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Published: October 16th 2012
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I guess I never got the memo, but seem to be in the middle of a Buddist Holiday. I have asked a couple of people, but nobody seems to even know what its all about, but schools are out, banks and government offices are closed, so it must be something. I noticed that quite a few shops are closed, and had a hard time getting my laundry done today, but prevailed with a little persistence. But where I really noticed it was how many locals were in Kep today at the beach having picnics. My tuk tuk driver said almost all of them had driven down from Phnom Penh for the day at the beach. They had turned quiet little Kep into a madhouse.
But I get ahead of myself. My day started with a prompt tuk tuk pick up then a long drive through the countryside. I wish you could see it as I do, it was a really nice trip. First stop was a cave, that of course you had to walk about ½ a mile to get to in the searing heat, then of course, you had to walk a hefty set up steps to get up
to the entrance. It’s a nice cave, as caves go, with a little temple inside, and a history as it was used by the Khmer Rouge, but other than that it was just a cave. As far as I know nobody died in it that I am aware of, or my guide did not tell me.
We then headed off to one of the Pepper Plantations. Supposedly Kampot is world famous for its peppers. Now I am not talking about chili peppers, but pepper that you grind at the table. It was interesting to see how its grown, and I bought a bag of white and black peppercorns to take back home. This place also grew mango and durian, but they were not in season yet.
Then we headed off to Kep to check out the seaside village and have lunch at the crab market. They have a couple of miles of these little beach huts and they were all packed with families having lunch and playing in the ocean. We arrived at the crab market and picked a restaurant that was hanging over the water. The stalls were packed, but I was able to get a good
table at one of the end establishments. I had the Kampot pepper Crab as it is supposedly the most famous dish in the area. The crabs were fresh from the sea, and I must say it was one of the best plates of food I have ever had. It for sure goes in the top 3, with Bun Cha from Hanoi, Vietnam, then that lime marinated grilled chicken I had at some hole in the wall in Ollantaytambo, Peru. If you have followed my blogs in the past you remember how much I loved those dishes, well, this was every bit as good as both of those. I heard they are having Kampot pepper Prawns at the hotel tomorrow, so I am there for sure.
The afternoon ended with the long drive back to Kampot and I so enjoyed the trip. He would stop here and there for me to take pictures or just admire the scenery.
I ended the day wandering some more, taking in the comings and goings and just people watching from time to time.
Tomorrow I have a motorbike reserved for the day. This ought to be interesting and yes I checked, riding
motorbikes is covered on my travel insurance – lol.
Happy Travels, Don
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