So Much to Tell...So Little Time

**note - I've just realised that my memory card has frigged up again...so there'll be no pics on this one until I get it sorted out....the curse of SE Asian internet cafés!!**

There's been some frenetic travelling recently. Since I last wrote I've spent 2 evenings eating crab in Kep, bussed to Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia and spent 2 nights there, then bussed onwards again to Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat, I've been here one night.

I've been travelling with a guy called Roger whom I met in Kep. He's been travelling for 2 years already and is heading back to India after he leaves Siem Reap. I'd put a pic up, but I only have one and he looks ever so slightly odd. I'll save him the embarrassment. I was quite grateful for his company as a local guy called Denny had taken a shine to me and took me for a moto ride around Kep National Park (at this point I thought he was a moto driver). I had to meet Roger for food at 6pm and made sure Denny knew this! A lovely dinner was had that evening, the dinner I've been waiting for, crab fried with Kampot pepper. Highly messy, but highly delicious....nom nom nom. Thank you Violet Dear.

Next we hit Phnom Penh. I'd heard that it was a bit of a dive...not much to do apart from the obvious, S21 and the Killing Fields. I won't write too much about it here as the whole thing deserves a blog post of it's own which will come up soon, but for a little bit of background...

In April 1975 The Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia after a long civil war, at first the people were happy at the end of the war and welcomed the soldiers into the cities. It soon turned nasty, Pol Pot and his guys were determined to turn Cambodia back into an agrarian society, and sent everyone to work in the rice fields. Anyone with an education, anyone who could speak French, monks, and even those who wore glasses were considered imperialists and were systematically executed. The regime got worse and worse through the late seventies, S21 (or Tuol Sleng) is an old highschool that the regime turned into a centre where people were brought to be detained, interrogated and tortured. Poeple were then sent from S21 to be executed at the Killing Fields, a location around 5km outside of Phnom Penh.

It's thought that at least 2 million Cambodians were either starved to death or executed during the 4 years that the Khmer Rouge were in power. Seeing S21 and the killing fields was pretty harrowing, but I'll leave it for another post.

After Phnom Penh we headed for Siem Reap, I wasn't sure what to expect, but people had told me that they love it.

I LOVE it!

After being here for even less than 24 hours...I can see why people might see Phnom Penh as a bit of a dive compared to this. I visited the places the right way round! Everything is here. You can get a fish foot massage almost anywhere on the street. You see people perched on the edge of inflatable swimming pools with fishies nibbling their feet. They have some incredible covered market places, so many restaurants and bars. And of course, the jewel in Cambodia cultural crown...Angkor Wat. I'm planning on visiting the temples tomorrow, I'll probably get a 3 day pass and so I should have some awesome pictures to show you over the next few days.

I'll get my card sorted out today and hopefully have some pictures for you very soon.

Love love lovers xxx

Have you ever viewed.....paradise?

Wow, I mean....wow. Kep, you amaze me.

I think today it suddenly hit me that I'm travelling. Last night I had a moment whilst I was wandering back to Sheim and Sohan with yet more beer when I thought 'I'm in Cambodia....CAMBODIA!' Today I had another one of those moments.

The bus trip to Kep started out pretty well, there were plenty of people on my minibus, 'Huzzah! I won't be alone' I thought. Then the bus stopped outside a hotel in Kampot and everyone got off.....except me.

I sat there for a while waiting for the bus to leave again, and then one of the guys from the company climbed on and said:

'Everyone else stay in Kampot, you're the only one going to Kep, is ok if you go by moto?'

For those of you unfamiliar with a moto, it's a scooter/motorbike.

After all my questions....

'How long?' - 30 mins

'How much?' - We pay

'Will I die?' - eeeeeeh...probably not

....I grudgingly agreed. So I slapped on some sunscreen and hopped on the back of the moto. What I was mainly worried about was lugging my big bag on my back and feeling like I'd topple backwards the whole way. But the driver tucked it down between his feet, so that was a relief.

At first I was a bit nervous, but whilst we were driving through the town he chatted a bit which calmed me down. I had to keep reminding myself that these guys live and breathe motos, and there was very little traffic so all went well.

Until we hit something :(

Mr Moto just kept on going, didn't bat an eyelid. From the horrible howling left in our wake I can only assume it was a dog. That's possibly one of the most horrible things I've ever experienced and I was in a bit of shock for a while afterwards....*shudder*.

So we carried on, my arse getting a bit numb by now, and all of a sudden the heavens opened. Mr Moto tells me we're going to turn in and shelter for a few minutes. Ok, I think, but where?...all I can see is a few little wooden huts with naked toddlers and gurning grannies outside. Sure enough....

We stopped outside a little hut and inside there was a family. Mum, dad, another older lady (auntie?), 3 kids under the age of 8 and dear old granny, who almost wet herself chuckling when I performed a most ungraceful moto dismount. Mum was busy mending a fishing net, and dad was whittling. I gave them all a big smile (such is the extent of my Cambodian) and took a perch on a little wooden bench. They all just stared and laughed at me for a few minutes whilst we sheltered from the rain.

Eventually we left again, and dear old granny made her way outside, presumably to see whether my moto-mounting technique was any better than the dismount.

One significant thing I noticed was the distinct lack of westerners. Until 2 french people walked in this net cafe just now, I saw absolutely no western faces whatsoever. Plenty of Cambodian tourists though, it's the kings birthday today and so this weekend has been a long one for Cambodia, they've all scooted off on their holidays.

Moto riding in the rain and no tourists...wow....I'm backpacking!

Ten more minutes and I could see the sea. Kep is so lush and green and gorgeous, I couldn't help but smile as we pulled in. Of course, I didn't know any hotel names, so Mr Moto took me to his friends place. It's pretty nice, I have no complaints thus far, AC and a fan...telly. What else could a girl ask for? An English programme sure...but I had terrible fun watching a Thai soap opera (with Khmer subtitles).

Once I checked in I just laid under the AC for a while, and then summoned up the enthusiasm to make a move for the beach and explore a bit. Not knowing where I am, I didn't get too far, but tomorrow I'll make a plan with a map, and, if need be, a friendly moto. Tonight I'm planning on finding a close restaurant, indulging in seafood and a couple of beers, and an early night!

I didn't take any pics on the motorbike you'll be glad to know, but I've dotted a couple of Kep shots in for you :) More tomorrow hopefully :D xxx


Cheeky monkeys raiding bins! It could be Africa! Or the zoo...