18.06.15
Travel Day
A short night left me grumpy and and the early pick-up from the hostel left me hungry. Our minibus ride to Kampot was alright. Comfortable seats and good airconditioning. For a while, I was even able to sleep. At some point, however, we changed drivers and our new driver decided that blasting sentimental sounding Cambodian pop music while driving three times as fast as every other vehicle (mostly on the wrong side of the road) and honking non-stop (not exaggerating here – he used his horn more than his breaks!) was the way to go. Needless to say, no further sleep was possible.
Travel Day
A short night left me grumpy and and the early pick-up from the hostel left me hungry. Our minibus ride to Kampot was alright. Comfortable seats and good airconditioning. For a while, I was even able to sleep. At some point, however, we changed drivers and our new driver decided that blasting sentimental sounding Cambodian pop music while driving three times as fast as every other vehicle (mostly on the wrong side of the road) and honking non-stop (not exaggerating here – he used his horn more than his breaks!) was the way to go. Needless to say, no further sleep was possible.
Happy to arrive in one piece, we got in a Tuk Tuk and had him bring us to Ganesha Eco Guesthouse, outside of town. The drive on the main road was short, the one on the dirt path long and bumpy. The earth was as red as that in the Australian Outback, almost even more so. We drove along fields and through localvillages, twisting and turning and heading deeper into the middle of nowhere. Finally, we traversed a small muslim village and walked the last few feet to our guesthouse. What a place! When looking at all the places to stay in Kampot – a province known for salt fields and pepper plantations – we stumbled upon many interesting candidates. Many of which promised a relaxed atmosphere by the river, living in huts on stilts and genuine nature. Thank god for TripAdvisor, haha. As it turned out, quite a few were outed as party places with blasting music on till 5am, stoned staff and bed bugs. And if it wasn’t their own music, it was that of the neighboring guesthouses that would keep you awake. This place, on the other hand, is so far away from everything, so secluded and hidden and absolutely wonderful! Everything is green, thanks to the rains that have starte becoming more frequent in the last days. They have a little chill area on a plattform by the water, where we spent the first few hours just sitting, reading, writing (this is where I finally caught up on typing up my blog) and staring onto the canopy of green infront of us and the murky waters that rushed in one direction and then the other. So quiet, so peaceful. The only sounds are the birds and the wind in the trees (and a motorbike of two every few hours). We extended our stay by another night within the first half an hour of being here.
The guesthouse is eco friendly and a barefoot kind of place. The food is amazing and they have an ice cream menu that is to die for – especially for someone like me, who would gladly live on that stuff!
This would be our first true chill-day since starting our travels, an man was it wonderful. Later in the afternoon I had a wonderful yoga session by the water and we spent the evening lounging in the common area before crashing in our comfy beds, listening to the sounds of nature.
The guesthouse is eco friendly and a barefoot kind of place. The food is amazing and they have an ice cream menu that is to die for – especially for someone like me, who would gladly live on that stuff!
This would be our first true chill-day since starting our travels, an man was it wonderful. Later in the afternoon I had a wonderful yoga session by the water and we spent the evening lounging in the common area before crashing in our comfy beds, listening to the sounds of nature.
19.06.15
Rain. We woke up to the sound of rain. Rain falling on our roof. Rain falling on the leaves. Refreshing rain. I guess that would postpone our planned bike trip to the mountain. I cannot say that we were too disappointed. More time to enjoy some hot tea, have a leisurely breakfast and …chill.
After lunch – the skies had cleared up long before, but our chill-mood had not – we rented mountain bikes and took a drive to Phnom Sot, a hill with a view. Two more German travelers from our guesthouse joined us along the way. It was the first time for me, in almost 20 years, to really ride a bike again. Believe it or not. Despite owning a bike for the last year in Berlin, I never really used it. And I don’t believe I have ever really mountain biked before. The dirt roads were, as dirt roads often are – dirty. Full of potholes turned puddles, stoney and bumpy. But after the first wobbly meters, I managed alright. The ride went through villages and farmland. Many smiles and hellos greeted us along the way.
Arriving at the hill – I looked like I had been mud wrestling, or at least my legs did. Mo’s comment when I asked why he didn’t look like that: “Because I know how to drive curves.” Touche.
We climbed the little hill and looked for that amazing view we were promised. It was quite beautiful and atmospheric, with little temple-like structures at the top. They looked more like abandoned houses and gave it a Blair-Witch kind of feel. From the hilltop we looked into the valley on one side and another hill on the other. Another hill?! Remembering the words of the helpful girl in our guesthouse “…you will see a little hill – that’s NOT it. It’s the one next to it.” Oh well…
Rain. We woke up to the sound of rain. Rain falling on our roof. Rain falling on the leaves. Refreshing rain. I guess that would postpone our planned bike trip to the mountain. I cannot say that we were too disappointed. More time to enjoy some hot tea, have a leisurely breakfast and …chill.
After lunch – the skies had cleared up long before, but our chill-mood had not – we rented mountain bikes and took a drive to Phnom Sot, a hill with a view. Two more German travelers from our guesthouse joined us along the way. It was the first time for me, in almost 20 years, to really ride a bike again. Believe it or not. Despite owning a bike for the last year in Berlin, I never really used it. And I don’t believe I have ever really mountain biked before. The dirt roads were, as dirt roads often are – dirty. Full of potholes turned puddles, stoney and bumpy. But after the first wobbly meters, I managed alright. The ride went through villages and farmland. Many smiles and hellos greeted us along the way.
Arriving at the hill – I looked like I had been mud wrestling, or at least my legs did. Mo’s comment when I asked why he didn’t look like that: “Because I know how to drive curves.” Touche.
We climbed the little hill and looked for that amazing view we were promised. It was quite beautiful and atmospheric, with little temple-like structures at the top. They looked more like abandoned houses and gave it a Blair-Witch kind of feel. From the hilltop we looked into the valley on one side and another hill on the other. Another hill?! Remembering the words of the helpful girl in our guesthouse “…you will see a little hill – that’s NOT it. It’s the one next to it.” Oh well…
So we climbed back down and up the other. A much steeper and adventurous hike with rocky steps that seemed neverending. But man, that was worth it! At the top, an empty house stood, surrounded by colorful garlands. And the view was amazing. All the way to the ocean on one side and into the valley and onto the mountains on the other. The tiny fields at the bottom still brown from lack of rain. And talking about rain… Sitting at the peak, we could see a large patch of downpour slowly – and then quickly – heading our way. It swallowed up the mountains and view into the valley and within no time, we were right in the middle of it. On top of a hill and in the middle of a monsoon rain. So beautiful.
The hike down was slow and slippery, the path having turned into a little waterfall. But we made it and then enjoyed the very wet and muddy ride home. I got splashed quite a bit twice by cars driving by, but being soaking wet, it didn’t matter anyways. It was so much fun, so energizing, so beautiful.
After dripping through the entire guesthouse, we got cleaned up and sat around enjoying the rain from a drier point of view.
The hike down was slow and slippery, the path having turned into a little waterfall. But we made it and then enjoyed the very wet and muddy ride home. I got splashed quite a bit twice by cars driving by, but being soaking wet, it didn’t matter anyways. It was so much fun, so energizing, so beautiful.
After dripping through the entire guesthouse, we got cleaned up and sat around enjoying the rain from a drier point of view.
After the rain comes...a swarm of flying termites. Just like I've experienced many times in the Philippines at the beginning of the rainy season, these pesky little buggers come out after a downpour to buzz around, annoy you and then die - leaving a trail of wings in their wake. We tried our best to keep them out of our food, while watching the giant geckos feast on the abundant prey. The usually very shy (but loud!) amphibians all came out of hiding and sat there, mouths open, waiting for a bug to fly in. They (and we) were joined by little toads, that hopped about the common area, enjoying the fallen delikatessen. After an hour or two, everyone was full and content.
20.06.15
We had planned an somewhat-early rise and trip to THE attraction in the area - Bokor National Park - together with our fellow bike-tour-mates from the day before. And that's just what we did. We shared a Tuk Tuk into town, rented motorbikes (I opted for the passanger seat behind Mo) and had a noodle-soup-breakfast in a local shack. After a twenty minute drive out of Kampot town came the turn off into the national park. The road up to the top is said to be one of the best in Cambodia. Not too difficult, since most of the roads here are quite bad. The reason for this beautiful, wide, pristine, serpentine strip of cement, however, is a sad one. Not too long ago, a Chinese developer leased the land for 99 years from the Cambodian government with the plans of turning it into a landscape of resorts and casinos. The hacking up of the mountain as well as construction has already begun. The monster of master plan is displayed when you get to the top and it is scary.
But back to the beauty of it... The drive up alone makes the trip worth it. One and a half hours of winding road, views into the valley and of the ocean and Kampots salt fields. Lush green rainforest-like growth and around every bend the air gets fresher and cooler. Halfway up, we had to pitstop to put on jackets.
On the top, there are a few things to explore. We tried our best to ignore the ugly giant of a casino smack in the middle of it all, but it kind of forces itself into your view, no matter what. So we hit the accelerator and sped past to the old catholic church, a small red brick chapel with an eerie feel to it. Just as we arrived, the fog rolled in, covering up everything further than 10m in front of you. A small path behind the church lead to a view point that not many of the local tourist ventured to. Boy, did they miss out. It was the highlight of the trip. The view plumeted down the entire mountain into a valley of green and reached up to the ocean right in front of us. The wind was howling, threatening to blow you off you feet. From the right, the fog swallowed up everything in its path and then heavy gusts blew it away from below. We watched this procedure a few times, the scenery below us vanishing and reappearing within minutes. Too cool! We were on top of the world!
We had planned an somewhat-early rise and trip to THE attraction in the area - Bokor National Park - together with our fellow bike-tour-mates from the day before. And that's just what we did. We shared a Tuk Tuk into town, rented motorbikes (I opted for the passanger seat behind Mo) and had a noodle-soup-breakfast in a local shack. After a twenty minute drive out of Kampot town came the turn off into the national park. The road up to the top is said to be one of the best in Cambodia. Not too difficult, since most of the roads here are quite bad. The reason for this beautiful, wide, pristine, serpentine strip of cement, however, is a sad one. Not too long ago, a Chinese developer leased the land for 99 years from the Cambodian government with the plans of turning it into a landscape of resorts and casinos. The hacking up of the mountain as well as construction has already begun. The monster of master plan is displayed when you get to the top and it is scary.
But back to the beauty of it... The drive up alone makes the trip worth it. One and a half hours of winding road, views into the valley and of the ocean and Kampots salt fields. Lush green rainforest-like growth and around every bend the air gets fresher and cooler. Halfway up, we had to pitstop to put on jackets.
On the top, there are a few things to explore. We tried our best to ignore the ugly giant of a casino smack in the middle of it all, but it kind of forces itself into your view, no matter what. So we hit the accelerator and sped past to the old catholic church, a small red brick chapel with an eerie feel to it. Just as we arrived, the fog rolled in, covering up everything further than 10m in front of you. A small path behind the church lead to a view point that not many of the local tourist ventured to. Boy, did they miss out. It was the highlight of the trip. The view plumeted down the entire mountain into a valley of green and reached up to the ocean right in front of us. The wind was howling, threatening to blow you off you feet. From the right, the fog swallowed up everything in its path and then heavy gusts blew it away from below. We watched this procedure a few times, the scenery below us vanishing and reappearing within minutes. Too cool! We were on top of the world!
From there it was a short ride to the abandoned Hillstation and casino from former French glory times. The cement structure used to be a getaway for foreigners to escape the heat of the city. It opened and closed three times before being left to be reclaimed by nature. Though nature has not really done its thing yet... It is eerie and fascinating, exploring rooms and halls, climbing winding stairways and getting lost in this maze-like building. Puddles of water and the green tinge of moss cover floors and walls. In some rooms, colorful tiles are still laid out, looking like all they need is a good scrub and they'd be ready for royalty. I can only imagine how wonderful it must be to roam it without the many tourists around.
The rest of the time we cruised around the area, weaving in and out of foggy patches (which felt like driving through clouds), visited a somewhat sad looking lake and then headed back down the road and into the heat.
Back on ocean level, the smell of the streets was the first thing I noticed. Was it there before or was my nose spoiled by the fresh mountain breeze? We had stayed dry so far, a feat that not many achieve when visiting Bokor. Aparently it always rains - either on the drive or while you're there. Lucky us. We had lunch in Ecran, a cute little project in town that is basically a cinema showing the newest films, as well as classics about Cambodian history and events. It also offers private screenings of whatever movie they have on their massive list and hosts special events such as comedy nights and live music. They also have freshly pulled noodles and dumplings, which were amazing! And watching how they actually make the noodles was pretty cool.
We were ready to explore town... and made it 10m down the road before it started pouring. Luckily, it was in front of an ice cream parlour. So an oatmeal cookie with cranberry ice cream (or apple pie or brownies a la mode) would just have to do.
We drove back to Ganesha's and it felt like coming home. And yes, we extended one more night :)
Back on ocean level, the smell of the streets was the first thing I noticed. Was it there before or was my nose spoiled by the fresh mountain breeze? We had stayed dry so far, a feat that not many achieve when visiting Bokor. Aparently it always rains - either on the drive or while you're there. Lucky us. We had lunch in Ecran, a cute little project in town that is basically a cinema showing the newest films, as well as classics about Cambodian history and events. It also offers private screenings of whatever movie they have on their massive list and hosts special events such as comedy nights and live music. They also have freshly pulled noodles and dumplings, which were amazing! And watching how they actually make the noodles was pretty cool.
We were ready to explore town... and made it 10m down the road before it started pouring. Luckily, it was in front of an ice cream parlour. So an oatmeal cookie with cranberry ice cream (or apple pie or brownies a la mode) would just have to do.
We drove back to Ganesha's and it felt like coming home. And yes, we extended one more night :)
My yoga session of the early evening was lovely as always and when the flying termites threatened to disturb my peace, I was helped out by a couple of small geckos and some of the larger ones, that scuttled around my mat and ate every bug in sight.
21.06.15
We had set an alarm to make sure we'd return the motorbikes within our 24h rental period. When we woke up it was raining. After some contemplation, we decided to extend the bike and planned on driving around the area, maybe all the way to Kep, visit the salt fields and pepper farms So we drove into town and had a nice cheap breakfast by the river. After the meal it was still raining. So we sat and talked till around noon, drove a few circles in town, visited the market and took in its overpowering smell of durian (Kampot is the main durian-growing area in Cambodia - the roundabout in the center of town even features a giant durian statue) and then gave up. We returned the bikes and tuk-tuked home.
The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging around. Chatting with fellow travelers and staff. The rain had slowed down the internet to almost non-existant, so planning further travels had to be delayed. Excuses excuses ;) There is something about this place that just wants you to extend and extend and extend... One more night.
In the evening the newly acquired poker table was christened and Mo joined in the fun. I did some advertising and informing about the Philippines and then hung out watching the game until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.
22.06.15
More rain. But without a plan or the desire to move much, that was just fine. Plan for the day - pack our belongings at some point, just so we can't use our inability to get our stuff together as yet another excuse to extend. Other than that... A pot of black tea with cinnamon (and a bit of condensed milk) and pancakes with homemade mangojam for breakfast and then enjoy our last day in this peaceful home away from home. Movies, billiards, reading, writing and lounging around. And of course, try more yummy things from the menu.
We ended the night with one last ice cream treat and then fell asleep to the thunder and heaviest rains so far.
23.06.15
More rain. Time to pack up and tuk tuk into town and then bus it to Shianoukville. Am actually a bit sad to go. The days here have been so wonderful - relaxing, active, secluded, delicious... But it's too early on to get stuck somewhere. There's still too much to explore and, as a German saying goes, we still have too many "bumblebees up our butts".
21.06.15
We had set an alarm to make sure we'd return the motorbikes within our 24h rental period. When we woke up it was raining. After some contemplation, we decided to extend the bike and planned on driving around the area, maybe all the way to Kep, visit the salt fields and pepper farms So we drove into town and had a nice cheap breakfast by the river. After the meal it was still raining. So we sat and talked till around noon, drove a few circles in town, visited the market and took in its overpowering smell of durian (Kampot is the main durian-growing area in Cambodia - the roundabout in the center of town even features a giant durian statue) and then gave up. We returned the bikes and tuk-tuked home.
The rest of the afternoon was spent lounging around. Chatting with fellow travelers and staff. The rain had slowed down the internet to almost non-existant, so planning further travels had to be delayed. Excuses excuses ;) There is something about this place that just wants you to extend and extend and extend... One more night.
In the evening the newly acquired poker table was christened and Mo joined in the fun. I did some advertising and informing about the Philippines and then hung out watching the game until I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.
22.06.15
More rain. But without a plan or the desire to move much, that was just fine. Plan for the day - pack our belongings at some point, just so we can't use our inability to get our stuff together as yet another excuse to extend. Other than that... A pot of black tea with cinnamon (and a bit of condensed milk) and pancakes with homemade mangojam for breakfast and then enjoy our last day in this peaceful home away from home. Movies, billiards, reading, writing and lounging around. And of course, try more yummy things from the menu.
We ended the night with one last ice cream treat and then fell asleep to the thunder and heaviest rains so far.
23.06.15
More rain. Time to pack up and tuk tuk into town and then bus it to Shianoukville. Am actually a bit sad to go. The days here have been so wonderful - relaxing, active, secluded, delicious... But it's too early on to get stuck somewhere. There's still too much to explore and, as a German saying goes, we still have too many "bumblebees up our butts".
In Germany we have a another saying, when you don't like a person and wish he was far far away from you. You wish him/her "dahin wo der Pfeffer waechst" - to where the pepper grows. Now that I've been here - I'll return gladly.
No comments:
Post a Comment