Back to Kep

With Shanti returning from Nepal on Friday and her parents arriving next weekend, we decided to skip town for a relaxing weekend in Kep. I took Friday afternoon off and we caught the afternoon Hua Lien bus that goes to Kampot via Kep. The road that we took, I think it was National Road 3, was in absolutely terrible shape, most likely because it was the end of the rainy season and from poor maintenance. Bumpiness aside, it was a smooth ride and we arrived in a cloudy Kep late in the afternoon.

A tuk-tuk met us where the bus dropped us off to take us to Veranda, where we stayed the last time we were in Kep about a year ago. It was a relatively amusing tuk-tuk ride; we started up the hill to Veranda, but the tuk-tuk couldn't make it carrying both me and Shanti, so I hopped out to walk. Shanti was eventually forced out as well, as the hill was just too step and the tuk-tuk just too weak. We checked in and were led through the Swiss Family Robinson-style walkways to the same bungalow we had last year.

We dropped our stuff off and walked down to Kep's locally well-known crab market. In the mornings, vendors wade out into the water to their traps and bring the freshest crabs imaginable to their patrons. Beyond the market is a row of perhaps twenty shacks with metal folding tables and plastic chairs serving the best seafood in Cambodia and some of the best in the region. Shanti and I made our way to Kimly, a popular spot with foreigners because of their English menus. We got a table literally over the Gulf of Thailand, with the waves gently lapping at the wooden pillars holding up the restaurant. In the distance the sun was setting over Bokor Mountain and Phu Quoc. It was an idyllic setting for dinner.

Though the menu was full of interesting options, from very traditional Cambodian fare to shark and stingray, we ordered one of the house specialties, whole Kep crab fried with fresh Kampot green pepper and, I think, honey. It was so delicious that, as we were leaving town on Sunday we bought a kilo of fresh crab to take back to Phnom Penh with us.

On Saturday we woke to a downpour of rain, a downpour which continued practically ceaselessly until we left. If we had not been to Kep before and were planning to go to Rabbit Island or the caves at Kampong Trach, we would've been quite disappointed. However, since we were just after a relaxing weekend, it was actually really nice as it forced us to simply unwind, read and play cards.

The rain stopped long enough on Saturday afternoon for us to go for a walk, looping from Veranda to the crab market and around the coast to Kep Beach. As the sun started to set, though, we headed back to Veranda to enjoy the view from the fantastic terrace restaurant. The sunset was magnificent, with the whole sky glowing a golden color and the sun creating a shimmering reflection upon the water. By the time we finished dinner it was pouring again.

We woke to more rain on Sunday and after some relaxing and a few more games of cards, we tuk-tuked to Kep Beach to catch the bus back to Phnom Penh. As we waited for the bus to make its way from Kampot, it really dumped; and the resulting flooding was very impressive. A lake, at least ankle deep, covered the entire road (a problem that could easily be fixed if any effort was put into it) as children frolicked in it, dogs hopped across it, crab vendors trudged through it, cars splashed across it, and motos stalled. The most amusing thing about the rain, however, was that despite (or because of?) the downpour the water was packed with Cambodians, all fully dressed in pants (some jeans) and t-shirts. (Because of the combination of modesty and the desire for light skin, you will find few Cambodians that strip down into what Westerners would consider traditional swimming attire). Not only was it an entertaining sight, but it was interesting to think how different the beach would look on a rainy day in the US.