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...