18 March 2010

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After breakfast we rent the bike again. This time we are off in search of some caves. These are pretty far out and again we are driving past lots of fields.

The kids are so friendly and we don’t pass a single one who doesn’t wave and shout ‘hello!’ to us. Eventually we have to turn off the main road and end up on a dirt track which is an experience. We bump along through little villages and have crowds of kids waving at us as we pass by.

Hardly anyone speaks English here so it is impossible to get directions to the caves. A boy on a bicycle passes and indicates that we should follow him. He takes us to the temple and we try to explain that that’s not where we are going. We carry on driving but our progress on the bumpy track is slow and he soon catches up and indicates that we should follow him and says ‘water’. We presume he means the caves but after a while we’re not really sure if we're heading in the right direction and decide there has been some miscommunication and turn back. Again, the boy catches up with us and we say 'Kep'. Still keen to help, he points out the road to us and as he turns off we shout a big ‘thank you!’ to him.

We make our way back towards Kep. We didn’t manage to find the caves but the drive was an adventure in itself. Driving through the little villages and stretches of unspoilt countryside was amazing. And I can’t get over how friendly the locals are. We stop to buy some fuel and across the road a family stands outside their hut and they all wave at us the whole time we are there, with the kids constantly shouting ‘hello!’ As we drive off, we can still hear them.

Later on, we go for another drive as we have fuel left in the bike. We need toothpaste which isn’t that easy to pick up here (in fact, it’s not easy to pick up any toiletries here). We eventually manage to find a shop and purchase some.

We stop on a stretch of land near the coast and I get on the bike and have a go. It is pretty bumpy but I manage it better than expected, although I don’t get round to changing gears. We soon have to make our way back though, as it is dark, so after a few circuits Rik is back on the bike. He flicks on the light and maybe it is not the best time to discover that it is not working! There is no lighting on the road and we have no option but to drive back with the indicator constantly flashing to warn other drivers of our presence. It is lucky there is hardly any traffic around here! We make it back to the guesthouse okay and finish off the day eating pancakes with honey and fruit …

Tip: When you are coming to somewhere like Kep, make sure you purchase toiletries etc beforehand. Do not take it for granted that you can buy things you need (there was no moisturiser, apart from the whitening products, or shower gel available in any of the shops we went to). Also, change up money (especially if you are carrying dollars) into smaller amounts as it is extremely difficult to get change for large denominations, even from the shops and guesthouses. And last but not least … wherever you are, when testing a moto to rent, check that the lights are working …

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