Greetings from Cambodia!!

When I went to check-in at JFK, I was told they didn't have a seat for me. I was thrilled, because I knew this was a problem that would be fixed to my advantage. No sooner did I ask myself, Ï wonder if I'll get bumped up to business class?" than the ticket agent came back and told me I'd been upgraded to business class. I napped, ate, drank, and read for fifteen hours; it was very civilized and slightly disorienting (had some steak and potato gratin at 3AM, eastern time).

Regardless, I was pretty wiped out by the time I made it to Bangkok yesterday morning, and I was alarmed to see that my bicycle pump doesn't work--doesn't fit onto tire valves! I didn't want to go to Bangkok, so took a bus to Aryana Pathet (four hours--bike rode in backseat of bus). I met a couple of English guys (sporting, drinking, variety), and a couple of women from New Zealand (NGO variety) and we crossed border together. My tires were flat, kickstand effed up and fully loaded bike pitching over into the dust while touts closed in on me, smelling blood. Not pleasant!! The Kiwis live here, though, and got us all through the border, and into a shared taxi (tire off my bike, which was strapped to the back), $6 each, and 100 baht for my bike. Two hours to Battambang, and into a somewhat spartan, but pleasant hotel. Showered and off for beer and food at a riverside balcony bar (called, "The Riverside Balcony Bar").

I'm often impressed by the casual racism and anti-semitism of some of the English I meet, and last night was no exception. Israelis came up in convo (in relation to their heroic drug use during their post-service travels), which turned into a convo about Palestine (him: Their murderers. me: It's more complicated than that.)

Him: So, I've heard there's a lot of Jews in New York.
Me: That's true. I'm one of them.

I\m surprisingly not jet-lagged, went to sleep at midnight, up at 6AM. It's rather warm here. Sweated into my breakfast noodle soup (which had some weird bits in it), changed some money ($60, which translates into an impressive wad of riels. Cambodia dollarized, but need money for noodles and coffee...

Off to find bike shop, must get tires filled, and figure out pump/valve situation.

-2 days, nagging thoughts

Every year around this time, I start to dread my summer trip. "Ugh," I say to myself. "Wouldn't it be nicer to sit in Prospect Park, eat a nice sandwich, and reread Infinite Jest?  Wouldn't that be more fun than doing a Spanish immersion class/training Muay Thai/trekking in the Himalayas/riding a mother-effing bike through the mother-effing mountains in north Laos?" Traveling itself is fun, but preparing to travel is NOT so fun, unless you enjoy purchasing lip balm with sunblock and expensive smart wool t-shirts.

Now, I must digress. In many ways, James is an excellent husband. He's kind, smart, supportive, bla bla bla. And, he's extremely knowledgeable and curious about the world. That can be a double-edged sword. See, there are many things about this trip that I'm trepidatious. I'm concerned about the heat, the sun, the insurgents and bandits on Route 13 between Krasi and Luang Prabang (haha! Just kidding, Mom!), and boredom.

I was not worried about developing abcesses on my rear end. But, thanks to James and his tireless curiousity, I now know that absesses, boils, and cysts are in my future. James sent me the following blog. Personally, I'm sorry I read it. I would recommend that you DON'T read it. But, you're an adult, and you have to do what's right for you, as my brother would say.

http://www.mediocreathlete.com/health-and-wellness/crotchfest-2012-this-sport-is-stupid-and-gross-edition

My rear end may not be prepared for the trip, but my bike is, finally. I got it fitted (in a non-Type A sort of way) at the awesome 718 Cyclery (http://www.718c.com/), and now my knee doesn't hurt anymore. I took another bike repair class at Recycle a Bicycle (http://www.recycleabicycle.org/) and (possibly misguidedly) think I can deal with any bike issues I have (as long as they're a flat tire! or a brake/derailleur adjustment!) The bike computer is set up (you can look forward to statistical analyses of my rides!) and I finally have my bike pump attached to the frame. I think I have everything I need, and I don't think there's anything in my bags that I don't need.My bags are not that heavy, at least while I'm lifting them in the comfort of my living room.

Next time I write, I'll be in CAMBODIA.

XOXO

Steps forward and steps back

Some progress has been made.

I now know how to change a tire. I spent a couple of hours at Fancy Downtown Bike Shop, working with the cute, intelligent, and charming D (if I had a younger sister I'd have gotten his number for her), who taught me how to change my tires and helped me install an expensive set of ugly ergonomic hand grips. 

I have front panniers, some cargo nets, a bike computer, and a poncho (the latter two thanks to my MIL, who is apparently more supportive of this trip than my mother, who is planning to pretend I don't exist for the six weeks I'm away).

Given some nagging shoulder and knee problems, I visited Quirky Park Slope Bike Shop, where the oddly uncoordinated owner/mechanic cut six inches off my bars, dropped the seat, and changed the something or other of the bars. The cutting of the bars further contributed to the uglification of my bike. See? Everything is all squashed together in an inelegant fashion. Have not had a chance to take them out to try on extended ride yet.

While I am rich in gear, I am poor in plans.  I thought I had one, but then I read the Laos route descriptions more closely, and came across phrases like "10% grade," "30 kilometer incline," "45 kilometers of rolling hills," and "mountainous"... On the other hand, when I read descriptions of Viet Nam routes, I come across words like "flat," "flat," "flat," and "beaches." I'm lazy. I LIKE flat.

So, we'll see. I'll get a visa for Viet Nam. Perhaps I'll do the Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi ride--it's long, but flat flat flat.And I'll visit the Mekong Delta. That is also flat flat flat.

Or maybe I'll just go to Thailand and chill out on a Koh Samui beach for six weeks.

Who knows WHAT I'll do?

Pre-trip jitters

It occurred to me that I never put a picture of my bike up for people to see. Here it is.  It's a Marin Muirwoods 29er. Only mods are a Brooks saddle and Ergon GP2 hand grips. I have Ortlieb rear panniers, and just ordered Ortlieb front panniers. And that is all the geekery you shall get from me.

 So, as I've blithely been going about buying shit for the bike (see: above), James has been watching in increasing alarm as I more-or-less ignore the question of "Is my route doable?" So, in an effort to assuage his concerns (ie, get him to stop bothering me), I sat down with him and showed him how easy and chill my proposed route is.

Actually, that's not what I did at all. What I did was develop my own sense of alarm about the route. A 26 mile climb from Champasong to Paksong? 90 miles from Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham? Several grades at or close to 10% from Kasi to Kiukacham?  For the sake of comparison, the Manhattan Bridge is 3.5%, and the Brooklyn Bridge is 3.8% 


Uhhhh. This may result more character-building than I had wanted.


Am trying to fortify my nerves by reading Anne Mustoe's obituary.  Not being an eccentric Englishwoman of a certain age, I may not complete this trip with the same aplomb.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/6790125/Anne-Mustoe.html