Kampot

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The bus journey to Kampot was without inccedent and fairly short (about 5 hours). When we arrived there where more than 20 touts trying to get us to stay at there guest houses (which was strange as there was only about 10 guest houses), our guest house of choice was fully booked (no really) so we went across the road and got a room there instead ($7 for hot water,tv,and a fan), we booked a couple of motos to take us to the Phnom Chhnork and Phnom Sorsia caves for that afternoon, the day was very hot and as soon as the motos stoppped the heat caught up with us, climbing the stairs up to the caves seemed a huge task at the top of the stairs we where met by a group of children who waiting to to help guide anybody who came along and we were no exception, so with our minimum number of guides (three) we went into the caves to see the big stalactite that is ment to look like a white elephant and as we conitued on to the next part of the tour the children raised the subject of there fee for acting as guides, after we had talked them down from dollers to riel our tour took a hasty and shorter form as it seemed that suddenly the other caves were to slippery and wet to get to, on the way back down we stopped at a small stupa which had some good views of the local area.
An exciting thing about the second set of caves was the journey there as the bikes went down muddy tracks and between fields to get there, when we arrived we were met by an old monk who (after a donation) unbarred the way and let us in and followed us up the stairs passed small shrines until we reached the small brick temple which was built in the 7th century and is now slowly being covered by the stalagtite, around which it was built and where the old monk posed and asked for his picture to be taken.

the next morning it's up early and into the back of a pickup to go to Bokor hill station. the journey up to the hill station was an adventure in it self as the pickup bounced and jolted up the jungle lined track tipping over so far at times we thought we might fall out.Eventually we reached the old kings summer palace (not that good really) and the old deserted town with its 1920s french colonial hotel,casino,post office and church, we where also ment to go to Popokvil falls but as has become custom, the roads were out,so it's back down the hill along the track that no pickup should ever have to drive on (my arse felt like it did after the horse trek in Old Dali).In truth we were not that enamoured with Kampot so the next morning it is back on the bus to Phnom Penh

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Photos

Our Transport of Delight
We where all stuck in the back as we bumped along the rocky tracks