The journey from Thakhet to Nam Theun was just spectacular. Ten minutes out of Thakhet and the scenery is amazing already. It is just a taste of what is to come.

Tham Nang Aem cave is great and I had it entirely to myself. Great for me when there is a lack of tourists but sad for the local economy. Not sure if the lack of people was to do with the Lunar New Year. Certainly a lot of places were closed.

Anyhow the cave has a bizarre collection of concrete stairways that seem to cross like some Harry Potter movie. Completely dark other than the provided head lamp and no guide, great for getting lost or injured! Western rules do not apply!

From there I started the ascent into the mountains. Extremely windy conditions kept me alert, but the scenery was very distracting as it was so striking. It is genuinely hard to describe how amazing every view was!

On the way up I noticed something weird, my hands were freezing! Yes the temperature dropped dramatically, both from height and weather conditions. It would reach 8deg C that night, and I have never ridden in cold temps before! Quick lesson in changing from 33deg to 8deg C!

Just a fantastic trip, that I would recommend to everybody, or at least those who can handle steep hairpin curves. That is a bike skill that is simply not needed in Cambodia, so I enjoyed the learning experience on the fully loaded bike.

See you in day 5 as I head to Kong Lor Cave. Adventurer!