21 March 2010 - Koh Tonsay to Kampot

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We are leaving the island today. I get up later than intended and have breakfast on the beach and chill with Yuka. He unfortunately has fever and the walk yesterday probably hasn’t helped. Rik joins us and we spend the whole morning chatting. I was intending to climb the hill on the island but it is already 12 and probably not such a good idea in the heat.

One of the families on the island has brought a couple of dogs with them. One of them is crazy about this battered ball that it carries everywhere and is always on the lookout for someone to play with. Today, it finds a willing victim in Rik and keeps placing the ball in front of him (adjusting it to exactly the same spot each time), waits for him to kick it and returns with it to repeat the performance. This continues for some time until the dog is out of breath and panting. The little bundle of energy still won't give up so its owners put a lead on it to make it sit in one place. Yuka goes back to sleep and we relax until 3.00, when we are suddenly informed that our boat will be leaving at 3.30 (we arranged it for 4). We manage to quickly pack and get into the boat in time, but it is a bit of a mad ride back to Kep - in fact, several times it feels as if the boat is going to capsize!

We reach Kep and get a tuk tuk to Kampot and I do a series of drive-bys with my camera. In Kampot the driver waits with all our worldly belongings as we check out a few guesthouses. We settle on the last one we see - they have a surprisingly nice room for a good rate (our bathroom is not attached and requires a walk across the corridor but it’s a minor inconvenience). It’s a great place with pool table, crazy golf, DVD lounge etc, so great for meeting people.

In the evening we go out to the riverside and are in time for yet another lovely sunset. We’re about to have dinner and a guy we met on Koh Tonsay passes by. Mr and Mrs S also happen to be passing by so it is a bit of a Koh Tonsay reunion. The first guy goes off in search of happy hour somewhere and Mr and Mrs S join us for dinner.

Later, Rik and I go for a couple of drinks in a bar and I get to play with the owners’ baby, who is too cute. Rik is tired and we are about to make a move when the television is switched on. As luck would have it, Manchester United are playing and Rik’s face immediately lights up. So we spend the rest of the evening watching the footie and chatting to some other travellers, one of whom happens to be from our guesthouse.

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