I decide to go with Miss Prawn Cocktail,1954. Actually, her name is Marie Rose, but with the fashion round here of calling people after food, I thought I'd join in! And even though she is French speaking, she had a good command of English and seemed to understand my edict "no moto". She could book me from Kampot to Kep, then a few days later to Chau Doc via the Ha Tien crossing (of the famed moto). There are a few bad reviews of her agency online, but she has a tie up with an English guy who runs a bar in Ha Tien so I dropped him a line and he says she's ok. But as they all use the same buses there wasn't a lot of choice. The only problems that arise is if there are border delays out of her control. We'll see. So I pay over my $15, not a lot for the distance. She promises seamless transfers, drop off and collection at your hotel. Well this fell apart at the first fence. Just before getting on the minibus I checked it would drop me off here at the Long Villa Inn. Ah, no she said. "Today different, lot's of people so extra minibus, we drop you at bus station". There followed a "discussion" as to what she had promised, so she refunded me $1 of the $3 it cost for the Kep part of the journey so I could get a tuk tuk to the hotel. Sadly the lowest I could negotiate for the journey was $2 so I am currently $1 down! But on the upside, I assume because she had to lay on an extra bus, there was the luxury of only five people travelling. Yesterday I chatted to the minibus full of people who had come to Kampot with her from Phu Quoc and they looked especially weary. There were 16 of them plus luggage in the eleven seater. But having had the same experience from Sihanoukville I decide that is just par for the course here in Cambodia, and rather a crowded minibus than a moto ride...
But our half empty trip was fun. Quite a busy stretch of dirt road, it seemed we were in fog most of the way, but it was just the dust. I was travelling with the Swiss Mexican couple who were in the Rikitikitavi with me, an Irish Geordie who was drinking beer and lighting up a fag in the bus (much to the annoyance of the Swiss Mexicans who live in San Fran) and an ex journalist from the UK, who likes the beer, bar and party lifestyle. All very entertaining on our 40 minute drive across the potholes.
But not sure he will find the bar and party lifestyle here in Kep. It looks as sleepy as it did five years ago when I last visited, although there has certainly been a building boom with loads more hotels, some very posh and expensive. I am booked into the Long Villa hotel, neither posh nor expensive... It's a small place, only a year old and is situated next to the pier where the boats go out to Rabbit Island. Not a trip I will be taking - crossing the open sea in what looks like a green overgrown canoe with a longtail boat engine sticking out the back just isn't my idea of fun!
The hotel is not fab, ok, but not fab. In a great location right on the sea looking out towards Rabbit Island, but a bit out of town (having said that there's not much in town...). I think it especially suffers compared to Rikitikitavi, I have gone back to "local". Seems cleanish in the bedroom but the bathroom isn't too inviting. It's only supposed to be a year old, but is showing more age than that. Decor is "Cambodian kitch". And at $39US it's at the upper end of prices here. The breakfast was interesting. When I pointed out the ants swimming around in the coffee, the girl smiled, picked up a tissue and tried to fish them out... Her English, whilst slightly better than my Khmer, wasn't really up to the task of her understanding that I didn't want her to go on a fishing expedition in my cup, but to replace it. Finally she understood, but looked surprised. Back to the kitchen it went, but I have a feeling the tissue may have been redeployed out of my sight... But in a country where a lot of people have no clean water I shouldn't complain - but then again, I am paying 39 dollars! And the location is lovely with a clear view of the sea from my bed. There's not much of a beach here, even the bit they call Kep Beach is just a narrow stretch of rather grey sand. The place started in the pre Khmer Rouge days as a seaside retreat, visited by Cambodian Royalty and other rich and stylish VIP's, and called Kep-sur-Mer or the St Tropez of Cambodia. Of course, all that went during the Pol Pot era, the Khmer Rouge were active here until as late as 1995, and left behind are the skeletons of grand French seaside villas, grey with mould, overgrown and still sporting the bullet holes. Perhaps this recent building boom will see a resurgence for the place.
A journalist from the New York Times sees it this way -
"Like so many places that have dropped from, and re-emerged in, the traveler’s gaze, this area of southwestern Cambodia is in the midst of a now-familiar cycle. First come the backpackers, lured by tales of simple coastal villages and untouched island beaches. Next come the pioneering hoteliers, establishing in-the-know outposts of taste and luxury. Finally the big money arrives and, with it, the big plans."
But today I wake up to old Kep, to a warmish room, yet again the power is off here. I thought the hotel had a generator, but so far no one had turned it on. I wander down towards town and stop at Breeze's Lounge, one of those in-the-know outposts, a nice place with a generator and wifi. Then I continue on towards Kep Beach, the main part of "town". It was getting busier and busier with roadside stalls, minibuses going up and down packed (and I mean packed, there must have been over 30 people in some), coaches and the little hammock areas along the coast full of families munching on picnics. I discover that today is International Women's Day and it is celebrated with a national holiday here in Cambodia. And according to the many reports, women here need all the help they can get.
It's now 3pm and the gentle hum of generators is still there behing the squeaks and squeals of the Cambodian kids splashing in the sea supported by huge black inner tubes. Apart, that is, when one runs out of diesel and comes to a shuddering halt, a frequent occurence. Squid are being barbecued, warm prawns are being touted from baskets balanced on the women's heads (no holiday today for these women) and the souvenir sellers are displaying some especially ornate ornaments made from varnished crab shells. Now if I only had room in my bag... Crab fishing is the mainstay of the economy here in Kep, along with tourism, and I spotted this very large swimmer crab that has just been unveiled and of which they are very proud. Welcome to Kep.
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Location:Unnamed Rd,Kep,Cambodia
