From my Southeast Asia journal, one year ago in Cambodia: 17-March-2003 Out the door early, but very tired. Again the Cambodian monster speakers greet us loud & proud. Crazy street scene with the sun coming up. Road is super smooth the first 10K, but then rapidly deteriorates into bumpy, crazy dirt. Many bridges are detoured, and there is much road construction. Rest up in Run (D.M.C.) 32k out, then on to Kampong Kdei. A roadside stop for drinks turns into another invitation in to a Khmer home. The proprietor of the stop has coconut water and sugar cane for us. We take pictures, including one of the huge pig buried in mud. The Khmer people again flooring us with genuine hospitality, and eager, warm smiles. Happily, we soon arrive to Kampong Kdei, find a sleepy guesthouse for $3, skip the showers and head right across the street for a heaping plate of rice and vegetables, and two cans of Fanta. Our room is small but we manage to squeeze the bikes inside. To our dismay, even though the door "locks" it can be pushed open with little effort. We retire early, but not before enjoying a meal of ramen noodles and rice. Earlier today, I drank a can of warm Budweiser at one of our rest stops. Hey, it is St. Paddy's Day, after all!