Oiling the wheels

"Christmas dinner"

28 December

Well that was interesting. We went to Vietnam yesterday - for 5 minutes. Normally at this time of year we renew our 30-day visas at the agent in Kep. This time they said it would take 3 weeks and that our passports would (probably) be back on the 11th. Seeing as we’re leaving Kep on the 12th there was no way we could risk this schedule so we decided to try a “visa run” to the Vietnam border instead. It’s a 60 minute tuk-tuk ride from here to the border at Prek Chak, along some bone-rattling dirt tracks, but we were told it would be OK to get visas - “probably” - so we gave it a go!

Our driver assured us he would wait at the border while we crossed over by foot. On the Cambodian side there’s a smart new building with “Arrivals” and “Departures” desks. Getting stamped out was straightforward once someone had woken the border guard at the departures desk. Then we wandered over no-main’s land to the Vietnamese side. As Brits, in theory we have a 15-day free visa to enter Vietnam. Fortunately, an English-speaking help helper was on hand to ease communication between border officials and tourists. We explained to her that we wanted to go straight back to Cambodia. “Ah - check in check out!” she said, “In that case you need to stay one hour … or perhaps one day …. Or you could pay $10 each”. She grinned. Needless to say we coughed up our $20 to a now smiling official at the desk - the happiest Asian policeman I’ve ever met.

Passports stamped, we headed back over no-man’s land to the posh Cambodian post, filled out visa forms, paid the regular $35 each for 30-day visas, got passports stamped again. Nearly there! Then into the “Quarantine” office. New regulations mean you have to have proof of vaccination to enter Cambodia from Vietnam. Have we got this? No, of course not. “No worries,” says the official, “for a dollar I can issue a card”. . .

We were through - and legal - and our tuk-tuk driver was waiting for us.

The countryside on the way to the border is unimpressive - flat with occasional wooded hills. This is the salt field area.

Typical village.

This village appeared to have been razed to the ground by fire.

A pretty lily pond - where our driver stopped to have a pee!

Young mangroves.

On Christmas Day we went for our now traditional walk round the Kep National Park. It's an 8 km trek through the jungle but an easy path in the shade most of the way. The French guy who devoted many years to maintaining the path and keeping the signage up to date sadly died last year. Thanks Christian.

Bits of the valley are very jungly.

Not sure what this flower is. Mark?

The path comes out on one of Kep's ridiculous highways. The best roads in Cambodia!

The pagoda

The Khmer House at Bacoma

Rabbit Island - must go again!

Hopping over to Rabbit Island

22 December

And still Christmas hasn’t arrived. But at least we did manage to get my postponed birthday treat sorted. I’ve wanted to make the trip over to Rabbit Island ever since we started coming to Kep, but Trevann hasn’t been keen. This was to be the year. We decided to do an overnighter and booked a recommended guesthouse.

The island is about 30 minutes from Kep and no more than 2 km². It basically has one beach lined with a row of laid-back cafes and bamboo huts. Our guesthouse was right at the end. It had 8 very upmarket, nicely appointed bungalows - and a couple of tiny tumbledown shacks at the end. Guess where we were staying!

Nonetheless, I loved it! The water is crystal clear and we could walk out of our hut straight into the water. As you swim along, every now and again shoals of tiny fish jump around you - it’s like swimming in sparkling water. Beautiful.

A path circumnavigates the island, with access to occasional empty sandy beaches or rocky shorelines. It brought out the marine biologist in me!

And, as ever, stunning sunsets!

The local wooden fishing boats are repurposed into ferries for the tourists.

Our "bungalow" was right on the beach

But pretty basic! Next time we'll book one of the proper ones.

Pirate bay? There were strange popping sounds from some kind of mollusc(?) here.

Yes, a fair amount of plastic pollution but that was expected

The path round the island. We didn't do all of it. Next time?

The beach outside our hut.

As always, the boatmen display impressive skills in handling their craft.

The beach is lined with these - which I thought were pandan fruit. But the Khmer tell me they are not edible so they must be something else.

Back in Kep - I like these verticals.

The fishermen wade out to sea and whack the water with sticks. They say it drives the fish into their nets. I guess they know what they're doing?

Another end to a lovely day.

It seems a long time since Christmas

16th December 2018

Three days without food has left me weak and feeble-minded but I must gather my thoughts and put out a blog or my brother will be on the warpath!

Yes, my birthday was a non-event this year as I went down with the inevitable “traveller’s diarrhoea” the day before, which wiped me out completely and sent me to bed for three days. Nevertheless, it was not an entirely unpleasant experience (in retrospect) - lying in a lovely quiet bungalow, wafted by a warm breeze through open windows, looking out at the lush green leaves waving gently among the flowers, and listening to the birds calling all around. And as Roy says, everyone living in Cambodia has to have a major purge some time.

Anyway, all over now and fortunately Trevann seems to have avoided the bug. I can build up my strength, start eating again and get on with life.

Not that life is particularly stressful and hard work here of course. We had a warm welcome back to Bacoma and are glad to find that Kep is relatively unchanged since we left in January. Not so in poor old Sihanoukville, up the coast. Having had 54 licences for Chinese casinos granted last year, Snookiville has been rapidly transformed into a huge construction site filled with gangs of knife-wielding Chinese mobsters. Worst of all, commercial and house rents have quadrupled, forcing local Khmer families and ex-pats alike out of their homes. Dreadful.

Most of the ex-pats have migrated down the coast to Kampot (between S-ville and Kep) but our friends Roy and Veasna, who have had a lovely apartment in Sihanoukville for 5 years, have decided to make the move to Siem Reap. It’ll be interesting to hear how they get on - and will give us another place to visit next year perhaps?

Yes, it seems a long long time since Christmas with Holly, Ben and Ellie back in November - and yet strangely we’re told that Christmas is still going strong at home in the UK!

Here are a few pix. Hopefully not too much repetition from previous years!

I always take this pic as we wait for the bus to Heathrow outside St Johns church, Parkstone. Tradition!

Kep beach largely unchanged since we left it

Monk was peacefully enjoying the beach

Until approached by... (t-shirt says WANNA RAISE SOME HELL?!)

The viewpoint seems to be being encased. No longer a "pier" into the sea.

One of the ruined modernist 1950s villas is being renovated

The Crab Market is Kep's major tourist attraction

First of many sunsets enjoyed!

This unwelcome guest at Bacoma had to be dispatched (by tennis racquet) because they give a fearsome bite apparently. It's about 30 cm long.

Entrance decorated for Somnang's birthday

Bacoma has a large lily pond out front. Lack of water is never a major problem here. We've had several hefty tropical downpours with thunder and lightning since arriving - and we're in the cool dry season

Somnang's 10th birthday had plenty of sparkles, balloons, cake and presents. We remember his 5th, the first year we were here.

Not sure why Trevann looks so glum!

Renovation of this ruined villa was started 5 years ago but never completed has been abandoned ever since. 

Our customary sunset beers at our favourite Seagull bar in the crab market continued until Delhi belly put a stop to that for a few days. Soon to be resumed ...

Moving on while looking back

Most conversations with people who have lived in or visited Luang Prabang over a few years start with how much it has changed. The huge influx of visitors - particularly from China - has certainly had an impact and I'm shocked to hear about the way that some tourists are apparently disrespecting the special, precious rites and customs of the city, such as the morning almsgiving, with inappropriate loud behaviour and intrusive photography.
However, much of the essence of the place is intact and family life continues in many areas of town as it has done for centuries. Our neighbour's grandmother died 2 weeks ago. Her funeral was a wonderful affair. It went on, day and night, for a full week. Half of the street outside was closed off, chairs and tables laden with food appeared and hundreds of friends and family came and went as they chose to pay respect. Sometimes they ate, sometimes played cards and drank beer; at other times they watched Charlie Chaplin movies on a big tv or some kind of boxing tournament. On the final day some monks from the local temple chanted and drummed. It was a great send-off for grandma!
So yes, I accept that LuangPrabang has changed in recent years but there's still plenty to love and celebrate.
This week we had another visit to Pha Tad Ke, the new botanical garden on the other side of the Mekong.

It's a beautiful 20-minute boat trip to get there

We scrambled up to one of the viewpoints looking over the countryside

All the trees in the arboretum have grown since we were last there

The bamboo walk is lovely

And the organic veg garden is coming along

We had a drink and enjoyed the shade in the cafe

The river water is surprisingly rough. On the way back the boat zigzagged from side to side of the river, avoiding the underwater rocks that are a real hazard in the dry season. The boatmen are incredibly skilful

Another day we took a tuktuk out to the village we used to stay in. It was slightly spooky and sad to see our beloved bungalow reduced to ruins in the jungle

The beautful bourgainvillea that used to grow up our balcony is now just a shrub in the undergrowth

The whole resort has gone in just 3 years.

The entrance to what was Khone and Khoun's Bungalows

But it was lovely to see the familiar mountains

And the village has a brand new pagoda

It always amuses me to see this logo - lifted directly from ... I wonder who!?

We used to get our lettuces from this farmer. Still immaculate!

Back in town we enjoyed a meal with the lovely Max and Sai and baby Meo

And picked up the beautiful jacket that Mone and Keo, the Weaving Sisters, made for me

Trevann played them a few songs!

I think this guy is harvesting ant eggs, rather than fruit.

Trevann did a few songs at the Deckhouse but my camera was not good enough to capture the lovely setting with Mount Phousi temple in the background

One of the prettiest temples

I saw this lizard near the old bridge. Apparently it's Calotes versicolor, which is a common species in SE Asia.

When I got home I realised that the garden here is swarming with them too. I just never realised!

We're not particularly relishing the transition from 40 degrees to a predicted minus 8 in two days' time but it has to be done! A few duvet days may be in order.

See you on the other side...