My day started just before 5am, to get ready for a 5:30am bus. O Lord, it was sweltering already!
A couple of pit stops on our way out of Phnom Penh to pick up Cambodian students and we were off to Kep. We were told it's a 2 hr ride, more like four, so once again we were the better part of our day stuck on a bus.
However, it was very enjoyable getting to know the Khmer people, despite language difficulties. The young woman sitting with me was one of the older ones at 30 and is actually one of the teachers. Her name is Laekshmy and was a lovely companion for the day.
On the way out we stopped so we could have breakfast, the Khmer people had already eaten so didn't join us. I had a very simple but delicious fried rice with egg & sausage.
As will be the case throughout our stay here, everytime we got off the bus we were thronged with beggars and children selling gum & trinkets. At home it's easy to be dismissive and say "Get a job ya bum" but it's quite heartbreaking when the need is real. Nonetheless, if you give to one the mob just gets worse, so I will live with knowing that our visit (and donations we brought along) will help some Khmer people out... we can't help everyone.
The roads in Cambodia are extremely rough, making for a very bouncy ride. There are a lot of motorcycles, mostly 125cc scooters, frequently with 3-5 passengers &/or amazing amounts of cargo on board.
Also a lot of tuktuks, not quite the same as the original Thai tuktuk, basically the same or similar motorcycles as above but with a semi-enclosed passenger or cargo trailer attached 5th-wheel style to the frame in place of the passenger seat.
So, eventually we made it to the beach in Kep. Being at the waterfront, the weather was a lot cooler, still bloody hot, but a big improvement over Phnom Penh.
The ocean was verrrrry salty smelled a bit strange, but was refreshing nonetheless.
The above statue is called "Naked Lady" by the Khmer, apt enough description.
After a too short beach break considering the length of the bus ride, we were hauled across the street and up the hill for a rehearsal with the Khmer then a lunch of fresh (as in JUST caught) crabs!
After lunch, we hung around getting things cleaned up and organized, then back to the bus for the four hr ride home.
The road rules here are quite simple, the biggest vehicle makes the rules! Lanes, signs, lights and lines are irrelevant, if you are the largest thing on the road, you go where you want and it's others' job to get out of your way!
We got back to the hotel around 7pm, Rick (who was not feeling well and skipped today's activities) was feeling better and we went out in search of supper.
I ended up in a massage parlour (not THAT kind of place, get your mind out of the gutter), and got a Khmer-style massage and a manicure. The massage was more about stretching things and hitting certain target centres than kneading muscles, much similar to Thai massage... and the manicure took 20 years off my hands!
Afterward, I was exhausted and although hungry (I hadn't eaten since the crab lunch) I wanted nothing but to hit the rack.
-- Post From My iPhone
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