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Published: September 27th 2006
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Bokor and Kampot
Up close and personal at the Bokor Casino where Nunny was shitscared (just quietly) DAY ONE - Kampot Recovering from what seemed to be a real-life time warp that encompasses Sihanoukeville, Andrew and I made it out!!! Woohoo!
And probably not a moment too soon as our heavy drinkin' hostel owner continued to increase the level of yelling and screaming at his team of hard working employees while stimultaneously telling us how ignorant the Cambodian people were. hmmm... this is coming from a man that is about to marry a local girl a third of his age (if that) and refuses to learn how to speak Khmer.
As one may be able to tell, Nunny was not impressed with his many charms.
But putting all that aside... we jump in a taxi with Justin and Leanne the two canandians we picked up at the Cool Bananas Guesthouse and head to Kampot. Kampot is another hour and a half or so away and sports the local tourist attraction of Bokor National park, including the ruins of the French city on top of the mountain, and the host to the 1994 Khmer kidnapping of a bunch of foreigners, ending in their deaths.
oohh, can it get any better?
So checking into the Kampot Guesthouse
Bokor and Kampot
The view from the Black Palace as the clouds roll in we grab a bite to eat and play some cards while debating whether to try and hire dirt bikes and do the mountain ourselves, or for a cheaper option join a tour group and jump in the back of a 4WD. After hearing tales of the condition of the road, I personally was more keen for the car, the boys on the other hand obviously wanted to try their hands at the bikes, but I think the budget prevailed and we agreed on the tour. An early night was to be had as an early start was ahead of us, and one in which our backsides and vertabrae just may not recover from.
DAY TWO - French Hill Station at Bokor National Park Our tour guide arrives in the early morning and we are piled into the back of a ute with 2 other Frenchies that were picked up earlier, well.. at least the benches have a certain amount of padding... right? And as the day goes on we also become even more grateful that it is just the 6 of us, and not the full 11 that they reckon they take on the tour - where these other
Bokor and Kampot
Looking through the gun barrel hole in the wall 5 people are suppossed to fit I have no idea considering that as it was two of us rode on the edge of the pick up with nothing to stop us falling out except our own strength.
We cross the bridge and head out of town, avoiding what seemed to be an unconscience, possibly injured human lying the in the middle of the road - don't worry, just go round them - and pulled into the National Park entrance. The park itself was declared a Protected area in 1993 after nearly a century of playing host to a Royal getaway, and a popular tourist spot for both Khmer and French since the 1920s. A settlement of around 600 people were at one time based at the top of the mountain, but the town was abandonned once in the late 1940s when the Vietnamese and Khmer Issarak forces overran it while fighting for Independence from the French, and again in the 1970s when it was left to the Khmer Rouge. Consequently you now have a number of concrete monolithic skeletons that are perched on the 1000m odd mountain top with an incredible view looking out across the coastline. Being the
Bokor and Kampot
The haunted hotel at Bokor in the environment that it is, and the height that it sits at, out of no where dark clouds and fog will come and enshrine the entire area just adding to it's creepiness.
The journey up was pretty ridiculous, with some giggling at first as we get thrown around, and having to duck every 20m odd for vines, lantana and giant spiders, we endure the first 40 minutes before falling into silence, knowing that there is another hour and 20mins to go.
First stop was the "Black Palace" this was the Royal getaway spot, named after the many shades of dark wood that used to decorate the exterior of the building and it's seperate dining/kitchen, and concubine house. Unfortunately after the abandonement in the 1970s, all the wood was removed for firewood, or to replace the destroyed homes in the city of Kampot alone. With only the concrete and tile structure remaining, the view below is what is the most remarkable apect of the Black Palace. You got to hand it to Royalty, they generally get the best real estate locations to enjoy.
Getting back in the ute we continue onwards to the Hill station proper where
Bokor and Kampot
The view from the cliff overlooking Phu Quoc (Vietnam) and Rabbit Island - nice view, not such a nice way to die. remains of a Catholic Church (used by the Khmer Rouge as a base for fighting the Vietnamse who were based in one of the Casinos) a couple of houses, schools, hotels, a post office a Casino for khmer people, and the ostentacious Bokor Palace where the French and western visitors would gamble their time away.
The Bokor Palace was by far the most impressive structure still standing, and after first enjoying our lunch in the ruins of the reception area (atmospheric would be one word to describe it) we spent the afternoon wandering it's 73 abandoned rooms and exploring the basement where the gaming was had, and later used by the Khmer Rouge as a prison before forcing the prisoners to jump off the cliff behind.
Oh yeah, it's all uplifting stuff. Monty you'd be upset you missed it mate.
The building itself though would have been magnificent in it's heydey. Most of the rooms still had their floor tiles remaining (each suite was different) and you could imagine how beautiful it would have been filled with Flappers and men in top and tails filling the terrace out the back as the sun went down. Oh, the
Bokor and Kampot
The Catholics have all the best real estate romanticism of it. Today mind you, is another story altogether.
After the Frenchies pulled a good one on us and scare the living be-jesus out of myself (Andrew was made of stonger stuff) we reluctuntingly climb back onboard the ute as the black rain clouds totally encompass the site. Little was said on the way down, all concentrating on trying to find the best position to bear the bumps and lurches for the 2 and a half hour journey back down.
Although deseperately just wanting to return to our beds and watch HBO channel, we were taken to a boat for an 'enchanting sunset river cruise' that was endured by ourselves and the Canadians who by this stage were over boat travel as much as us.
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soph P
non-member comment
eerie
Bokor and Kampot look terrifying. As beautiful as the landscape is, those war torn ruins look like they have a thousand souls still trapped inside them. i can't imagine that place would have a friendly feel about it...