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.

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.