I really try to work on my stubborness during this trip.
It’s somehow hard for me to make the difference between: “this is going to be funny to do that” and “I need to do that to prove myself I’m a strong and independent woman”.

I wanted to ride a scooter. It would have been the first time. Josh, met few days ago had a bike crash on a road next to Kratie, that could have been a first sign to help me realise that it was a bad idea to start to learn in the area. But I told you, I’m stubborn. 

After a coffee at the small but colourful market of Kratie, I sat on a big engine, my legs shaking like crazy and my mouth dry as the desert. I did exactly 2 meters on it. Just the time to put gasoline and realising that the tank was liking. 

Back to the beggining. 

Lun, the nicest guy ever in Cambodia who later teach me the basic in Khmer (really hard to pronounce by the way) and worked at the Silver Dolphin Guesthouse, indicated me another place to rent a scooter. This could have been the second sign. But maybe, still, at that point the, a gigantic post placed in front of my face saying: “Margot, don’t ride a scooter around Kratie it’s too dangerous to start” would have been ignored by me. 

I was still terrified but the old man who owned the other shop gave me a small scooter and ask me to try on the road. I was just really focus on how amazing a day in the countryside to see the turtle’s sanctuary 40km away will be. Ten kids and adults sat on the pavement to have a nice view on the show playing that morning in that quiet road of Kratie. Better than at the circus. 

And here she is, the French lady with no fear, ready to discover the world on a damned bloody motorbike.  Look at her, accelerating and stopping on the wrong side of the road, how fierce she looks like -laughs- Wait, wait…  She is back again on it, trying to do a u-turn now –applause- Ohhh that was really close to the wall but she stopped at the right moment –applause– Ladies and Gentlemen, please pay attention at her scared face, she is now pushing the scooter back to the shop. This show was presented by Radio How Stupid Tourists Are Sometimes, In Cambodia, thank you.

I know, even a 4 years old kid could do it in Cambodia, but that day, I finally asked for a bicycle. 

Which was also a stupid idea in the end.
   
    

I calculated that the sanctuary was 40 km away. It was 11am, I had 6 hours to do the way and back before the sunset. EASY!

Well, that is maybe something that I could have done on a good road but it was hot, I forgot to put sunscreen on my shoulders and the roads could have been registered in the bumpiest road in the Guinness Book of Records.

On this road, however, I’ve been happy. I stopped in a stand on the side of the road to try these too-good-to-be-true banana and coconut milk in rice and banana leaves sweets and this bamboo sticky rice and beans that always intrigued me. You have to peel a bamboo to eat the inside, how cool is that?!

After more than 25km, I was lost. I met a couple on the way who explained to me that the sanctuary for turtles was not worth the effort and that it was still far away, even by scooter. 

It was 3pm at this moment and all I wanted was to sit on the rooftop of the silver guesthouse with a fresh drink and enjoy the sunset. I knew I still had the way back and that idea could have thrilled me but I couldn’t be sad or look depressed cause I knew that all the kids will scream and wave at me hello on the side of the road. You can’t look sad if a kid looks happy to see you right? So I gently placed a smiled on my face and try to forget that I had legs and that they were painful as hell!

Even if that day was fantastic, I know that it could have been a nightmare if I had been stupid enough to continue further away. I still don’t know where is the limit and when I need to be gentle with myself when I take some challenges like that. Sometimes, turning back before the end is not a failure but I still think that the way will be even more beautiful after this curve, here, just 20 meters away… So I go and I keep going for kilometers. Or that I will easily do this trek, because I would be a pussy if I don’t, and I’m not a pussy ok?

I’m still doing this stupid “I don’t listen to anybody” thing sometimes but I guess that day helped me to realise that it’s not the goal which matters sometimes but the way you do things or for this case, the little gem of my day was to see the deep countrisde of Cambodia by bicycle along the Mekong and not visiting a turtle sanctuary place.