Sleepy town Kep

10 Dec 2013

What we didn’t know when we booked a couple of peaceful months in the tiny sleepy Cambodian seaside town of Kep was that in our first week it was due to host the second ever annual national Cambodian“Festival of the Sea” with an expected influx of up to 100,000 visitors from all over the country for the weekend – including dignitaries, celebrities and attendant media crews!

In our first few days cables were being laid, stages erected, banners and flags unfurled and roads swept in anticipation. Michael was anxious – worrying that the noise and crowds would disturb his guests.

In the event it all passed peacefully enough. We saw a bit of a parade – the Cambodian Bikers Club led by some electric cars and robots – which was colourful, although we weren’t sure what the connection with the sea was.

Presumably a traditional Khmer costume?

A few singers and musicians belted out the ever-popular Asian ballads, stalls selling Kep delicacies lined the road and families laid out picnics in every available spot. Best of all – the roads were closed to traffic so we could walk to town along the road without getting run over.

Dancers perhaps?

A bunch of senior police officers stayed in the house at Bacoma, but they were friendly enough and waved cheerfully as they walked by the bungalow in the evening (with their guns and cases of beer!).

Sunsets are one of the main features in Kep so we need a few pix of them.

You can just see the naked fisher wife statue through the bottles here.

I did tell you that Kep was famous for its sunsets and crabs didn't I!?