting me off in Sihanoukville at the start! I am so grateful for their forever support & belief in me. Lifelong friends right there. ( soppppy) We had a cold drink and then I prepared to finish the last 25km with them riding on their Moto alongside me!
I had also invited 1 other friend to cycle! Nicky is a like a mother figure here for me. She has always rooted for me and pushed me not to accept ordinary or being walked over. I knew I was meeting Nicky near the airport but to my surprise she was on the side of the road very far from the airport. Her husband Adrian was there too! She had a huge Cambodia flag and I immediately couldn’t stop grinning ear to ear! The tears were definitely there too but I fought them off! They sprayed me with silly spray which went everywhere!
What a lovely surprise I thought! I was pretty shocked and overwhelmed 😂 Nicky was asking me lots of questions and I could barely put my words together! We cycled on, I was oblivious about what was about to happen…
400m down the ride, I see some other friends waiting on the side! Hayley?!? Shelley?!? Whaaaaat is going on? At first , I thought this is nice that my cycling club have all come out to cycle but …another 400m , Bianca , Reece , Naome, Pawel . The list goes on and on. They had planned this to perfection and every 400m new friends joined to cycle with me! Christie , Tevy , Rene , Socheta , Pheakdey! All my favourite faces had come out! Davey even brought me a waffle 😂
Absolutely overwhelmed is just one way to explain it. Maybe why it took me so long to write this as it was just the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. Jake of course was behind it all. We rode 25km together and felt like I had a small army behind me! Laughing , catching up and I even forgot about the heavy legs! We headed into town and a sudden sense of relief as I knew the end was in sight, my bum was the most happy. We turned the corner by Dialogue and Jake had a finish line ready with more friends. Mavis , Mo and Sarah! Mavis has been hiding during the pandemic so to see her there was super special and she is one of my biggest idols in life. Sarah also ran over for a big hug with a big whopper burger in hand from Burger king 😂😂😂
The rest of the evening is a big blur but my face must have been a picture. My face ached from grinning so much. I honestly cannot thank my friends enough for the support and love. I never ever expected that suprise. What an incredible community Siem Reap is and I am so lucky to call also these wonderful people my friends!
Wandering Wyatt 