Kampot Cambodia

After a relaxing week in Sihanoukville we headed two hours down the coast to the riverside town of Kampot.

Pepper and shrimp in the local market. Kampot is well known for growing all kinds of pepper. The local dish of choice is delicious peppered crab and shrimp.

Nothing goes to waste here. I'm guessing this bike was made in the late 12th century.


The next day we took a tour through Preah Monivong National Park.


How many Cambodians can you fit in the driver's seat? Answer: 3
How many people can you fit in a Toyota Camry? Answer: 8


Bokor Hill Station is an abandoned French town at the top of the mountain.

Sitting 3,500 ft above sea level.

The jungle below.

The Royal Palace Hotel.

View from the Royal Palace Hotel looking toward the sea.

Bokor Hill Station church.

Unfortunately the Cambodian government leased Bokor Hill Station to a Vietnamese oil company which has started to build the above resort and ruin the tranquility of the park.

We decided to take the hard way down and hike 2 hours out through the jungle. Curiously I asked our guide what kind of animals are found in the jungle and was told that a tiger visits the nearby Pagoda every night. Hmmmmm.

A few days later we decided to take a few dirt roads into rural villages.

The kids learn how to ride whatever bike is around.

We came across this unfinished bridge and decided to hang out for awhile.

Sipping on an Angkor beer. Everyone uses straws because you never know what else has been transported on top of the beer....fish, chickens, gasoline?

The Guest House guard dog.

We took a day trip to the beach town of Kep.

Celebrating Hannah's 21st at the Wunderbar.

Jenna and Boots (Swiss owner)

I'm guessing Hannah might not remember this.

After a long birthday celebration we decided to relax at the riverside guesthouse called Utopia.

The rope swing across the river.

An ore frame canoe. I wonder how it handles the rapids.

Thank goodness for the tubes or else we would have actually had to exert some energy to get across the river.

Anthony seconds before jumping and then getting the rope ripped out of his hands.

Hannah getting the swing of things.

This pretty much sums up the day.

Gassing up for my last ride to Phnom Penh.

Sihanoukville Cambodia

Hannah, Antoni, and I hit the road early for day one of a long two days of travel to the beach town of Sihanoukville.

Our fan club at one of our pit stops.


The Motor Gang

After a long day of riding we stopped in a village to get some dinner items. Hannah thought it was a good idea to buy a live chicken for $6 with the full intention of killing it and cleaning it. The next thing I knew she had already named it Beatrice and was talking to it like a baby.

After getting dinner items we started to ask around of places we could stay. This helpful lady said we could hang our hammocks in her yard, but that didn't seem to go over well when the husband came home. Thankfully a Monk came to our rescue and let us sleep in the Pagoda next door. The lady still gladly killed, dressed, and cooked Beatrice for us.

Never mind that handsome guy in the mirror, check out the family of four on the scooter. I find it interesting that the father is wearing the helmet.

The first rule of going to a beach town is: Immediately go to the beach.


Dinner on Serendipity Beach.
In true European fashion, Antoni enjoys his appetizer.


After dinner I noticed a blow up playground floating in the sea. So we swam out and played.

Not a care in the world.

Just wishing Emily was with me.

Evading mid day heat.

Sunset on Day 2.

Afternoon at Otres Beach.

Sunset over the Siam Sea.

We all jumped on a boat for a two hour ride to an island where I could snorkel and Hannah and Antoni could get scuba certified.

Our island in sight

Fishing for squid with a lure, line, and a coke can.


Showing off his technique. I asked if I could try and after two cast snapped the lure off into the sea. Knowing the lure was worth much more than just a dollar, I started to wade into the sea and was quickly told no by the kids. It turns out there were sea urchins all over the place which would have made for an unpleasant swim. I did throw on my snorkeling gear and finally found another lure to replace the one lost.

Catch of the day- Squid.

Relaxing at our bungalow.

Warm water, bright coral, and tropical fish = great snorkeling.

View from our bungalow.

Local kids chasing a snake up a tree.

Kemmera stealing my shades.

My last day of island snorkeling.

The exposure on my camera must have been off because I'm not that white....

On our way back to the mainland as the fishing boats head out for the night.

Battambang Cambodia

Battambang is Cambodia's second largest city.

After settling into my guesthouse I took a spin around town and found all the locals hanging at the park by the river. I also found these fried little critters calling my name.

When in Cambodia do as the locals do and eat crickets.


Pleasantly surprised, but not ready to add it to my snack list.

Street performers in the park.

My first full day in Battambang was spent seeing some interesting old history and some very sobering recent history.

The first and most moving site I visited was on the hill of Phnom Sampeau called "The Killing Cave".

Over 10,000 people were thrown to their death here by the Khmer Rouge. Needless to say, the moment I stepped inside they cave I was overwhelmed with a very heavy heart.

The depressing recent history of Cambodia seems impossible in this day in age, but it seems nobody cared to step in maybe due to the lack of what they would get in return. The Khmer Rouge was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, the totalitarian ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot. As power was obtained their first goal was to socially engineer the Cambodian citizens. This meant gathering and killing every person that had any advanced education. All in all, they killed over 3.5 million Cambodians, which was over half the entire population of Cambodia. The cruelty of the Khmer Rouge even went as far as bludgeoning people to death in order to save money on bullets.

Inside the cave the skull and bones of the victims have been gathered and placed in a memorial shrine.

Not far from the cave was this post where finally in 1979 the Vietnamese came in to overthrow the Khmer Rouge. Here Vietnamese artillery is pointed in the direction of "crocodile mountain" 500 meters away, which used to be a stronghold of the Khmer Rouge.

Me and my tour guide Kep.

One of the shrines being rebuilt from the destruction.

395 stairs to my next stop, the ancient Phnom Banan built in 1050.

My Cambodian name translates to "Sits like a Lion".

By the way people dress you think it is cold here....IT'S NOT!

That evening I signed up for a Khmer cooking class. Our instructor Tut first took us to the local market to gather ingredients. Cow foot anyone?

Thankfully these turtles (sans shell) weren't on the menu.

The first ingredient for the Fish Amok dish was Snake Fish.

Tut paying the bills.

There's the beef.

The students: Hannah (Holland), Antoni (France), John (Canada), and ....well you know.

The masterpiece: On the top from right to left: Beef stir-fry with chips, Spicy Mango Shrimp Salad, and the delicious Fish Amok served in a banana leaf.


On the road again.

It turns out Hannah and Antoni from the cooking class also bought motor-bikes so they invited me along to travel with them for a while.