Siem Reap 12km ATV Sunset Ride *mouthfull*

Day 2 [part 2] (2 May 2010). Yup! I just have to... and you guys MUST try it as well!



We supposedly reach there at around 4:30pm or perhaps slightly after, they were waiting for us (ofcos lar right - paying customers). We saw the big boy toys - hemmm... (I was thinking to myself, abit worried on how to operate this), can I control this beast (ceh wah.... like real only). Honestly, I've tried beach buggy before and it wasn't THAT easy to control yah... despite that this monster was MUUUUUCH smaller, it is still a monster nevertheless. Panic attack hits me... Shucks! This is soooo not good, but I still look "enthusiastic, cool, and obviously non-chalant" hehehehee.... am hell a pretty good an actress; incase am unemployed, you know where to find me next. MUAHHAHAHAAA......

The owner is a French guy (nope, not good looking, in his mid 40s maybe!?!? hahahaa...), coaching us on how to handle this monster machine and allow us for a 500m or so test ride around the kampung area. Few things he told us that we MUST take note (of which we remembered "dearly") :

1. Do not lift up your hand to take pics
2. Do not change gear
3. Do not ride too fast (as it is a village/kampung area), we might meet with accident or probably cause one with the locals
4. How to hold you accelerator (with your hand, not a leg paddle)
5. How to break ie stop
6. Which one is the night light switch (Yup! We might be riding at night.... and here we thought it was merely a sunset ride)
7. How many instructor will be following us and at which position (front & back that is) on their dirt bike
8. And LASTLY, how to AVOID BICYCLE, MOTORBIKE, CARS, SMALL LORRIES, DRAIN and VILLAGERS (very crucial of all things) - basically just keep to middle lane and the locals know and will avoid us instead (PHEW....!!! Calmed us down definitely!)

We are set to go for our 2.5hours ride, our first "PIT STOP" was a green paddy field amongst the kampung houses, we thought "ok, snap few pics", then we were over-took by some speedy westerners (fast rider they are!) - around 6-8 of them I should think. We were like "WOW! You mean we can ride that FAST!??!"... We continued our journey, it was a LOOOOOOOONG ride whereby we passed by locals; the kids were very cute, they play - naked in the small drain (or river?!?!) or sand pit, or simply running around their home compound playing local games. And the best part was; they will STOP playing and run out to wave at us, I do kinda feel like a princess here...."TAH! TAH!"..... ehhehehee...... VAINGLORIOUS (Yup! My new vocab of the year!) moment here!

Then; just about then! What we WEREN'T BRIEFED, TOLD nor CAUTIONED happened! About 20-30 herd of cows/buffalo was "returning" home to their barn... and they were like everywhere, the "guardian" was a small little KID of 10-12 yrs old perhaps..... we slammed on the break not knowing what to do. You see..... if cars, bikes, lorries, villagers; they would know HOW TO AVOID non-locals riding an ATV BUT this are COWS/BUFFALO... they have a MIND OF THEIR OWN... HOW!?!??!?!?!? I mean, they were not even moving in single file.... PANIC ATTACK! Definitely gonna ask for partial refund - HAHHAHAHAAA.... apparently we 3 girls (on diff ATV ofcos) was thinking of pulling out our camera to take pics of this but we were to scared of sudden movement might distract the cows I mean, we were practically in the middle of them....the instructor reassured us it's ok to continue and then we proceed.... with a sign of relieved.

After what felt like a 10mins ride, we managed catch-up with the rest of the pack and soon we all ride into this HUGE paddy field and it was then the sun about to set... the site? FANTABULOUS....As I said over and over and over again - GOD GREATEST GIFT - SUNSET & SUNRISE. Never fail to awe me... sigh...... BEAUTIFUL! Parked our babies there (no more calling it “monster” as we are used to it by now - eksyen pulak!) and hopped off for pic taking time. YIPPEE!!!

:D

After about 20mins or so, we headed back... Fantastic Adventure.

Credit Hyperlinks : Quad Adventure Cambodia ATV Tours