Around Kep by Moto

Friday 19th March

How many cambodians does it take to put a statue of Buddha on a plinth, answer is 9. All pushing and pulling and levering with great planks of harwood and much discussion. Despite several precarious moments, Nirvana was re-attained.

Hired a moto ( closer to a motorbike than a scooter this time as it had manual gears although mercifully an automatic clutch) and set off along an unmade-up track climbing to 120m above sea level into kep National Park.

Saw no other traffic at all which was good as we were skittering around on the loose surface, but where look-outs had been cleared the view over the sea was superb. Eventually circumnavigated the park, then started a second circuit to try and find a waterfall we had missed the first time.

Parked the moto and walked to the location, but it was completely dry. Then turned seaward and found a western style restaurant called 'Breezes' right on the seafront where we ate a light lunch. My tummy had been playing up the last few days and it was the first time my appetite had returned for over a day.

Then we got completely lost. With all the twists and turns in the hills, we had become disorientated as we looped the park, and accidentally set off towards the Vienamese border! Luckily we came across a road sign with English names and realised we had to turn around and retrace our route.

Back in Kep at last we stopped for a drink at the crab market ( without realising where we were) then completed our tour, purchasing supplies of water and beer en-route. didn't fall off or hit anything and we now have a good understanding of the local geography.

The place is somewhat eery because of the number of old French villa plots where mostly only the boundary walls remain. The villas themselves have mostly been raised to the ground, except for a few remnant burnt out shells, by the actions of the Kmer Rouge. Then squatters moved onto the land, and ownership descended into a legal quagmire.