Kampot is a chilled riverside town which couldn't be more friendly and welcoming. Pretty much all there is to do in the french colonial style town is cycle around, eat, drink and watch the river go by. Around an hour or so from Sihanoukville, Kampot seems like another world; not such a haven for young travelers looking to party, more of a place for long term expats and travelers our age and up.
Sitting by the riverside with a beer, a book and some of the fantastic local food we have successfully managed to happily waste away our few days here. We have tried, and devoured, many Cambodian dishes including Amok (fish cooked with coconut in Bamboo), Lok Lak (pork or beef stirfried with fresh, local, spicy pepper), and hand pulled noodles and dumplings. We have also spent one very happy night gorging ourselves on award winnng ribs (highly recommended by Lonely Planet) and sinking ice cold beers at the Rusty Keyhole, a small riverside bar owned by an nice expat Brit and his Camodian wife who said modestly that the ribs were 'alright'.
On our second day here we headed off on a guided tour to Bokor national park to look at the ruins which once were the Royal residence, old French colonial church, Bokor palace hotel and ranger station. These buildings had a fascinating history with the Bokor Palace hotel being built in French Colonial times as a resort / holiday retreat for the rich French. Following independence from the French it was opened to Cambodian's but then abandoned in the 70s due to the Khmer Rouge regime, and then was used as a prision due to its remoteness and perfect location high on a cliff top, making it easy to dispose of bodies into the jungle below.
Our tour guide was a 59 year old ex Khmer Rouge soldier who had seen incredible things in his life time. From what we could gather he had intially been part of the Khmer Rouge army until he witnessed the persecution and murder of his family and village. Following this he spent stints hiding in the jungle before joining with the Vietnamese to take back Cambodia for the KR. He then spent ten years with the UN including two years helping to clear landmines. Standing at Bokor he also described his knowledge of area, which saw him locating bodies of those killed and thrown off the cliffs. We both found all this shocking to hear as it has been so recent and we have heard such little about it in the West. Tommorow we head on to Phnom Penh which we have heard is as equally, if not more, challenging with the killing fields and the Tuol Sleng museum.
On a lighter note we should be in Phnom Penh just in time to celebrate Australia day, poolside, listening to the hottest 100 and drinking beer. We will also be reunited with Tash's parents who are joining us for a week of travel, drinking and fun.
