Bike Ride With Pops (host dad)

Last week my father asked me to go on a bike ride. This was a very strange request to me because I have never seen my dad ride a bike. Also, from my personal experience Khmer people don't really like to go on bike rides. I thought maybe this bike ride had ulterior motives like going to visit the wat or family in the next village.

I decided to go. I am really glad I went. My dad just wanted to show me the road that was previously impassable by anything other than brave motos. The village has recently added a scary log bridge, and widened the road and got rid of the giant rocks and crevices.

My host dad insisted on standing on the cliff edge to take this picture. Hence the look of worry.

My host dad and I biked about 5k (3miles) in a loop around the surrounding villages. I am glad I switched my bike from the beloved Fanta street bike from training to a mountain bike.

We passed many homes, rubber tree farms, cliffs, rice fields, brick making factories, and animals. The ride really reminded me of the dichotomy that I see every day in Cambodia. From my short bike ride around other villages one can see life and death all around.

Rubber trees

Life here is seen everywhere: kids and babies playing by their homes, families talking to their neighbors before dinner, people bathing in the Mekong, dogs chasing each other.

Cool tree

Death is also seen and is a part of daily life here in a way that is hidden in America: from my bike I saw a tiny puppy (recently dead) being carried by a child to the river to be buried, slabs of fresh meat being sold (including heads), fish being carried from the river (still flopping for air), and a large dog violently attack a puppy.

I tried to get as many pictures as I could from my camera, but as you can imagine, it was a bumpy ride.

We came across a wat that my host mom and dad sometimes go to. It is about 20-30 minutes from my village. My dad showed me that they are planning and building a giant statue. I will go back when it is finished and take more pictures.






Picture of the proposed statue

And if you are wondering, yes he kicked my butt. I have not ridden my bike since training (5 months). The next day he did admit his legs were sore, which made me feel better. Three miles does not seem like a lot, but this area was all hills. Many volunteers here regularly ride their bikes 100k so I'm hoping they are not reading this.