Koh Por waterfall

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Off on the tutTut to the same boat at 08:30 and this time there are 9 of us including the dutch couple from yesterday. It should only take 1.5 hours to get there but after 45 minutes we lose one of the props again due to a hessian cement sack wrapping around the shaft - this is a common occurrence says Mark, our guide again. He and Jason who owns Oasis are both from Southampton and have founded the CSSC - Cambodian Saints Supporters Club - they are staunch Southampton fans and I reminisce with them about the times when we had Shearer, Barry horne, Rod Wallace, Jimmy Case, tim Flowers, Jason Dodd, Glen Cockerill, Jeff Kenna etc etc - a great attacking side in those days.

Anyway we are slowed up by only having one engine and arrive 40 minutes behind schedule. Not that i mind because once we'd left the dredgers and barges behind the jungle changed and became more like the rainforests you see on TV. Tall trees poking up above the others to reach the light, the grasshopers and crickets set up a warning whine that echoes around the valley, the birds join in - all the animals are warning each other about our approach. The vie going up river is absolutely breath taking - this is what I came to SE Asia to see. We sight the lower reaches of the falls and moor up against huge rocks that line the side of the gorge. There are huge fissures running vertically down creating gaps that you have to step or jump across - miss your footing and it's a broken leg for sure. We clamber over the rocks and after about 10 minutes ny left knee gives out and I stop and sit inder a bush for shade and survet the view. Ornage and gold dragon flies, butterflies, ants 6-9mm long that look green but this may be a coating of the red dust from the laterite clay earth. Whatever the colour they look vicious but leave me alone. Later I saw one carry a piece of cooked fish bigger than itself off else where. I notice that the leaves on every nearby bush and tree are long and slim - why I don't know but I will find out. Lunch is baked barracuda again with variations in what they are cooked with - tastes great again!

We set off back an hour early as we only have one engine. All I can say about this place is that if you can only visit one place on the South coast of Cambodia make it this one. This is as good as it gets in the getting back to nature stakes.

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