That said… after surviving back-to-back 70km cycling days on my last trip, I decided to dial things down a notch. This time, I’ve signed up for an 8-day bike/hike/kayak tour of Cambodia—still adventurous, just with a little less punishment for the legs!

The trip didn’t start smoothly. A delayed flight meant I missed my connection to Phnom Penh, but eventually I made it and was ready to meet the group for our first village cycle. Names? Already forgotten. Hoping I’ll have them sorted by the end of the week. 😉

Our warm-up ride was a relatively easy 20km, though I was wishing for my gel-padded seat by kilometre five. Still, what a way to explore the neighbourhood! The highlight? Cycling onto a ferry to reach a tiny island in the middle of the Mekong River—an exercise in precision, but no one fell in. Soon we were lazily pedalling around, soaking up local life.

Like in India, you can feel the pull of the big cities—young people chasing opportunities elsewhere. But here, the art of silk weaving is still alive and well. Luckily, I hadn’t hit the ATM yet, so I avoided adding another scarf to my “never wear” collection.

The afternoon took a heavier turn with a visit to the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. Something that was just a vague awareness when I was a kid suddenly became painfully real. It gives new meaning to the word atrocities—and makes you wonder, when will we ever learn? One of the child survivors from a notorious torture camp now works there. I bought his book. It’s a hard read, but necessary if you want to understand who Cambodia is as a people.