The ride from Takeo to Phnom Penh was nearly uneventful. National Highway 2 was a pleasant ride and I didn't feel like I was riding on a highway. If anyone reading this is ever contemplating a similar route I probably recommend Highway 3 over Highway 2 only because it has such a nice wide shoulder and you don't have to be so much on the alert to oncoming traffic as well as keeping eyes in the back of your head for the stuff coming up behind. On highway 2 it's often necessary to ride off the pavement onto the dirt shoulder to allow for bigger faster traffic to pass, although traffic was not heavy.
It wasn't until I rode into PP that I had absolutely no idea what road I was coming in on. I stopped at an intersection off the road but still on the pavement that the motorbikes use. I try to ask the traffic cop where I am on my map. He is asking me to keep moving because I'm apparently blocking the intersection even though I'm not on the road. I don't listen to that part. He points vaguely in the direction that I should take, but I really want to know where I am on the map because I have no idea what road! The traffic was pretty crazy but the basic rules are still the same as most other crazy cities I've cycled in - give way to whatever is in front of you. Anyhow, after taking the super long route I eventually find my way back to the Mad Monkey where they still have my bike box and my camping equipment (phew!).
I repair all the holes and tears in my bike box that happened during transit Brissie to PP with boxing tape and a few reinforcing cardboard pieces. Hopefully it'll get to Cairo ok. At the airport I get into a disagreement with the guy at the check in counter over how much baggage I have. I have 34.3kg of luggage which includes 23kg of boxed bike. I produce my letter but he doesn't listen because I don't have an approval letter from head office. Smart guy. Suddenly I'm wishing that I'm wearing 7 pairs of undies, 3 pairs of cycling knicks (chamois if you don't come from Aus and get confused about what this means!), my one cycling jersey I decided to take with me (my other t-shirts can double to ride my bike in), in addition to what I'm already wearing (which is only one pair of underwear, two pairs of loose fitting shorts, one pair of long pants over the top, 4 t-shirts, my explorer socks, a pair of sports socks, my runners... I think that's all but who can be sure. I was considering tying my sarong around my waist aswell...
Then he suggests I take my massive red duffel bag as carry on. I have not one but 3 planes to get on though so I'm not really happy with this plan because I think it's a bit big and the cabin staff might get narky at me, even if I could get away with it for the PP to Singapore stretch.
Eventually he tells me if I take 4-5kg out of my red duffel bag it will be under 30kg which is ok (even though I only have a 20kg ticket, normally they are ok with that until you go over the magic 30 number). So I take out my tent and my sleeping bag in the middle of the airport and remove my tent pegs and put them back in my red duffel just in case the security guys at any of the checks think I might stab someone with one of them.
So now I have 5 pieces of hand luggage to keep an eye on BUT NO EXCESS BAGGAGE FEES! and I'm very thankful to those little mini carry on luggage trolleys they have at Changi airport. I keep peering over it and counting and making sure I still have all five pieces - tent, sleeping bag, hydro pack, helmet, and kite (ok so this bit is a luxury but I just couldn't leave it behind!!). I still have another 2 planes to get on so hopefully I don't have any more issues to deal with!!
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