Today was a good or bad day, depending on how you look at it. At times, it felt like one disaster after another. But it wasn’t really.
I’ve never driven a motorbike. I like being alive so never bothered to learn. At $5 for the day (versus $20 for a moto driver), it was much cheaper to drive myself, so we went to practise on the scrubland across from hotel. Straight ahead, I could do. But I failed to get it to turn – it either didn’t move, or shot ahead and tried to throw me off. Eventually it succeeded. I don’t particularly like driving anyway, and my sense of direction (or lack of) is legendary, so reasoned that an extra $15 (about £10) was worth it to not get lost in the Cambodia countryside and prevent a potential insurance claim.
Tourists rule here: the money to be made means it’s worth locals dropping everything to do what you want, when you want. It still makes me feel uneasy, but I’ve learnt to deal with it as, ultimately, it’s mutually beneficial. So ten minutes later, my moto instructor reappeared as my moto driver for the day.
I have long legs. The footrests on the moto were obviously designed by and for Cambodians, who do not. My knees were by my ears (ok, ok, but it’s only a slight exaggeration) and my feet kept sliding off the footrests. A day like this was not going to be fun. My driver tried wedging some stones into the mechanism to improve things, but they just got crushed, so we proceeded. As we went through a local “town” I noticed he kept slowing down, looking around. And then we pulled up to a moto repair shop where he proceeded to hammer nails into the footrests to make them more comfortable for me! What a gem 🙂
“You have a head torch?” the lad asked me. I’m guessing he was about 13 (which, in English terms, is the equivalent of 24). “Yes!” The tourists at the guesthouse had advised I should take one. I rummaged in my bumbag. No head torch. I sat down in a rock and searched each compartment thoroughly. Still no head torch. Pants – what had I done with it? So my phone torch acted as an inferior substitute whilst he showed me the bats, and the temple that was built by the cave’s occupants and is now slowly being claimed by the mountain with an impressive stalagtite as its centrepiece:
He proceeded to tell me that rising up to meet it was a stalagmite called a Shiva Linga. It was, indeed, a Shiva Linga but quite clearly not a stalagmite. His prediction that in a thousand years they’d meet in the middle seemed unlikely seeing that the drips from the stalagtite were actually eroding the Shiva Linga!
When the Khmer Rouge heard of the community living here, they invaded, found them hiding further into the caves and murdered the lot of them.
He also pointed out lots of rather dubious “animals” in the rock (“all natural”) – elephant heads, a crocodile body and a footprint of King Kong. And this cow (can ya see it?):
But he was a lovely, pleasant lad and was happy to answer all my questions, so an enjoyable visit.
I passed on the option of the scenic (read “for experienced climbers only”) route back. A pleasant visit to some impressive caves, with spectacular views:
As we sped (ok, well, trundled at least) through the Cambodian countryside to our next stop I realised my mind was preoccupied with losing my head torch (I’d texted Seb at the hotel who confirmed I hadn’t left it there). It’s annoying, but not the end of the world, I told myself. I knew I wouldn’t get another like it here and it’s been so useful already, but I decided to put it out if my head and enjoy the moment.
The “secret lake” was clearly not secret, with the same raised platforms with hammocks and mats, with thatched roofs like those at the crater lake near Banlung:
Apparently there is a proper secret lake near here – it’s said that less than ten westerners have seen it since its discovery in the early 1900s. Young people gathered for a meal:
… and even the monks came out to play (no photo). Unfortunately, once again rubbish everywhere kinda spoilt it much more than you’d expect.
Pagoda. That’s what these (233) steps lead to:
And here’s what was at the top:
The observant among you will have spotted the conspicuous absence of a pagoda… because apparently it’s still being built. Hmm, maybe he just thought I needed the exercise!
The pepper farm must have been good… even my guide was taking photos:
They grow round columns of brick. That’s all I know because he didn’t speak English, and my knowledge of pepper farming is, shall we say, work in progress:
Ah, this was the pagoda we were meant to visit:
Small, local and obviously used by the community… and it’s already been built, which is obviously a bonus.
Kep’s crab market was the highlight of the trip:
But it would appear that the concept of sustainable fishing has not reached these shores, and I fear that it won’t until it’s too late. Thousands of crabs were being hauled out of the ocean and sold by the kilo.
And they’ll even cook them up there and then:
Don’t like crab? How about a ray?
And the market was, once again, multiple versions of the same stall. These sell various seafood on a stick (perhaps this is where Dibbler started life..?*)
Lunch was a kilo of lychees (in the vein of most of the native fruit – rough skin, slightly sweet fleshy inner with a stone – but a better ROI as they’re easier to peel and much larger than lonigans) and a great view:
Unless you looked closer to home:
Or behind you:
And then the pre-storm winds came, and the stench of sewage offended the nostrils. It offends my eyes, but the locals don’t seem bothered by the sight or the smell (one Pot-pat suggested that tuk-tuk drivers should be employed as litter pickers during the low season; this idea works on many levels).
*You’ll understand this comment if you read Pratchett. If you don’t read Pratchett, then I envy you as you have a whole wonderful (Disc)world to discover.
A trainee Diane Warren. That’s who is composing music throughout Cambodia – slick, but badly written power ballads rule. I managed to not burst into song as I dined (this wasn’t difficult), and then guess what I did? Yep, another sunset to end another wonderful day. And this was stupendous – the most spectacular sunset I’ve ever seen:
