KEP

This past weekend we discovered the beautiful town of Kep (pronounced Kipe). Having spent nearly two months in Phnom Penh, we ventured out with one purpose: to see if natural beauty actually does reside in this country. Of course we had seen lovely sunsets behind rice fields and palm trees—which is a beautiful sight—but we wanted more. We wanted forests. We wanted hills. We wanted water. We wanted bamboo bungalows and hammocks from which to watch that sun sink into the ocean. (...Man, four months of seeing the world makes you pretty picky, eh?)

Everything we were hoping to find in Kep, we found!

For $3.50 a person, we caught the 7:30am bus from Phnom Penh, and four hours later we arrived in Kep—much to the relief of the gal in front of us...and us too, for that matter (what would a hot, crammed bus ride be without the token passenger who forgot their gravol?) Truthfully, the bus ride was one of my favourite parts. It was fascinating to see everyday life for thousands of people (and animals) in the villages. People bathing in lily ponds. Pigs, goats and cows chowing down on everything and anything. Half-naked children sitting and watching the world pass them by. Workers fixing tires. Women selling fruit, vegetables, and meat. Men wading through rice fields. Fisherman flinging fish into nets.


According to books we’ve read, Kep was the place to be in the 20’s, especially for the French. Vine-covered skeletal remains of colonial estates still perch upon hillsides. Today, most beach-seekers head to Sihanoukville for sun and sand, though Kep is all too quickly being (re-)discovered by the masses. And for good reason: clear, warm, turquoise water; an endless supply of fresh crabs to feast upon; and, best of all, motos to rent for $4. No credit card or passport or deposit required. Just four crisp $1 bills and you’ve got 100 mean cc’s that’ll take you to glory(!!!)...or in my case, it’ll take you to do a nose dive into a garden; lucky for me, the only casualties were a busted flower pot, a scraped leg and a very wounded ego. But memories. It’s all about the memories, right? And, I can proudly say: I learned to drive a moto. Cross another thing of the list of things to do life!


Another day we hopped aboard a boat and set sail to Rabbit Island. We did a lot of sitting, some reading, a bit of exploring, plenty of eating and drinking, a ton of chatting, and some of the best swimming we’ve done in a long time.





(Above: A man shimmying up the tree to harvest coconuts)

So. Kep was great! Most of all, it was fantastic to breath fresh air, be in great company, and see a bit more of this beautiful country we’re calling home (...for now).

(Above: Whose the stud in the photo? That's James. Who's the other guy? Meet Tom. One of the coolest yankees trodding the globe. He's doing similar work as we are in Phnom Penh. Thanks to Tom, we've had someone besides each other to hang out with and talk to in this country; he is fantastic!)