Kampot to Siem Reap

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Kampot to Siem Reap seemed just too far for one days travel so we decided to break our trip at Phnom Penh. Our driver from Kampot was great filling us in on all sorts of historical facts and figures for the two and a half our journey. After finally locating our guesthouse (the driver assured me he knew where it was despite me telling him it had moved and where it’s new location was) we had a quiet afternoon with a stroll around the waterfront punctuated with rehydration stops every now and then. Dinner was at a great place down by the river where we had eaten last time we were here four years ago.

After dinner was when the fun started, PP has far too many ex-pats who are aged and looking for something else. The couple of blokes next to us looked like they had been there too long and I don’t think the grey matter was very evident in either of them. After talking some business they decided they had to tell us their life stories and extol the virtues of a country which they said turned a blind eye to most of their vices. It was time to leave when the older “gentleman” told Kim that he wasn’t a pedophile but when he went home to visit his grandchildren he never took his phone or laptop because the authorities at home might think he was a pedophile. At the same time the younger one was trying to convince me that I should sell up and buy a beachfront villa in Sri Lanka???

It was then on to an Irish pub where the owner matched us drink for drink while trying to convince me that Coopers comes from Tasmania. Heading back to the guesthouse for one last drink we then met a bloke from Queensland who would have been in his sixties who proceeded to tell us his life story including finding the love of his life in a young Cambodian girl and he was going to marry her despite what his family said.

Time to go to bed.

The drive to Siem Reap was a long five hours but there is always something interesting to see. As we got into Siem Reap it was obvious that the place had grown considerably in the last four years. There were new buildings going up everywhere and so much more traffic. The place we are staying at again is much bigger than last time with a new four storey building in front of the old one, although it is hard to believe that it is only four years old – on-going maintenance is not their strong point in Cambodia. Our bath is interesting with patches all over it – I worked out why with the first shower. When you have a cheap plastic bath, a big westerner and nothing supporting it underneath and something has to give. We have already added one crack which will require yet another patch.


Ventured back to Pub Street tonight, still a great vibe to the place and resumed the sport of joking with the tuk tuk drivers – most of them are great fun.

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