Tim and I succesfully navigated Smuggler's trail, 250km total across the Cardamom mountains by bicycle in southwestern Cambodia. We started in Pursat city down a road that followed under-construction electricty pylons currently being installed by Chinese workers to connect with the new Steng Atay dam deep in the Cardamoms.
We enjoyed the Cardamom cities of Pramaoy and O'saom before biking for many hours through a stretch of 50km without seeing a soul or a building. We climbed many a hill upto 600m then down to 200m and back up again. By the end of each day we completely out of leg energy and had to push our bikes up the hills.
The highlights included seeing the unfortunate changes in the Cardamoms (deforistation, dam construction) as well as camping beside various rivers and crossing questionable bridges. When it was all said and done, we exited the hills and arrived in Koh Kong city where we were libral with a few luxuries.
-steve-
