Kep

Updating retrospectively as there was a power cut at the hotel in Kampot last night so no Wi-Fi. Fascinating day starting with a trip to a salt farm where we saw how the (predominantly female) workers slog away in the boiling heat lugging salt around in two baskets over their shoulders! The farmer told us that last year's salt production was terribly low due to unprecedented rainfall. Although the family own the land they're not allowed by the government to use it for anything else and receive no subsidies. Must be a really terrifying existence for them. Next we travelled through ridiculously muddy roads to see rice farming. Something like 80% of Cambodia's people are rural. Their houses are basic, no real running water and although technically they have access to electricity it's so expensive they don't really use it. A lot of the farms are still ploughed with cows and planted by hand. Next we visited a cave which had a temple within it. Then, Kep, which was an old French colonial resort. Eerie and sad to see rotting shells of once beautiful villas abadoned, but at least there's a thriving market full of fish and tons of restaurants with tasty food (Kep specialises in crab and also has a giant crab statue saying 'welcome to Kep ' submerged in the sea which is exactly as tasteful as it sounds). Finally we saw a pepper plantation which was gorgeous. It grows on vines which I hadn't realiser. You could tell these farmers were a lot better paid than those we had seen the rest of the day.the region is known for producing a great crop. Interestingly the Khmer Rouge destroyed all the pepper plants during the revolution but luckily for all of us the trade is back up and running again. Back at the hotel in Kampot we went for a delicious meal to celebrate being so bloody lucky our livelihood doesn't rely on salt.Read more