Kampot and Kep, Cambodia

Early on Friday morning I boarded one of the three buses chartered for 150 colleagues from the CIA FIRST school where I work part-time as a Communications Specialist. We headed to Kampot, Cambodia. I wish that I could tell you about the sights along the roads from Phnom Penh to Kampot, but I cannot because I slept nearly the entire way. I can tell you that I sat next to an amazing man named David Huang who is Chinese, but he has also lived in America, New Zealand, and Australia. He is an art teacher at CIA FIRST, but he is also a highly accomplished artist who has his works displayed all over the world. He is also an accomplished musician and avid gardener.

Once we arrived in Kampot we had 20 minutes to check into our hotel (most staff) or guest house (some staff, including myself) and get back to the buses to go to Kep. I was awake for this part of the bus ride and it was lovely. The lush, green mountains on one side and ocean on the other side made for incredible sights unlike any in Phnom Penh. When we shut down the buses in Kep we sat in a market like area on straw mats surrounded by hammocks. After lunch we walked across the street to the beach. I had been told that there was no real beach in Kep - only rocky areas leading down to the ocean, but when we walked across the street there was wonderful white sand from the street all the way down to the water's edge. Kep actually imported this sand! You could see a bulldozer on the beach spreading the sand to even it out. I dove in and had a fun swim and then got onto a large canoe-like boat and headed over to Rabbit Island.

Rabbit Island (Koh Tonsay) has a beautiful beach and grass huts right where the boats land. Directly behind them there are thick trees - making for a very tropical appearance. The group of about 40 of us who went to Rabbit Island enjoyed a couple of hours of swimming before we headed back to Kep. Unlike the chilly waters of the Pacific where I grew up, the waters here were so warm that I could spend literally hours in the water without having to get out. Once back in Kep we headed to a very special dinner on the beach front, with a pool behind us, and beautifully adorned chairs and tables. We had a wonderful dinner and then there was Karaoke and dancing.

On Saturday morning we got up early to board the buses for Bokor Mountain. It was a very windy trip up to the top of the mountain and once we arrived it was remarkable to see an old abandoned casino and church; remnants of pre-Khmer Rouge planning and prosperity, that now is being revitalized. There were thick wisps of fog running up along the side and over the top of the mountain; creating a stunning visual as well as a cooling experience on this hot day.