More Cambodia and Arrival in Vietnam

13 June Arrived in Sihanoukville today to the usual reception of overly keen Tuk - tuk & motorcycle taxi drivers. It was pouring rain (monsoon season is coming up) but negotiations were going to take the required time. The Tuk tuk drivers love the rain, everyone is in a panic to get going and usually get their price. There were 4 of us and $2 US was the budget whilst the asking price was $5. $3 was finally agreed and off we went. 2 went to another hotel and I and another German girl went to our choice @ $5 per night for an ensuite room each. It was a good place and quickly got chatting to lots of people at the bar. There was a movie and then the Euro cup finals and coupled with a few beers had no problem sleeping soundly that night.
14 June Was raining again today but decided to rent a scooter and took off around town with Sara, the German girl in tow. S'ville is a small town of 77,000 but low and behold Sara spotted a girl she used to live with walking alongside these 2 americans. We swung 'round and ended up Dining and having a few drinks with them. Small world. Later that day I went to the 'Seeing hands' massage parlour. All the messeuse are blind and after their wages the money goes to help the blind in the region. I would love to say I enjoyed it but this blind lad had me in more pain than i can remember.
15 June Sara went to Bangkok and i rented the bike for another day and went off to a place called 'Stung Hau'. (The place was named after an American called 'Hau' in search of some value...... sorry bad joke) Its a fishing village that, according to the Lonely Planet, is the Home to the remains of the Communist Cambodian Navy fleet. Not being able to find the fleet and my Cambodian (Khmer) as rusty as the auld boats, i spotted a few white lads in a little eatery. I pulled the bike over, and with my overly small helmet sitting on my head like I was in the Vatican, i asked them if they spoke English, one of them replied "Nah, mate...we speak Australian!!!" needless to say after beers and food i was informed that "they towed away those ol' wrecks years ago". It was a great afternoon anyway. One of those guys owned a pub in town and invited me to join them that evening. i did and had another feed and a few beers. I got back to the guesthouse and another resident dragged me out again for a few beers and some pool. I had 7 beers that night and was pissed.
16 June With the head hanging off me I went off on the bike again to Ream national park, Nothing much to see. That evening With a couple of lads from the Guesthouse the 3 of us piled onto the bike (3 on a bike and sometimes more is quiet normal in these parts). We went down to the beach and went to one of the many beach bars. When we got back the bike wouldn't start. we pushed it up the road to a street lamp to see if we could get it going. A group of young lads gathered around to see if they could help. I let them at it and they said that the spark plug cap was missing. They happened to have one ( wonders will never cease) and fitted it. The bike started and i gave the lad $2. He wanted $8 and told him 'no' he took it out again and we started pushing the bike up the road. They came after us again and said $5. We agreed and when he had it done, i told him if he knows who did this, to tell them that 'today was a good day for you but a bad day for Cambodia'. He got the message.
19 June After a few days relaxing and doing nothing much I headed for a small town called Kampot. Famous for its Pepper and not much else, i continued on to a small seaside village called Kep 24 km away. I rented a bike and had a look around. During the French occupation of Cambodia, Kep was a popular spot with the french elite and the place was full of beautiful architecturally designed villas. Today they are in ruin but can still be viewed and they had the most fabulous beach front sites. Famous for its seafood, i dined at this restarant built on short stilts over the seashore. The tide ebbed and flowed underneath the floor & the food was devine.
20 June I stayed 1 night in Kep as loud nearby music and bed bugs kept me awake most of the night. I went back to Kampot and rented another bike and went off to see Bokor hill station, another french outpost, but it was closed due to road works.
21 June I headed off to the Vietnam border in Ha Tien by Tuk Tuk. The story to follow next post.