Today was our first rest day, and involved a long transfer to the capital city of Phnom Penh. It was fairly uneventful except for a midway stop at a the local market, where the riders got a chance to try local delicacies like deep fried tarantula, cicadas and fried maggots. The more adventurous riders sampled all three, while other riders were chased around the parking lot by kids walking around with live tarantulas. There were also a variety of interesting fruit at the market- from palm fruit, mangosteins, dragonfruit, jackfruit, milkfruit, and many others.
After arriving in Phnom Penh we went out to explore on our own. Most of the riders visited Tuol Sleng, a prison camp used during the Khmer Rouge era. It was a somber memorial to the horrors that happened here over 40yrs ago.
On a happier note, we enjoyed drinks at a rooftop bar before celebrating Josef’s birthday in a amazing restaurant by the river.