A Day Trekking Through the Cambodian Jungle

I have never sweat this much in my life. I've lived my life in East Texas's Piney Woods, deployed to Iraq and the Sahara, and worked on the Yucatán Peninsula, and still, I cannot believe how oppressive the Southeast Asian heat can be. I've heard the stories from those who served during conflict in Vietnam, but I couldn't appreciate it until I experienced it myself.

I'm on a three-day trek through the Cambodian jungle. I spent the last few days in Siem Reap exploring the temples of Angkor. The temples were impressive, but I was ready to experience something different from ancient temples and city life. That led me to an eight-hour van ride on bumpy roads to the dusty town of Ban Lung, the capital of Ratanakiri province where my hostel (called homestays in this part of the world) arranged for me to go on a three-day hike through the national forest. It was just 30 USD per day, all inclusive.

"All inclusive." He used that term liberally. Our hiking crew, consisting of two French couples, a guide, a forest ranger, and me, carry everything we need for these three days on our backs. We each have two to three liters of water, changes of clothes, hammocks, mosquito nets, and our share of the trek's supplies. The ranger leads the way carrying the heavy stuff, including the large, cast-iron skillet he uses to cook our meals. The homestay owner advised us to wear long pants to protect against mosquitos and other bugs, but he failed to mention how much we would sweat as we put one foot in front of the other for eight hours a day with rucksacks full of supplies on our shoulders.

Our hike started on dirt farm roads where local villagers tilled their fields and built their homes. That part of the hike was hot under the Cambodian sun. The French couples burned quickly under its oppressive rays. They hadn't heeded the warning to cover their shoulders, wear long pants, and wear proper shoes instead of sandals. I, on the other hand, was roasting by the time we reached the jungle. Hot and sweaty, but fortunately not burned.

I'm sweating even more now. The jungle canopy provides much-needed shade from the April sun, but it comes with a trade-off: the trees block the wind. The hot, humid air is still, and standing in one place is suffocating. I had been in the military once, so I was used to long hikes, but my hiking partners were not and need to rest often. Every time we stop, I feel the humid air drowning my lungs. I can't help myself and pace along the trail we've blazed through the jungle. I'm not impatient, I just want the wind to blow past my face even if that means creating it myself.

The gnats, too, buzz constantly in our ears on every stop. One of the French girls brought a net to drape over her hat. A smart move, but it didn't keep the gnats from buzzing beside her head. It’s annoying, especially after six hours of walking so far today, and another reason to keep charging forward. As long as we keep moving, we'll stay one step ahead of the gnats.

We finally reach camp for the night. Our guide and the ranger immediately start preparing dinner. The five of us tourists have some down time, so we strip down to our underwear to jump in the river next to camp. It's the dry season in Cambodia, but this part of the river still has plenty of cold water flowing through it. It feels good on my aching knee. I hurt it in the military, and it was screaming at me after eight hours of hiking in the jungle heat. Fortunately, it's nothing serious, and I know it will be better by morning. Just in time for the next eight hours segment of our hike.

We close the night around the campfire. Our guide has prepared bamboo soup for dinner. I don't know what's in it, just that it tastes good with a little bit of spicy kick from the local peppers. The red ants he added for extra protein don't taste bad either, much to my surprise. The ranger prepared a special treat for us: roasted frogs. The French couples dive in, frogs being a usual meal for them. I abstain. I've eaten a lot of interesting things in my time, but I just can't bring myself to eat frogs on a stick.

Bedtime finally arrives, and we zip ourselves into our hammocks to keep out the bugs. I ask our guide if he has ever had snakes find their way into camp. "I hope so!" he exclaims, "that's a special meal for me!"