::: 4 Nation ride - Vietnam - Cambodia - Laos - Thailand

Luckily, both sides of the checkpoints they did overtime that day.
We were the last people who crossed the line in the day.
When we 've done with the Thai side, doing for Cambodia immigration:





Passport and Custom control of Cambodia:


THAT is Preah Vihear - where we wanted to go:

Looked fine:


Oh lah lah...



Oh yeah:


Bingo...

So, our plan of riding thru 3 countries within a day has been materialized. .
Great achievement, so far.
It was quite long way from the checkpoint to the hotel that night, almost 100km in the night time.
If there was no conflict between Cam and Thai, we could cross the Preah Vihear checkpoint, save almost that 100km.
Not so many choices of Hotel around Preah Vihear. We stayed at a Hotel that my friend said it should be 5 star hotel of that area. Good one, but in general, it should be around 1.5 star maximum.
We had dinner in the hotel. Food even not enough, but beers.



What I had after 2.5 days riding - total 1000km:



3rd night, slept like a dead man.

Ngày #4 ~ 600km from Preah Vihear (Cambodia) to Hồ Chí Minh City (Việt Nam).

As planned, morning of the 4th day, the Africa-Twin rider guided us to the Preah Vihear temple. It's a temple right at the border of Thailand and Cambodia. There were several times in the past Thailand claimed that's their property. At the time we visited, full of soldiers standing by at both sides.

Early morning, we already saw the army vehicle in the Hotel's front yard. Hell, did they come for us!? Dang....



They came for breakfast, but we still think they came for checking on us.
We started to leave the hotel:



Stopped to buy some gifts for the temple guards:






Really nice road toward the temple. Free cows on road. They looked not so healthy:




We arrived the Check-point. Cigarette is our gift:


First time in life we need Passport control for visiting a temple!


Preah Vihear temple (Cambodia) is on the right hill. The left hill was occupied by Thailand army:


Thrilling...

Really enjoyed the pix. I visited VN last year and loved it, especially Hue, and Hoi An. In the winter of 2014 my girlfriend and I are going to Cambodia for a couple of weeks. I wish I could bring my GSA, but the cost of shipping it would be prohibitive, I think.

Keep on posting more pix!

(Don't know why I can NOT edit the post #43)

It's the tracklog for the last day:



Nearer to the temple, we felt more thrilling....
We saw several Cambodia soldiers along the roadside... I tried to sweep away the thinking of a battle during our visit...

More twisty road from around elevation of 300m. Not good road then.







Reached the parking area, many soldiers showed up, as well as kids.







So happy to be there:


It seemed they have some sort of services for tourist around this place:





Done the bikes parking, we walked to the temple.
It was around 9AM, still foggy all around...


Thrilling, 2nd episode....

i wanna ride w/you guys!... you ain't messin' around....:

Where were you man!?

..

We started our Preah Vihear temple discovery:


Looked like the whole temple sitting on a real big rock.






Found a soldier there, he can speak Vietnamese quite well, we asked him to show us around:


More than 100m from the bike parking, still not seeing any sign of the temple:


Got further inside, we saw the flags:


And the temple gate:


Easily noticed lots of guards and soldiers in normal casual:






A tower is under repair:

You can simply do a search about Preah Vihear temple history. There are lot of information about it.
Continue with the temple, where not everyone can visit:



In the below photo, it's the gate from Thailand side to the temple.
Previously, this way had been opened for both side to visit.
Currently, the gate at the border line was closed, none is allowed to pass thru. People say that they will get shoot if trying to pass the gate.

We can see the Thailand hill still in the fog:


We don't want to get shoot:





We back to inside of the temple:


The 2nd gate is in front of us:

:huh Preah Vihear - hopefully the Thai mlitary weren't shooting at you while you were there! Weren't the Cambodian's and Thai's fighting over that temple recently?

... can't wait to see if Vietnam customs allows you to cross back into Vietnam...

Enjoying your trip report... a bit jealous.

Thanks

Thanks for your jealous .
I think the latest fight was early 2011. Since then, they have all stationed at both sides with full military equipped forces.
Well, it was really awesome feeling, while walking at the middle of a potential battle field.
Luckily I can come back home in one piece for posting this thread .

The remained bunker built by Vietnamese soldiers during the time fighting with Khmer Rogue. People said that it still function well:




2nd gate layer of the Temple:


This area sounds to be the place for important events in the past. You can easily notice 12 holes was made on the rock base.
A bit right of the below photo, there was a man-made pond, around 100m2. I have no idea how they can have water on this mount.








Recalled Tomb rider movie:


The 2nd gate layer, looking from inside:




Kept walking:




An interesting creature - a tree hold up the tower:




This is the military medic center, built by Vietnamese soldiers:

Inside:




Vestige of time:






Another sign of Vietnamese soldiers, when they fought Khmer Rogue - this is the tool made on the rock to make powder from rice:




Inside a bell tower. The bell was removed by Thailand army's helicopter.
Come inside, and punch in your chest - you can hear the incredible echo sound... What an architecture.



This area looked like the main temple:





Don't know what made this moulder, human or nature:

To the back of the temple, we found a straight cliff. It was really foggy when we reached. It was almost 11:00AM.



It was called death cliff - elevation 500m - was the place the Khmer Rouge push Cambodian from the top to the ground. Thousand of people was killed that way.




What a feeling...




OOPS...

Those were made by Thai weapon:





Not so sure how this pick-up can climb to here:


Time to head back:




Much less foggy than before:










Thailand army stationed on the opposite hill:



Noticed the dark spots with shade are Thai bunkers:

Love this RR.

Thank you.
And sorry for letting this uncompleted... till now.

The flags at the entrance:


Good signboard:








Then we kept descending downhill:



End of the temple visit:







Nice one:

Some pix captured after we down the hill:


left mount was hold by Thailand army.
Right one belongs to Cambodia.








Moved in to the hart of the triangle
...


Oh hell:

Said good bye to Preah Vihear temple, we headed directly to Vietnam border.
Been caught by the heavy rain along the way back. Really terrible rain, plus not good road condition really slowed us down.
Reached the Cambodia - Vietnam border after 5PM. Not a good thing.



Gotta wait for very long....



See this, pix taken when we were allowed to pass Cambodia:


At the Vietnam's side, another waiting session :


Finally, we made it:







Our last photo of the trip - great ride with warm brotherhood: