Cambodia - Kampot

After Phnom Penh, we hired a taxi to take us to Kampot - an area previously closed when hubby had been before. Our room had a beautiful view of the river. We hired a small boat to take us upriver as the sun set. Palm trees fringed the banks, boats ferried people & bicycles across the river, flocks of birds passed low overhead...the chug chug chug of the boat lulled one into a hypnotic state of calm. The sun lowered behind the misty hills. Heading back downriver in the dark was perhaps not quite so comforting.

The following day we hired a taxi to take us to Bokor mountain. Usually the road is tackled by 4WD. For 2 hours, a tortured Toyota Camry bumped & grinded uphill tossing us around like ragdolls. But as we neared the summit, thick mist rolled in so fast you'd think there must be a theatrical smoke machine in the wings. At the top, there are an array of abandoned buildings from the French colonial area. The most magnificent is the 4-storey hotel which the Lonely Planet accurately describes as something straight from The Shining. With the mist rolling in, it was more Scotland than Cambodia.

Our arranger took us to Kep - a former colonial seaside town. Again, there are shells of abandoned buildings. Our arranger, who we thought belonged to the hotel, was actually the former manager and also the local military police. He was now arranging various trips right inside the hotel in direct competition with them.

The next day we drove back to Phnom Penh via Takeo. Cambodia proved to be a fascinating & charming place.