We treated ourselves to a lie in, then a leisurely time packing. We left the hotel around midday, before taking 2 Tuk Tuks between us (via a supermarket to buy Gin which we knew was cheaper than the airport duty free) to the airport.
We enjoyed our last experience of chaotic travel before arriving at the airport where we wrote and posted our last postcards, and grabbed something to eat.
Our flight (Qatar) departed just 30 mins before Nics (Air Asia to Kuala Lumpur) - so we had time at the airport to say goodbye and sort our monies owed etc.
Our plane was bang on time. It flew initially to Ho Chi Min city in Vietnam at around 10% full, but filled up completely in Vietnam.
Then it was a long long flight to Doha in Qatar, where we landed the equivalent of 3am where we had to change planes. This involved going onto the tarmac and jumping on a bus - the heat in Qatar even in the middle of the night was phenomena!
After 3 hours at the busy and glitzy Doha airport we boarded a flight for Manchester (also pretty well totally full) arriving in Manchester early at 7am local time - 1pm according to our body clock.
We were straight through passport control and our bags arrived quickly giving us time for a leisurely coffee before our train to Leeds.
Our fantastic neighbours Mollie and Keith picked us up at Horsforth station and we were home by 11am. Ellie and Katherine were amazed by how spotlessly tidy our house was (that's what happens if they are away for 7 weeks) and immediately set about correcting this aberration!
Our biggest challenge for the day was to stay up till at least 9pm UK time (2am Cambodian time) before collapsing into our own beds for the first time in 4 weeks!
Sunday, 30 August 2015
Thursday, 6 August 2015
Friday 7th: Happy Birthday Katherine
Our last full day in Cambodia started off by wishing Katherine happy birthday over the rather nice hotel breakfast.
We were awoken around 5.30 by the continuation of memorial rights for the hotel owner - with chanting being broadcast by loud speaker.
After breakfast it was back past the hotel lobby, full of monks and mourners on to the hot and cramped Russian Market for some last day clothes and souvenir shopping.
From there we went to an air conditioned shopping mall, where Liz, Ellie and Katherine were left to get their nails done, while Jim, Joe and Nic found a bakery to buy a birthday cake with an agreement to meet later at the hotel pool.
We enjoyed our swim at the hotel pool (keeping an eye via the Ipad of England thrashing Australia at cricket and getting poised to regain the ashes.
We ate birthday cake by the roof top pool, just as the skies started to darken and we were treated to a massive electrical storm over Phnom Penh. Bit by bit the wind, as happens whipped up to gail force before the first spots of rain meant it was time for run for it.
In the evening we ate out locally before coming back to pack.
We were awoken around 5.30 by the continuation of memorial rights for the hotel owner - with chanting being broadcast by loud speaker.
After breakfast it was back past the hotel lobby, full of monks and mourners on to the hot and cramped Russian Market for some last day clothes and souvenir shopping.
From there we went to an air conditioned shopping mall, where Liz, Ellie and Katherine were left to get their nails done, while Jim, Joe and Nic found a bakery to buy a birthday cake with an agreement to meet later at the hotel pool.
We enjoyed our swim at the hotel pool (keeping an eye via the Ipad of England thrashing Australia at cricket and getting poised to regain the ashes.
We ate birthday cake by the roof top pool, just as the skies started to darken and we were treated to a massive electrical storm over Phnom Penh. Bit by bit the wind, as happens whipped up to gail force before the first spots of rain meant it was time for run for it.
In the evening we ate out locally before coming back to pack.
Thursday 6th back to Phnom Penh
Enjoyed our last night at Les Mangiers and time for a lovely breakfast before the minibus arrived at 9.30am to take us back to Phnom Penh- around a 3 hour journey
All went to plan, except for the last mile. The driver, who spoke little English did not know exactly where the hotel we had booked was so suggested we took a Tuk tuk instead. We staged a sit in in the minibus and eventually persuaded him to take us there with the help off Nic's smart phone sat nav and our limited grasp of Cambodian for right, left and straight on! Eventually we got there, but not before the driver had shot a red light (Phnom Penh being the only place actually with lights - so he got called in my the police and was fined 5 US dollars which we duly paid. No receipt, no paperwork - so it was clear exactly whose pocket the 5 dollars (equivalent to the average daily wage) was going straight into!
We found our hotel - one which we had slightly pushed the boat out for as it was our l;ast couple of nights and Katherines birthday tomorrow plus it was located overlooking the Royal Palace and had a roof top pool - all for £40 for room and breakfast for all of us. The children were estratic to find that the room included dressing gowns. We were delighted that the view from the roof (20 odd floors up and higher than all surrounding buildings) overlooked the Royal palace, river, Wats - so was a great way of getting orientated.
After cooling off, we all set off for Tuol Sleng Museum - which was a school taken over by Pol Pot's security forces and turned into a detention and torture prison where more than 17,000 people dies and only 7 survived. Every prisoner was photographed - so needless to say we all came out of there shell shocked.
We had a swim to try and recover. Sadly the owner of the hotel (Cambodias answer to Donald Trump) had recently died - so the lobby of the hotel was converted to a shrine, with monks and hotel staff undertaking some form of memorial services which was quite interesting
In the evening we went out to a Riverside restaurant (one which we went to previously in Phnom Penh on our last visit) and had a lovely meal including a Singapore Sling - which helped to lift our spirits after the prison experience.
All went to plan, except for the last mile. The driver, who spoke little English did not know exactly where the hotel we had booked was so suggested we took a Tuk tuk instead. We staged a sit in in the minibus and eventually persuaded him to take us there with the help off Nic's smart phone sat nav and our limited grasp of Cambodian for right, left and straight on! Eventually we got there, but not before the driver had shot a red light (Phnom Penh being the only place actually with lights - so he got called in my the police and was fined 5 US dollars which we duly paid. No receipt, no paperwork - so it was clear exactly whose pocket the 5 dollars (equivalent to the average daily wage) was going straight into!
We found our hotel - one which we had slightly pushed the boat out for as it was our l;ast couple of nights and Katherines birthday tomorrow plus it was located overlooking the Royal Palace and had a roof top pool - all for £40 for room and breakfast for all of us. The children were estratic to find that the room included dressing gowns. We were delighted that the view from the roof (20 odd floors up and higher than all surrounding buildings) overlooked the Royal palace, river, Wats - so was a great way of getting orientated.
After cooling off, we all set off for Tuol Sleng Museum - which was a school taken over by Pol Pot's security forces and turned into a detention and torture prison where more than 17,000 people dies and only 7 survived. Every prisoner was photographed - so needless to say we all came out of there shell shocked.
We had a swim to try and recover. Sadly the owner of the hotel (Cambodias answer to Donald Trump) had recently died - so the lobby of the hotel was converted to a shrine, with monks and hotel staff undertaking some form of memorial services which was quite interesting
In the evening we went out to a Riverside restaurant (one which we went to previously in Phnom Penh on our last visit) and had a lovely meal including a Singapore Sling - which helped to lift our spirits after the prison experience.
Wednesday 5th Kampot, Kep, rain and peppers
Overnight poor Joseph had a temperature of 100 so the morning decision was that he and Jim would stay at Les Mangiers and chill (interspersed with dosages of Calpol) whilst Liz, Ellie, Katherine and Nic would go out and see the sights in a hired Tuk Tuk.
Tuesday, 4 August 2015
Tuesday 4th Kampot
Again it poured down with rain overnight, making us feel that our decision to leave the island was justified. It continued raining in fact until about 11.30 although it was much lighter by 10am. We left for the 2 hour trip to Kampot around 10.30 and booked in (on recommendation) to Les Manguiers. It was the usual trip of sharing a main road (albeit a fairly provincial and quiet one) with chickens, cows, Buffaloes, toddlers etc.
Les Manguiers (French for Mango) is based around a huge old French colonial holiday house on the river to which they have added a dozen or so "over paddi fields wooden gazebo huts" the kids turned their noses up a bit about how basic they were and Liz was worried it would be mossie heaven (probably with justification). Joseph loved it as in the rambling complex are free bikes for loan, table tennis, badminton, boules, chess etc. it's also on the river with platforms to jump off into the river.
After quickly getting mossie repellant all over us, we washed yet more clothes (to try and remove the damp smell), left them in front of the fan then borrowed old bone shaker bikes and cycled the 2km or so to Kampot. First stop was the post office to post our post cards (so they are on their way folks). This consisted at queuing at the counter marked "Stemps" and being handed stamp and a pot of glue to fix them to the cards before giving them back to the cashier.
We then had lunch in a backpackers cafe, and had a little cycle tour of Kampot that we devised - past the governors residence (very grand) less grand old French colonial shophouses, the prison and the roundabout! It's a very small place, very few cars so most people seem to get around by bike or motorbike. We went to several places and negotiated a minibus ride to Phnom Penh on Thursday. Jim wanted to leave at 10.30 but as part of negotiating the price compromised on leaving at 9.30 which then ended up at 8.45 am. Reason was that this makes it more likely that the minibus can get recycled and make another trip we realised.
Following our cycle tour, we went back along the 2km dirt road to Les Manguiers where we relaxed, played table tennis and read books. Around 5pm we peace and tranquillity was interrupted by the noise of around 40 fishing boats (an armada as Joseph called it) of small fishing boats coming past on their way to the sea for overnight fishing. It took around 20 minutes for them all to chug by.
Following our cycle tour, we went back along the 2km dirt road to Les Manguiers where we relaxed, played table tennis and read books. Around 5pm we peace and tranquillity was interrupted by the noise of around 40 fishing boats (an armada as Joseph called it) of small fishing boats coming past on their way to the sea for overnight fishing. It took around 20 minutes for them all to chug by.
Being a French colonial resort we are staying it we had "the full dinner" in the evening. 5 pounds brought us a set table on the riverbank at Les Mangiers, with matching cutlery and tableware (unheard of in backpackers joints) and 3 courses dumpling starter, rice beef and calamari main with a delicious salad with French dressing and cake for pudding.
At 8pm we hired a boat and went up river to watch fireflies. Basically trees were lit up like Christmas trees with dazzling light given off by fireflies. The boatman caught some in a bottle for us to study before releasing them they really were amazing. To put costs into perspective this cost one pound per person.
Tomorrow we plan to visit Kampot pepper farm and Kep famous as an old colonial resort and crab meat.
Monday 2nd August return from Koh Rong
Monday
We had never fully decided how long to stay on the island it was slightly dependent on the weather. Our aim had been to expose the children to "about as remote as you can possibly get" within the core backpackers circuit and we thing we achieved this. The logic was as follows. Many backpackers go to Asia but Cambodia is still outside most people's itinerary. Off those that do go to Cambodia most only go to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh only some get to the coast at Sihanoukville. Of those who get to Sihanoukville, only a few go to Islands. off those who go to Islands most go to Koh Rong only a few go to Koh Rong Samloem. Off those who go to Koh Rong Samloem, most do not do the sweaty hike across the island hence there being only a very few people on our 1 km of beach
During our group conversation over evening food yesterday we realised that the choice was essentially 2 more nights then a night back in Sihanoukville then straight back to Phnom Penh or we could leave today and take in Kampot and Kep which the backpackers circuit told us were well worth a visit. The fact that all our stuff was damp by being on the island (and I mean everything) plus last nights torrential rain made our mind up. Fortunately the rain stopped by 7 am and at 10 am we set off in bright sunshine for the walk back across the island. A delightful Chinese family also crossed at the same time, he was a university professor so had reasonable grasp of English. He said we were lucky to have 3 children, they of course have 1 a very shy 13 year old girl. Stereotypically they took photos of everything that moved! Unsteriotypiccally they were well off the beaten track and travelling individually. We gave them travellers tips for Battambang where they were next heading to next and they invited us to China and took umpteen more photos!
We had an hour or so on Saracen beach and a drink in a cafe before our boat arrived. We jumped on in blazing sunshine and blue skies. The boat went first to Koh Rong island (comparatively much busier but still plenty of beach per person) then returned to Sihanoukville and the Ropanha hotel where we were reunited with our bags. We surfed tenet to identify somewhere to stay in Kampot and arranged a minibus taxi. Our clothes from the island really did smell with ingrained dirt and damp so we took them to a laundry and jumped in the hotel pool which was bliss. In the evening we had BBQ fish to eat - lovely.
Every day, we have a "spot the hippy backpacker of the day competition" - think we excelled today!
Every day, we have a "spot the hippy backpacker of the day competition" - think we excelled today!
Sunday 2nd More Koh Rong
It rained in the morning, so reading was the order of the day, but cleared can up in the afternoon for another beach day, although the sea was quite a bit rougher following an overnight storm so snorkelling was out, but wave surfing was in. Followed by a game of "backpacker" and some cards.
Overnight it poured with torrential rain around 4am, leading to, in the boys room (Nic, Jim and Joe) our bag getting fairly damp, and also some drips on our faces as we slept - no wonder the beds are damp. In the girls room Ellie found one of her pairs of pants eaten by a mouse, as was the mosquito coil, and Katherine disturbed a rat in the bathroom!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)