Whoosh - time flies by

24 December 2019
We meet all sorts here at Bacoma, including plenty of adventurous travellers, like the Swiss couple who have just driven overland from Europe in their motorhome, or Bob and Margaret who sold up their family home in Shipley and are heading gradually towards New Zealand, or Clare and Derek with no end date for their trip. We sometimes feel very staid in our low-movement lifestyle. Hardly even slow travellers!
Nevertheless - we're very comfortable here. My initial reservations about developments in Kep soon passed. The pace of change is - and is likely to remain - quite slow. The regional governor has dictated that Kep should be developed as an "eco-tourism" resort, which encourages me to think that the National Park and green Kep should be OK.
Mind you the new toilet block didn't last long!

Our annual trip to Rabbit Island provided a change of scenery last week. Thinking about the current fashion for "rewilding", I imagine that the vegetation of the island is probably natural and unmanaged by humans. Although it is inhabited there's no evidence of farming and the people who live there are traditionally fisherfolk.

Rabbit Island beach - a peaceful spot with no traffic other than the boats.

Our bungalow is right on the beach (there's no tide to speak of), which is perfect for swimming whenever we feel like it. There's limited electricity (6-10 at night) and no hot showers!

The Rabbit Island "pier" has seen better days.

Pirate bay, Rabbit Island

Rabbit Island groundcover.

Lots of grasses.

Back in Kep, this is "home".

Our bungalow

Some days we walk down to the Crab Market, accompanied by our faithful protector Spock, for a beer on the seawall at sunset.

Having an intelligent conversation!

I keep trying in vain to catch these big butterflies with the camera.

They will not sit still!

This guy on our orchid, on the other hand, sits stock still for hours.

And this one (Trevann's pic).

We had never been before to visit the King's villa, which sits, abandoned, on a hill at the end of Kep beach, but noticed that the gates were unlocked and the gardens being tended. 

It is still unused but has beautiful views over the bay.

On Human Rights Day, which is a public holiday, a coach-load of monks and students arrived to do a litter pick on the beach. Encouraging.

What Cambodian families enjoy more than anything else is a picnic by the beach. Shaded palm leaf platforms, hammocks and picnic mats. Lovely!

Paradise Regained

7th December 2019
We travelled a week earlier this year, arriving in Cambodia on the 25th November. This was to avoid the hot weather in March by bringing our three months forward a week. Or at least that's our excuse. With the climate in the UK at the moment it's no great loss to leave it.

Bags are packed, we're ready to go

The journey was uneventful - we've done it before - finishing in a 3-hour taxi ride from Phnom Penh, dozily taking in the views across the flat plains of Cambodia until the green tree-covered hills of Kep come into sight and we catch glimpses of the sparkling ocean.
We were happy to find everyone well at Bacoma, except for our guide and protector Spock, top dog, who has had a seriously infected ear. He wore the "cone of shame" for a few days and looked thoroughly miserable.

Our first walk around the block brought a few surprises. The Pearl of Kep is under construction on what was a quiet, unmade road at the back of Bacoma. We saw the signs last year but plans don't necessarily translate into action in these parts. It'll be a big building right on the edge of the national park.

And along the sea front the ancient wild almond trees framing magnificent views of the Gulf of Thailand have been replaced with a row of rooves.

Apparently this is to be a new nightmarket, complete with coach parking, swimming pools and regimented rows of cars and trees. Khmer idea of modern life.

Meanwhile, sadly, the progress made last year in cleaning up the litter and plastic rubbish has gone into reverse. There are piles of garbage all along the seafront. I admit we felt a bit downhearted.
And then to cap it all, our favourite sunset bar had stopped selling BeerLao! What were we to do!?

Thankfully, nature then supplied a magnificent sunset and our spirits revived. The Crab Market is unchanged and they've built a curious "bandstand" next to the new sewage plant and public toilets where we can sit and enjoy a takeout beer. Not quite the same ambience as The Seagull, but it has the same view!

The Crab Market

The bandstand with new cafe in a large concreted space. Curious design, no greenery, separated from the market by walls. A bit bleak!

But a pleasant picnic spot

And good sunset viewpoint

We walk most days. Checking out familiar routes in the sunshine. At other times Trevann is working on his songs while I enjoy the hammock in the garden. It takes a few days to slow down but after that it's very easy to while away the time, reading, writing, studying, listening to podcasts etc. Sometimes we even talk to fellow travellers. And of course there's the ever-important pool tournament. Currently I'm winning one series to nil. But Trevann has drawn level in the second series and we're neck and neck!

Wonderful bourgainvillea

The Bacoma garden - lush and green

Gradually the ruined 1950s villas get restored and brought back into use.

This one in the centre of town still looks quite structurally sound

I was pleased to see this sign announcing restoration of the king's villa as a cultural heritage site

The villa sits on the promontory at one end of the beach

Its garden has already been cleared of undergrowth and replanted

I'm a sucker for a good sunset.

Return to Nong Khiaw

27 February

I don’t suppose any of you will have noticed that we’re staying away a week longer than normal. In past years we’ve returned on or around 1st March. This year we thought we'd treat ourselves to a little extra time. What’s interesting is that whereas a few days ago we were in Cool Dry Season, with mild misty mornings and cold nights, this week quite suddenly the Hot Season has arrived. By mid morning the temperature is already up to mid-30s and we return from our regular walk to get baguettes, hot, sweaty and ready to retreat indoors under the fan (we don’t generally do air conditioning).

So - just another week to go and then we’re off to Bangkok overnight before the flight to Heathrow and home.

We’ve done a couple of little trips this month. First over the river to Chomphet for a walk through the woods to the old temples on the other side of the Mekong. Always a lovely peaceful thing to do. Then we took the bus up to Nong Khiaw, about 3 hours away along a dusty bumpy road to the north of Luang Prabang. Two nights there and then a boat trip up river to lovely Muong Ngoi for a night before returning to LP.

F

Foraging is a national pastime in Laos. Here, our friend Noi is picking bitterweed for her evening meal.

It's related to cucumber and the flowers, leaves and fruit are all eaten - but bitter!

Common Caleotes lizard in our garden

Trip to Chomphet

Crossing the Mekong on the local boat ferry is always an Experience. Our ferry was loaded with a huge lorry filled with bricks! Nervous? Moi?

This tough looking farmer's wife and her dreamy kid took it all in their stride

There are some lovely old temples in woodland setting on the banks of the river

Since we were last here these fiercesome guardians have been added and the path up through the woods has been given a concrete surface and steps so it's no longer quite the scramble it used to be 

Back at the Greenhouse, Noi's son Scott Luis and Trevann are peaceably engaged in their separate worlds

Trip to Nong Khiaw and Muang Ngoi

This is Nong Khiaw - the view from our bungalow. The small town (pop. 4000) is on both sides of the river Ou, and connected by a massive concrete bridge built by the Chinese

Peanuts! Nobody ever believes that peanuts grow underground. They are a common crop along the banks of rivers round here.

Our bungalow is perfect.

In the mornings the mist takes a while to lift and the air is quite cool.

Riverside bungalow

Sorry - another butterfly!

A new road has been carved out of the hillside since we were last here so we walked along it towards the next village. Massive limestome karsts

After 2 nights in NK we queued with other travellers to board a river boat with a humongous roaring engine 

The river is fast-flowing with rapids and plenty of jagged rocks. Hence the need for horsepower!

These kids were waiting for our boat to get out of the way so they could get back in the river where they had been swimming and playing

Our room at Muang Ngoi had the best view ever!

Water buffalo wallowing

An ants nest in a frangipani tree

The three ancient temples in Muang Ngoi (pop. 700) were destroyed by US bombers during the Vietnam War. This one was rebuit in the 1970s.

My idea of paradise - a high street with no traffic!

Sunset

All the locals were so relaxed around boats, river, etc. Completely at home on land or water.

Rush hour in Muang Ngoi