Bicycles of Southeast Asia

BICYCLES
OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
R I C H A R D S W A F F I E L D
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BICYCLES
OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
by
RICHARD SWAFFIELD
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To my sister Patty, who left us far too early
and is greatly missed, but will never be forgotten.
Love you, Sis...
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Photography by Richard Swaffield
Design and layout by Clyde Adams Graphics
Contributing design by Marites Billones
Copyright 2020 by Richard Swaffield
All rights reserved
Wicker baskets on her bike and a smile on her face,
this woman in Battambang, Cambodia, cheerfully
starts her day.

Acknowledgments
would like to express my gratitude to those individuals who helped in the creation
I of this book. My friend John Oliphant not only encouraged me to proceed with the
book, but edited the introduction and provided guidance along the way.
My American graphic designer, Clyde Adams, skillfully and patiently brought the book
to life, while my designer in the Philippines, Marites Billones, added the finishing
touches.
I would especially like to thank my sister Judy for her paintings of a number of the
photographs and for the inspiration these provided.
I also wish to express my profound gratitude to Jo, my Filipina partner and companion
of ten years, for her unwavering loyalty and support throughout the project and for the
very special life we share together.
Festooned with flowers, this rickety two-wheeler is almost obscured beneath the blossoms
that spill off it on a street in Battambang, Cambodia.
Overleaf: On a street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, a woman pushes her bicycle past the ancient
storefronts that are so characteristic of Vietnam’s storied capital, where the bicycle is still
the traditional mode of transportation for many of its people.

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Introduction
have had a love affair with bicycles my entire life, beginning with the day my parents gave
I me my first training wheels and I pedaled furiously across our bumpy dirt driveway, somehow
managing to end up overturned in a cactus bed, yet enthralled nonetheless with my first
adventure in locomotion. I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas, about thirty miles
from Mexico, in a rural area that provided plenty of opportunity for me to expand my bicycle
horizons on my first “real” bike, a rickety second-hand Western Flyer. At the age of seven, I
was already an intrepid cyclist, riding the dirt roads that surrounded our farm as far as I could
and still be sure of returning home before dark. I soon graduated to a shiny crimson Schwinn
three-speed Corvette, a bike endorsed by none other than Clint Walker, star of the popular TV
series Cheyenne; it enabled me to venture much further from home, much to the dismay of my
parents, though they thankfully didn’t attempt to stifle my sense of independence and love of
adventure. The bicycle made it all possible, and it was only with great reluctance that I finally
parted from my beloved Schwinn, for it had made my childhood incredibly memorable in so
many ways—a boy and his bike says it all.
In the intervening years, my love affair with bicycles continued. I raced them in a dozen cities
across the United States, reveling in the speed and excitement of competition; I later became
a dedicated aficionado of the mountain bike when it took the cycling world by storm; and I
toured Europe by bike on a number of occasions, seeing France and Italy, Spain and Germany,
from behind the handlebars, always stopping for picnics in the fields before cycling off into
some spectacular sunset.
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I began this collection of photographs for Bicycles of Southeast Asia nearly ten years ago after
I left my home in Kansas and settled in Naga City in the Philippines, two hundred-and-fifty
miles south of Manila, on the island of Luzon, the largest of the over seven-thousand islands
that comprise that country, most of which are uninhabited. My initial daily bicycle rides in
Naga on my sturdy mountain bike took me into areas of the city where the casual tourist
doesn’t usually go, down dusty roads, up back alleys, and into the ramshackle precincts of this
teeming city, where I had a glimpse into the lives of the often impoverished, yet noble and
cheerful Filipinos, many of whom rely on ancient two-wheelers for their personal transportation,
as well as to carry their wares to market. I began taking my first photographs of bicycles
on these occasions, struck by the variety and character of the bikes I encountered, as well as
the people who rode them!
One sunlit morning as I was leaving a downtown McDonald’s, I spotted a couple of brand-new
fixed-gear bicycles, known as fixies, with hot pink and turquoise frames, propped up against
a vividly painted red wall. It was a colorful reminder that there is an affluent middle-class in
the Philippines dedicated to cycling whose members can often be seen plying the roads in the
early morning, decked out in their form-fitting cycling gear; sometimes, seeing them astride
their gleaming metal steeds, lounging outside a cafe, they reminded me of modern-day centaurs,
with their own mythic status. It was during these excursions in Naga City that I first
realized how much cycling is a passion in the Philippines, whether it’s pursued in the chaotic
metropolis of Manila or in the country’s lush tropical regions in picturesque provinces such
as Bohol, Baguio or Ilocos Norte.
My bicycle excursions around Naga City also took me into the countryside, where I explored
the magnificent natural beauty of the locale, combining my love of photography with my love
of cycling, a happy blend of intersecting interests that provided no end of visual discovery. One
afternoon, while peddling towards the majestic jungle covered Mount Isarog, a dormant volcano
overlooking Naga, I came upon a group of farmers planting rice, a staple of the country
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here. I immediately recognized this was a quintessential image, a visual gem that expressed so
much of daily life in the Philippines. The scene appeared like magic in front of me; I scrambled
off my bike just in time to capture the shot that graces the cover of this book.
In Calabanga, a small town twenty kilometers north of Naga, famous for its Quipayo Church,
constructed in the sixteenth-century by Franciscan missionaries, I found life on wheels as well,
though in this case, three-wheelers or pedicabs, padyak as they’re called. Calabanga is surely
the pedicab capitol of the Philippines as the streets teem with an endless swarm of them,
each personalized with the distinctive colors and designs of their respective owners. They are
a sight to behold, a Filipino calling card as ubiquitous as the jeepney in this Bicol backwater,
a ride to almost anywhere in town costing the meager sum of seven pesos or thirteen cents
American.
Pedicabs, while not strictly bicycles are chain-and-human-driven, so I have included them in
this collection of photographs. There are an estimated four million of them in use around the
world, Asia having the lion’s share, the Philippines having the most of any country. Though
styles of pedicabs vary from country to country, fares are universally among the lowest of any
form of transportation.
From the Philippines, it’s a short three-hour hop on Cebu Pacific or Air Asia to anywhere in
Southeast Asia; Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and half-a-dozen other countries are literally
in the palm of one’s hand. I’ve taken dozens of such trips to desirable locations in the years
that I’ve been living in Naga, filling up my passport pages to overflowing; at the time of writing,
I have logged over sixteen trips to Cambodia, probably my favorite country in the region,
though each has its own particular appeal; and in them all, one is confronted by the bicycle
and myriad opportunities for photographs. One can’t help but be excited by the kaleidoscopic
variety of life here; one never knows what surprises await just around the corner in this exotic
part of the world.
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In Cambodia, the river city of Battambang is one of my regular destinations; though it’s the
second largest city in Cambodia, it retains a small town charm and feeling by virtue of its
well-preserved French colonial architecture. A visit to the ornate Art Deco-style marketplace
in the town center, as well as to its many Buddhist temples, should be on every visitor’s itinerary.
The city is eminently walkable and during one of my frequent pedestrian excursions, I
encountered and photographed an elderly, yet spry lady who was selling firewood off the back
of her well-worn bike; she’s a fixture on the streets of Battambang, I learned, renowned for her
infectious smile. I had to marvel; one would never see seniors doing this in my Kansas hometown!
Coincidentally, after renting a bicycle to take me into the countryside, I met her sisterin-arms,
another wrinkled-from-the-sun septuagenarian selling brooms and dusters from her
loaded-down two-wheeler with a twinkle in her eye and an irrepressible smile that lit up her
weathered face.
I especially like to photograph children and their bicycles, since a bike is such an important
part of childhood; in rural Cambodia again, I encountered the serious-looking little girl on a
bike far too large for her tiny frame, intent on mastering the fine art of balanced acceleration
as she determinedly set off, despite more than a few treacherous wobbles, to what I presumed
was her grandmother’s house. In some sense, I think for all of us, life begins when we’ve
learned to ride a bike!
Siem Reap, site of the fabulous Angkor Wat temple complex, is also one of my Cambodian
haunts and probably represents the best bicycle travel experience in the world. In addition to
the tourists one sees cycling across the causeway to Angkor Thom, past its phalanx of carved
stone gods that impassively guard the entrance, there are the bikes of the local populace, from
students in their neatly pressed uniforms making their daily commute to and from school,
to vendors such as the toothless lady who sells eggs off the back of her bicycle, to the various
“cafeterias on wheels” that ply the crowded streets with an array of mouth-watering Khmer
dishes too delicious to refuse. But most of all, I will always remember the gigantic stone face
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of King Jayavarman VII contemplating with an enigmatic smile the multitudes of tourists
exploring these stupendous ruins by bicycle: one wonders what he thinks of the two-wheeled
traffic that passes beneath his inscrutable gaze, visitors from all over the world savoring these
awe-inspiring monuments in a way that royalty could never have imagined.
The bicycle, as we know it today, evolved over a period of about two hundred years. No one
person or country can claim it for its own, though sketches by Leonardo Da Vinci and much
earlier renderings by a noted Chinese inventor anticipate its development. The invention of
the chain-driven bicycle in the late nineteenth-century and the introduction of the pneumatic
tire led to an explosion in the bicycle’s popularity in the Western world; surprisingly, the bicycle
has changed little since 1885; we no longer ride penny-farthings, but the basics remain
the same.
By the early twentieth-century, millions of bicycles were in use in Europe; its introduction
to Southeast Asia soon followed, and though it was initially viewed with suspicion and even
ridicule, being regarded as imported imperialist technology, such feelings of antipathy were
soon dispelled due to the bicycle’s proven utility in daily life and the sheer amount of fun involved
in riding the unorthodox Western contraption.
I believe the bicycle is the perfect means of transportation. It’s ecologically sound, leaving
little or no footprint on nature, and it’s incredibly efficient, as much as ninety-nine percent of
the energy delivered to the pedals going to the wheels. No wonder its use in Southeast Asia
became commonplace, since it can also carry heavy loads due to its sturdy construction; as a
result, it has come to be used as a mobile convenience store, a kind of 7-Eleven on wheels, as
well as being indispensable in transporting goods to the marketplace. With its introduction
into Southeast Asia, the bicycle not only made daily life easier for peoples in the region, but
increased family incomes, while also enabling individuals to travel further from their homes,
thereby enlarging their economic horizons.
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China, with the world’s largest population, has more bicycles than any other country; though
none of the photographs in The Bicycles of Southeast Asia are from China, many of the bikes
pictured in these pages were made there, the Flying Pigeon being the most noteworthy, over
five hundred million of them having been manufactured. The cost of a Chinese bicycle is
affordable to the average buyer, fifty dollars or less being a small price to pay for a huge improvement
in the purchaser’s life.
One sees the most Chinese bicycles, understandably, in neighboring Vietnam, which has a
rich bicycle sub-culture. Hanoi in the north and Ho Chi Minh City in the south, celebrated for
their French-colonial architecture, are a happy hunting ground for bicycles as well. In Hanoi,
one is struck by the bicycle flower ladies in their conical hats who offer a cornucopia of blossoms
for sale, including white and yellow chrysanthemums, red roses, lilies, sprays of peach
blossoms, daisies and lotus flowers, their bicycles often not even visible under the hanging
gardens that festoon their trusty two-wheelers; while in Ho Chi Minh City, one encounters the
fruit ladies who sell every type of Vietnamese tropical fruit: spiky durians, prickly rambutan,
pomelos, lychees, starfruit, dragon fruit, and, of course, mandarin oranges, a medley of tantalizing
tastes to tempt one’s palette.
Vietnam’s Mekong River Delta in the south yields its share of novelty and adventure as well.
In the city of Can Tho, the largest city in the delta, I stumbled upon the Bicycle Coffeehouse,
a sanctuary for cycling devotees, its signature Peugeot racing bike hanging on one wall, and a
photographic tribute to French cycling and the Tour de France displayed on the others. And in
Chau Doc, my usual last stop before returning to Cambodia, there are bicycles as well, including
the one owned by the woman wearing traditional Vietnamese garb that I snapped pausing
on her way home to purchase flowers at a street stall. That was a relatively straightforward
photograph to take, though there were times when I raced ahead of a subject, so that I could
capture them cycling into frame; on those occasions, photography was a roaming, guerrilla-type
of endeavor that provided its own sense of satisfaction and reward.
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During the past ten years of my Southeast Asian travels, I’ve regrettably witnessed a significant
decline in the number of bicycles that one observes on the streets. This trend is indeed
unfortunate, since it would be a shame to lose such a picturesque and practical means of transportation
and its accompanying entrepreneurial spirit of commerce. When I first visited Battambang,
for example, the local markets were inundated with bikes; now, for the most part, the
motorbike has taken the place of many of the bicycles that were such a prevalent and attractive
feature of life there. Likewise, in Ho Chi Minh City, the motorbike has largely supplanted the
bicycle as the primary mode of transport, clogging the streets with its presence, only a matter
of inches separating one from the next, the deafening racket and concomitant pollution the
inevitable side-effects of a dubious modernization. It sometimes seems that the only people
riding bicycles in the congested Asian metropolises these days are tourists on rental bikes or
students pedaling to and from school, both parties doing their best to skillfully negotiate the
constantly increasing volume of vehicular traffic.
That said, Bicycles of Southeast Asia’s intention is to celebrate the bicycle in Southeast Asia in its
human context and all its delightful and aesthetic forms and manifestations. As a result of this
project, I’ve developed a love of this unique region of the world, appreciating it for its vibrancy,
its culture, and its welcoming and friendly people. In a sense, every photograph was a revelation,
a glimpse into a way of life or a person that provided a greater insight into the so-called
family of man, whether it be the vendor in Yangon nonchalantly selling candy floss from the
tower of confection he’d so artlessly erected on his bike, to the curious clutch of kids gathered
outside a brightly-painted sari-sari store in Naga City, or the weathered bicycle propped against
a dilapidated fence in rural Cambodia that had perhaps been witness to who knows how many
atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge; each bicycle had a story to tell, as did the person
who pedaled it. At the same time, in my own nomadic wanderings, I came to engage more
deeply with my destination through my bike, one push of the pedal at a time, which is indeed
the ideal, almost perfect way to get to know a country and its people.
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My odyssey through Southeast Asia and documentation of the diversity of bicycles and individuals
that I met on my travels was intensely gratifying, full of unexpected surprises, real
discovery, and more than a few epiphanies that made me realize how rich life is and how we
must celebrate it each day in all its beauty and variety. The bicycle seems made for these Third
World countries, adding so much to the culture, interweaving the practical and the aesthetic
into people’s lives and lifestyles in a way that’s too often overlooked, but that is truly profound.
I hope this collection of photographs will inspire the reader to embark on their own journey,
either imaginatively or literally, through Southeast Asia, and to enrich their life thereby. Within
the pages of Bicycles of Southeast Asia, in addition to the photographs from the Philippines,
Cambodia, and Vietnam, one will find photographs from Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand.
My hope is that I have created a book that will satisfy both the bicycle enthusiast and the travel
lover, for the two are, by nature, I think, inevitably intertwined. There is a rhythm to cycling
that approximates the rhythm of life; the cycle of the wheels is the cycle of life itself; and here
in these pages, among the images of bicycles and people that I’ve captured, I hope that at least
part of that mystery is evoked.
To all who are viewing or reading this book, I send you my blessings and my sincere wishes
that you will enjoy Bicycles of Southeast Asia as much as I have enjoyed creating it.
Happy cycling and Godspeed.
—Richard Swaffield
Naga City, Philippines
January 1, 2021
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Siddhartha
on the
stairs.
A young
monk pauses
for a
photograph in
Wat Po Veal in
Battambang,
Cambodia.
It’s common
for adolescent
males to serve
as novice
monks for a
year, though
some
become
monks
for life.
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Southeast Asia
Six countries comprise Mainland Southeast Asia: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar,
Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, while the Philippines is considered part of
Maritime Southeast Asia.
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A Filipino boy and his bicycle. He’s from the fishing
village of Sabang in the province of Camarines Sur,
and proud of his wheels.
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The family-owned sari-sari store, from Tagalog,
meaning “variety,” is a Filipino institution, selling
everything local residents require, from food and
household goods to other necessities of life, often
in single quantities. They are social meeting places
and perfect pit stops for thirsty cyclists.
Sabang, Philippines.
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Have ice-cold happiness here! Coca Cola and the bicycle,
two fixtures of global culture, though this oddly truncated
two-wheeler in Tinambac, Camarines Sur, is definitely
unique.
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Have a banana while waiting for your haircut
in Calabanga, Camarines Sur, Philippines.
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The Girls’
Club,
Siruma,
Camarines
Sur,
Philippines.
Ready to
roll.
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Outside a
school in
Poblicion,
Philippines,
this
enterprising
lady sells fruit
juice and
snacks with
the goodwill
one typically
encounters
from Filipino
street vendors.
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Shielded from the sun by his umbrella,
this cyclist resolutely pedals the road
between Calabanga and the fishing
village of Sabang in Camarines Sur,
Philippines.
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Neon-riders
park their
bikes outside
a McDonald’s
in Naga,
Camarines
Sur, on a
Sunday
morning. The
new cycling
scene in the
Philippines
is geared to
the emerging
affluent
middle class.
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The four
primary colors:
red, green,
yellow, and
blue; three on
the bike and
one on the
wall. Sabang,
Philippines.
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Young love: Outside the yellowed walls of a
schoolhouse in Kampot, Cambodia,
a message left, a bicycle parked.
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Early morning shopping yields the freshest flowers;
these come from the fields of My Tho, Vietnam.
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Bags, bags,
and more
bags.
This vendor
in Siem Reap,
Cambodia,
makes sure
she won’t
run out of
stock before
she makes
her daily
excursion to
her customers
in the
outskirts of
the city.
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Happy
with her
simple life.
Battambang,
Cambodia.
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Bargaining for the best price is expected in Cambodia,
and an accepted part of the social interaction that
goes with selling one’s wares off the back of a bike.
This vendor in Battambang sips a drink while her
customers decide.
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This broom
and feather
duster man
plys the streets
of Siem Reap,
Cambodia, his
wares helping
to keep the
country free
of dust, a
noble, though
well-nigh
impossible
task.
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Home,
sweet home,
Kampot,
Cambodia.
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Room with
a view.
Kampot,
Cambodia.
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Like most
street
vendors,
this man in
Siem Reap
has a fixed
daily route,
also selling
spirit houses
off the back
of his trusty
two-wheeler.
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The winning formula for this
street vendor in Phnom Penh,
Cambodia: utilize every inch of
space and offer variety.
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Simplicity in Kampot, Cambodia.
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Cambodian boy in Kampot loves his
bicycle, loves posing, too.
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Pedicab drivers lined up and ready for business
in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
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Somehow,
this lady
in Paske,
Laos, got her
ducks to
market on
her bicycle.
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No shortage of
merchandise,
but where
does he sit,
and how does
he pedal?
Siem Reap,
Cambodia.
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There’s a
bicycle under
there. Can
you see it?
Hanoi,
Vietnam.
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On the road
to Calabanga,
Camarines
Sur, a little
girl spots
me. Filipino
children have
an uncanny
radar for
detecting the
presence of
visitors.
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Home for lunch from the rice fields outside
San Sebastian, Camarines Sur, Philippines,
the meal likely consisting of rice, sardines,
and native veggies.
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One can build a house anywhere in the Philippines
using materials provided by Nature. Humble and
unpretentious, but still a home.
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Bicycles and boulders, not a combination one
usually sees, but the crew of one of the catamarans
in San Miguel Bay, Philippines, parks it here,
locked to the wooden post, so he can cycle home
when he returns from fishing.
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Best friends
or perhaps
sisters? Two
girls pose in
the Muslim
enclave
outside
Kampot,
Cambodia.
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Waiting for
an opening
in traffic to
cross the busy
thoroughfare
in Saigon, this
melon vendor
watches both
cars and
bikes before
she quickly
wheels her
wares across
the street.
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Sugar Cane Street in Phnom Penh’s Kandal Market
is devoted exclusively to sugar cane vendors.
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This senior citizen is an institution on the streets of
Battambang, Cambodia, dare one say, her kindling
never dwindling?
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Two women pause to chat before commencing their daily
rounds on the streets of Siem Reap, Cambodia.
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Luscious
lychees are a
favorite fruit
in Vietnam.
This woman
fills her basket
with them at
a market in
Saigon. Fruit
and flowers
are very
important
in the daily
life of the
Vietnamese
people.
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Those oranges
looked so
appealing, I
was tempted to
buy the whole
basket from
this stylishlydressed
woman in
Saigon.
Tequila
sunrise,
anyone?
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The child is father of the man.
Battambang, Cambodia.
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It was a rainy Saturday morning in Chanthaburi, Thailand,
when I spotted this Buddhist monk from Wat Phai Lom,
making the rounds in his pedicab, presumbably purchasing
items for the monastery.
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The legacy of the French colonization of Indochina
lives on in its food, especially the bread, the baguette
reigning supreme. Kampot, Cambodia.
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This parched
cyclist quenches
his thirst at a
public water
station beside
the road on the
other side of the
river in Yangon,
Myanmar.
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A young mother,
a baby and a
bicycle on a
dusty street in
Battambang,
Cambodia;
a spirit house
and Beer Lao
banners in the
background
add a dash of
color to this
rustic tableau.
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Rainwater captured in large concrete cisterns
provides the primary source of drinking water
for rural Cambodians; these are in the countryside
outside Battambang.
85

This little
girl in
Kratie,
Cambodia,
will be
sharing her
space with
dinner on
the way
home.
86

Fresh from
the Mekong
River, this
morning’s
catch is
destined for
the local fish
market in
Pakse, Laos,
transported
on fashionably
pink wheels.
87

On a serious mission in rural Cambodia,
perhaps on her way to Grandma’s.
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Room for one
more at the
tippy-top.
And maybe
one more
after that?
Yangon,
Myanmar.
90

Mysterious
cargo in
Yangon,
the cyclist
fixing me
with an
enigmatic
stare as
he pedals
past.
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In the countryside outside Kampot, Cambodia.
Can they all pile on that one bike? You’d be surprised.
93

Rice as far as the eye can see. These green
paddies are in the countryside outside
Battambang, Cambodia.
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Fruit stand outside San Isidro, Philippines,
green fruit and produce on display;
just hop on your wheels and pedal away.
97

This lady in
Kampong
Chhnang,
Cambodia,
wears the widebrimmed
hat
that indigenous
women use
to protect
themselves
from the sun.
98

Firewood is the
traditional fuel
in Cambodia
and collecting
it is a task
undertaken by
every member
of the family.
This elderly
woman in
the village
of Krakor,
Cambodia,
uses her bicycle
to transport
the day’s haul
home.
99

Lots of Cambodian history in these wheels, some not
so pleasant. This dusty bicycle was leaning against a
fence in Koh Kong province, one of the last Khmer
Rouge strongholds.
100

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Human power at work: a trishaw driver pedals
with his passenger outside Yangon, Myanmar.
103

These women in Battambang were sharing
some leisurely moments with the vendor, who
is probably a familiar sight to them. The sense
of community one feels here makes it one of
the most welcoming destinations in Cambodia.
104

105

The
arrangement
must be “just
so” to attract
attention, as
there’s lots of
competition
on Hanoi’s
streets.
106

This lady
in Hanoi
adjusts
her bevy
of bicycleborne
blossoms,
her
smile as
captivating
as her
roses.
107

The daily commute in Yangon, Myanmar.
The gentleman works in the city and crosses the
Yangon River from the Dalla township each morning
with his bicycle.
108

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The majority of households in Cambodia use wood
for cooking, so people riding bicycles with bundles of
wood tied to the back is a common sight. This man
crosses a bridge over the Kampot River in Kampot,
Cambodia, heading home in the waning light.
111

Going to work with Mom.
Battambang, Cambodia.
112

113

114

These chilli peppers in the morning market in Hà Tiên,
Vietnam, will spice up this shopper’s meal, but though
Vietnamese food isn’t as spicy as Thai or Cambodian,
best to say when ordering, “Khong cay,” not too spicy, if
you don’t want your mouth burned.
115

Buddha and his two most famous disciples are
depicted on this wall painting in Battambang,
Cambodia. The teachings and philosophy of
Buddhism pervade Southeast Asia, defining its
religious and cultural milieu.
116

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The captain’s ride home. The Kampot River,
Kampot, Cambodia.
119

This lady in pink scanning the market stalls in
Môc Bài, Vietnam, carries sticky rice wrapped
in banana leaves, a Vietnamese specialty.
120

121

Hitching a
ride with
Mom in
Battambang,
Cambodia.
Who’s that
man with the
camera?
Hello!
122

Princess in
pink in her
bicycle-drawn
carriage; even
at this age, a
natural-born
aristocrat.
Hoi An,
Vietnam.
123

124

The simple people appear the happiest throughout
Southeast Asia. A lesson to be learned. Siem Reap,
Cambodia.
125

A man and his pedicab.
Waiting for customers in Hua Hin, Thailand.
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Welcome or warning, or simply graffiti
scrawled on this door in Kampot, Cambodia?
Closed shutters and a parked bicycle
add to the mystery.
129

Bicycle repair shop,
Koh Kong, Cambodia.
130

131

Native fruits,
many of
which are
unrecognizable
to a foreigner,
are delicious in
any language.
Siem Reap,
Cambodia.
132

With a basket
of pomelos
and a pensive
look, this
vendor waits
for customers
in Hanoi’s
Old Quarter.
133

Pausing from
selling green
mangoes on
the streets of
Aranyaprathet,
Thailand, this
vendor points a
stranger in the
direction of the
border crossing
to Poipet,
Cambodia.
134

This woman
in Kratie,
Cambodia,
wears the
krama, the
traditional
Cambodian
headdress, an
iconic symbol
of the Khmer
people. It
has multiple
uses; in this
case, the red
and white
check pattern
combined
with her
turquoise top
makes it the
perfect fashion
accessory.
135

Local ladies
in Hanoi in
conical palmleaf
hats. One
has a basket
of morning
glory on the
back of her
bike; its tender
shoots form
an important
ingredient
in classic
Vietnamese
cuisine.
136

Need
ceramics?
Not a
problem. Just
flag down a
street vendor
in Hanoi’s
Old Quarter
and pick your
porcelain.
137

138

This quiet road on the outskirts of Yangon,
Myanmar, is ideal for afternoon shopping
in the dappled sunlight.
139

Sudden downpours are common in Southeast Asia
during the monsoon season. Caught without an
umbrella, this woman in Kratie, Cambodia, pedals
through the market, drenched in seconds by the
opening of the heavens. The deluges sometimes last
only a few minutes.
140

141

This sweetlooking
peanut-seller
in Phnom
Penh seems
resigned to
modest sales,
judging by
the contents
of her basket.
Perhaps for
her, being a
vendor is as
much about
social contact
and staying
active as
it is about
generating
income.
142

The rush hour
is bicycles in
Hue, Vietnam.
Going against
the flow,
this weary
vendor heads
home after an
arduous day
on the streets.
143

There are 4,000 Cambodian riel in one US dollar.
How many riel does she make in a day? Less than
20,000 probably, but at least she can work sitting
down in this market in Battambang.
144

145

This Filipino mobile fan repairman in Balatas,
a barangay in Naga, has fixed thousands of fans
in his life and will never lack for business in the
country’s sweltering heat.
146

147

148

The Phsar Nath Market in Battambang is housed in a
mustard-colored Art Deco building designed in 1936
by a prominent French architect. It has become the
city’s most recognizable landmark.
149

Has he got them all? This man in Yangon checks
his newspapers before his morning delivery.
The public’s appetite for news must be fed.
150

151

152

Day’s end and how many baskets has she sold?
Perhaps not many, since she doesn’t look happy.
Hanoi, Vietnam.
153

Selling oranges
in Hanoi’s
Old Quarter,
which is wellnamed,
for it
has a history
dating back to
the thirteenth
century.
It offers
everything
for the visitor
and is the
city’s most
popular tourist
destination.
154

Balancing her
bouquets with
a practiced
hand and
an unerring
eye. She can’t
afford to lose
her load.
Siem Reap,
Cambodia.
155

This circular motif caught my eye
when I spotted it while cycling from
Siem Reap to Angkor Wat.
156

157

158

The starkness of this scene called out to me.
Siem Reap, Cambodia.
159

Morning refreshments in Can Tho, Vietnam:
coffee, coconut water, and tea. The reflective
gentleman in the red football jersey is the
bicycle’s owner.
160

161

162

A satisfying meal and congenial conversation
bring the evening to a close in the delta city
of Can Tho, Vietnam.
163

Waiting for
the Yangon
River ferry
in Myanmar.
What’s in the
wicker basket?
Regretfully, I
didn’t inspect
the contents,
so this man’s
out-sized
cargo remains
a mystery.
164

Chicken express,
Burmese-style.
Tied by the feet,
live chickens are
nonchalantly
transported to
market by this
bicycle delivery
man in Dala,
across the river
from Yangon.
165

166

Traditional markets where people shop daily are an
important part of Southeast Asian culture, since
refrigeration is lacking in these countries. Battambang
has over a dozen markets, large and small, including its
iconic Central Market, part of which is pictured here.
167

A good day
collecting
recyclables on
the streets of
Phnom Penh,
Cambodia.
168

With a
determined
stride and a
commanding
presence,
this woman
prowls the
streets of
Hanoi’s Old
Quarter,
seaching for
customers.
169

The kids come
running when
they see this
vendor with
his balloons,
rubber ducks,
and other
novelty items
in Long Xuyên
in the Mekong
River Delta,
Vietnam.
170

A trio of
saffron-robed
monks stroll
across the
plaza near the
Xayaphoum
Temple in
Savannakhet,
Laos. The
nearby stupa
is especially
sacred as it’s
believed to
contain one
of the bones
from the spine
of the Buddha.
171

Coconut is king in Southeast Asia,
untold numbers being consumed daily.
Here, clusters of the formidable fruit
are brought to market in Battambang,
Cambodia.
172

173

174

The weathered wall says it all, the bicycle
almost an afterthought on this side street
in Battambang, a mural for all seasons,
artist unknown.
175

These girls
were all smiles
as they
sailed by me on a
bumpy side street
in Battambang,
Cambodia,
on their way
to their next
adventure.
176

A slender
Vietnamese
beauty wheels
her bicycle
in the streets
of Hue, a
princess
indeed
beside
her silver
steed.
177

178

This fisherman with his bicycle looks out over the fleet
confined to port in San Miguel Bay, Philippines, due
to rough seas. They may not look it, but the craft are
seaworthy.
179

Small is
beautiful
applies to
bicycles as
well, as
this shiny red
two-wheeler,
photographed
against a
weathered
wall in
Stung Treng,
Cambodia,
illustrates.
180

Cockfighting is
an important
part of Filipino
culture and
was witnessed
by Ferdinand
Magellan’s
crew when
they landed
on the island
of Palawan in
1521. Here, a
cockfighting
rooster stands
guard in front
of a bicycle
in Sabang,
Philippines.
181

I hurried to capture this image before the
owner returned and moved his bicycle.
Abstract expressionism is alive and well in
Calabanga, Camarines Sur, Philippines.
182

183

184

Sleeping on the job in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
One can forgive him his afternoon nap; being a
pedicab driver is not the easiest way to make a living.
185

Cotton candy
to the sky.
Pink and white
blossoms
decorate this
sweet flower
sprouting
from a blue
bicycle on
the outskirts
of Yangon,
Myanmar.
186

“Yes! We have
no bananas”
doesn’t apply
here, as this
store in Yangon,
Myanmar,
specializes in
bananas, and
only bananas.
187

Tricycles clog the streets of Yangon and other
cities in Myanmar. They are among the cheapest
forms of public transportation; there are thirty-five
thousand of them in Yangon alone.
188

189

Morning sweet
breads and a
monk with a
begging bowl
on the streets
of Can Tho,
Vietnam.
190

The end
of another
long day in
Stung Treng,
Cambodia;
and tomorrow,
it will start all
over again,
191

Green bananas are used in an assortment of
classic Cambodian dishes; this man trundles
a loaded trishaw of them through the
marketplace in Phnom Penh.
192

193

194

Water lilies and a pink two-wheeler offer a lush
respite from the dusty streets of Siem Reap, a
welcome interlude on the way to Tonlé Sap Lake,
Cambodia.
195

Muslim girls in hijabs on their way home from school
in Kampot, Cambodia, bring this Southeast Asian
bicycle chronicle to a close.
196

197

Richard
Swaffield,
with a rented
bicycle in
Battambang,
Cambodia.
198

About the Author
Richard’ Swaffield’s passion for photography began after he’d served in the United States
Navy submarine corp as a young man and later entered civilian life. An entrepreneur
by nature, he formed a company that sold gym equipment throughout the United States,
developing his love of photography at the same time, using it as an escape from the demands of
running a successful business.
His photographic expeditions have taken him throughout Mexico and Central America and
through much of rural America, as he likes to get off the beaten track and discover places not
usually visited by tourists. He enjoys spending time in picturesque locales and meeting the
various colorful personalities that he encounters during his travels.
Richard’s adventures in Asia commenced about ten years ago when he visited the Philippines
for the first time and began to make trips to the various countries throughout the region. He
found himself drawn to Asian culture and to the simplicity and generosity of the people.
Bicycles of Southeast Asia combines his love of travel and of bicycles. At present, he’s working
on two new books, Doors of Cambodia and Coffeehouses of Southeast Asia. He can be contacted at
fit1stnow@aol.com.
199

Front cover: This bicycle is someone’s ride home after a backbreaking day
of planting rice in San Isidro, Philippines.
Back cover: In Kampot, Cambodia, a slow-moving procession of riders
pedal leisurely towards their respective destinations, part of the loosely-knit,
free-form and unpretentious community of cyclists around the world,
sharing their humanity astride the world’s most perfect invention—the bicyle.
200

Praise for Bicycles of Southeast Asia
“I think Iris Murdoch said it best about bicycles when she wrote, ‘The bicycle is the
most civilized conveyance known to man. Other forms of transport grow daily more
nightmarish. Only the bicycle remains pure in heart.’ I was reminded of this so often
during my own bicycle trips throughout SE Asia. It was wonderful to see the same faces
I so often encountered immortalized in these stunning and perceptive photographs in
which the humanity of the people depicted shines through. This is a book for any bicycle
connoisseur’s collection.” —David Cavendish, Bristol, UK.
“There are so many memorable images in this book, I know that its contents will
live with me for a long time. Having worked in many of the countries that the author
visited, I felt a strong sense of recognition, having witnessed many of these scenes
myself. Amazing work by a gifted photographer who has captured the SE Asian
experience with remarkable skill and an unerring eye for the decisive moment.”
—Susan Metcalfe, Bakersfield, California.
“If you’ve traveled throughout SE Asia, this book will resonate with you; if not, go
now before a way of life of which the bicycle is an integral part disappears forever.”
—Robert Barnes, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
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