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Published: April 1st 2010
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Bokor Palace
A close up of the hotel. The red stuff is fungus which covers every wall. By Monday morning I was way past being ready for a shower and so I made my way from Rabbit Island, back through Kep and onto Kampot. I had to pay a hefty tuk-tuk fee of $7 for the 24km journey as circumstances prevented me catching my bus. No big deal because hey, what would $7 get you in Perth? Not much.
I enjoyed zipping through the country side with the wind in my hair and smiley locals waving and shouting greetings along the way. I had a scary moment when my tuk-tuk driver pulled the bike to a stop in the middle of nowhere, only to produce a yellow plastic bag filled with peanuts. Much to my surprise he had stopped especially to provide me with a complimentary snack for the journey. You can imagine how bad I felt after realising I had thought the worst. Another reminder of how cool Cambodian people are.
I arrived in Kampot around midday and the guesthouse I was planning on staying in (Blissful) was full. I was advised to check out the place next door- Pepper Guesthouse. As it turned out there was only 1 room available and a guy from Germany
Tree Diving
A likely platform where the Khmer Rouge would make people jump to their death. was ahead of me, arriving just a few minutes prior. We ended up sharing the room- slightly strange to share with a strange man- but brilliantly cheap. At $3 a night, impossible to turn down. Don't worry Grandad- no funny business I promise! It turned out to be a fantastic place with a large open under-covered sitting area which drew in other guests and made for a great hangout and meeting place.
On Tuesday I forked out $23- (the most I've spent on one thing so far) for a one day trek to Bokor Hill. We started the morning at 7:30am and were dropped off at the base of the mountain. Tree- our wise and knowledgeable guide led the way up the hill to the ranger's station. Once here, we collected our ranger who donned a AK-47 (for our protection from what I'm still not sure) and we carried on up the hill.
The next paragraph is especially for you Lisa-
I had been told that I could make this walk in my plastic sandals. Well, I did make it but not very well and hence, 2 days after the trek my calf muscles are still killing me! It
Catholic Church
Great view from the church. The alter still stands even though the place was lived in by a Khmer Rouge Captain during the 70's. is a constant source of amusement for my traveling companions. Back to my story- we trekked for 2.5 hours through jungle, up rocks and even through a waterfall. It was gorgeous. Our hike finished and we were driven in the back of a pick-up truck for 40minutes to the peak of Bokor Hill Station. The place has a long decadent, sad and interesting history, dating back to when the French built the town in the 1920's for their expat community. We spent 2 hours exploring the abandoned buildings such as the Catholic Church, post office and hotel. It is astonishing to imagine how they transported all the supplies and building materials to make such impressive buildings. It definitely makes you want to go back in time to see it in all its glory.
The walk back down was a lot less exhausting. We had made friends with Alex and Emma, 2 girls also on the trek and Steffen, Alex and Emma carried on to a karaoke club after dinner while I was tucked up in bed by 9pm.
Emma and I discovered that we both want to head to Sihanoukville so we scoured the town for the cheapest way
Looking at the view
Me staring out from one of the large windows wondering how many other people have looked out at the same view and imagining what they were thinking. there. We purchased $5 mini bus seats that leave first thing. Steffen is also heading that way but he is on his motor bike so we might meet up with him once he arrives. I love making friends so easily.
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Lisa
non-member comment
Ha ha I told you!
So the old sandals didnt make the cut hey? Who would have thought you would need better, more sturdy shoes for such trekking activity???? lol well at least they survived and you didnt have a blow out half way up the mountain! lol. It good friday today and im jealous of the gang up at the farm, if I didnt have to work the next two days I think I would have invited myself up there! Anyway loving hearing of your adventures and I am comforted by how easy it seems to make travelling buddies, I was starting to freak out that I would have no friends. keep havin fun xx lisa