A Rainy Day at the Beach

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For a multitude of reasons, we decided we needed a relaxing weekend at the beach! So we called our local Cambodian rental car agency and ordered up the $20 Toyota Camry special. We also decided we wanted a tourist-free weekend, so instead of heading to popular Sihanoukville, we headed to beautiful and peaceful Kep!

Kep is a three hour drive Southeast of Phnom Penh and is less than an hours from the Vietnam border. Kep used to be a popular beach retreat for the rich, famous and powerful of Cambodia. The King had a retreat there, fancy casinos entertained visitors, and French colonial style villas lined the beaches. The Khmer Rouge destroyed most of the buildings, turned a gas station into a mass grave, and fighting was rampant in the hills towering over Kep beach. In the past twenty years, Kep has slowly grown, Cambodians repopulated the area, and the area has regained its reputation for being a beautiful and relaxing place to visit.

It's only been in the past five years that guest houses have cropped up and tourists have started coming back to Kep. It's now the premier beach site for both Cambodians and foreigners who want the beauty of a Cambodian beach without the crazy tourist atmosphere of Sihanoukville. Massive hills covered in lush greenery spill into the ocean at Kep. Small islands, both Vietnamese and Cambodian, lie off the coast. The town is still extremely small and rural; cows, goats and pigs wander freely, bicycles and motos outnumber cars.

Ben and I stayed at a friend's guesthouse ("The Beach House"). It is a small hotel overlooking the main beach. They have a lovely pool and small restaurant. Since we went to Kep during the start of the rainy season, we knew the chance of rain was likely....and we were right! It rained the whole time. We didn't get much swim-time in, but we did relax, enjoy the beauty of the rain, took long walks and ate fresh crab and squid at a beachside cafe (well, Christa ate fresh crab and squid) 😉.

We'll take you here if you come visit us! Enjoy the photos 😊! Love, Ben & Christa

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Photos

The Storm is Brewing!
This picture was taken on the drive to Kep. Hills, rice paddies, and palm trees fill the view on the drive down. This storm was building...the sky gets SO dark, and then the heavens poor down!

The Riches of the Earth
A rice paddy after the rains. The green stalks almost glow neon and the rich brown of the water and the earth is breathtaking.

Where Should He Dock?
This boat was cruising by but there was no dock left for him to come to! :)

Shadows of the Past
This is an old abandoned, burnt out villa that was left over from Kep's hey day in the fifties and sixties. These old buildings line the beaches and squatters now live in most of them. Some groups are starting to restore some of them.

On the Road Again...
Here's a pic of Ben and I when we took a break while driving down to Kep. This was during a sunnier moment before the storm came. The rains sneak up on you here...sunny one second, downpours the next! We stop the car a lot on these drives to look at things and take photos. We love all the cows that wander around (except when they wander in front of the car).

The Moment Before the Storm
Another photo from the drive down to Kep. This was taken right before the storm hit! We drove the rest of the way going 20 miles an hour in a torrential downpour :)

The Lone Beach House
That white building part way up the hill is the guesthouse we stay at in Kep...The Beach House. This is the main section of beach in Kep. The hills spill down into the water..amazing!

The View from The Beach House
We are standing on our hotel balcony, overlooking Kep Beach. This is right before the next storm hit! Remember...it's the rainy season :).

Ben on the Balcony...Again
OK...another of Ben on the Balcony. This is a more inland view...that's another guesthouse (with indvidual villas) below us. It's only $20-25 a night at most these hotels :)

The Crab
Someone designed and set a huge crab next to the beach. Funny! Everyone takes photos with him. I love the palm trees that line the beach!

Christa & the Crab
Of course I had to take a picture with him :)

Boat to the Islands
You can pay for a ride out to the islands on one of these boats. During the dry season, the water is incredibly blue and lovely. During the rainy season, it gets really churned up and brown...still pretty but not as fun to swim in :)

Us
Us :)! That's "Rabbit Island" in the background. You can take the boat out for the day, hike around, drink fresh coconuts, lay on the beach, and eat fried rice made by a lady out on the island...

Ben
Ben on the steps of our hotel :)

Don't touch dead birds!
The government has put educational posters all over the provinces, with information about mosquitos, water safety, moto safety, domestic violence, breastfeeding, pre-natal care, etc. This one is about bird flu!

Cover up!
Here is another educational poster about the use of mosquito nets. Malaria is always a threat and we are currently suffering from a massive outbreak of Dengue Fever. Hundreds of children have died and thousands of children and the eldery have been infected. :(

The Rains
Another view from the hotel but now it is raining

Dual-colored pig
This funny pig was cooling off in the mud...he had just gotten up and we saw half of him fully covered in mud with a perfect line down the middle. So funny!

Piggies!
I love all the fat pigs. I get very sad when they kill them because the squealing lasts for hours (so it seems). Of course, I don't say no to the lovely bacon on my breakfast plate, so I guess it would be hypocritical to complain about the squealing! :(

Rice Paddy
Pretty...

Rice Paddy Row
They really do glow neon green after the rains...incredibly beautiful!

Comments

[Alie]

Great Travel Blog!
Hi there, I just wanted to write and let you two know that I enjoy reading your travel blog. Thanks for making me laugh, keep up the good work! Cheers, Alie http://hobosinlovemedia.com

[Karen]

Love it!
This is really great Christa! I love not only the beautiful pictures, but you musings as well... Thank you! i enjoyed it.

[BenChrista]

Thanks!
Thank you both for your kind comments :)!

[Stefanie]

I love this! And I can just about hear Christa's voice narrating the photos.