Countryside Touring

We had a lazy morning consisting of an English and a French breakfast (the owner of the place we are staying is French, as are most of the other guests we have met). She kindly helped us to organise renting a scooter for the day ($6 including two helmets) which arrived just after 10am ready for our day to start, and also a handwritten map of the best route to follow.
We headed straight to the gas station to fill up $3 of fuel (we asked for 5 but no more would fit) and then onto the quiet backstreets of Kep, through fishing villages and into the countryside. The scenery was beautiful with salt fields and distant mountains to our left and mangroves and the sea to our right. We followed the road past rice paddies until we got to the main road where after some confusion we headed in the wrong direction for 10km before realising and heading straight back the way we came, then back on the small roads to find our first stop.
Here, a deaf local assumed the tour guide position and led us up what felt like thousands of stairs, stopping only at two "offering stations" (aka tip-for-later stations) before leading us down into a cave with hundred of bats on the roof and "elephant" stalagmites. He explained with actions something about fighting in the cave. Next he took us up more steps to another, smaller cave to show us more bats. Here David faced his nemesis, the huge millipede. Finally he took us to a small temple where we got a perfect view across the landscape and hid in the shade for a few moments before handing the guy his dues and heading back down to the bike.
We continued via the rice paddies, crossing a railway line and headed towards the "secret" lake. We stopped for some local grub and a pineapple shake overlooking the lake before arriving at "La Plantation", a pepper farm. The Kampot area of Cambodia is famous for its pepper production and even has a protected designation of origin (PDO) by EU. We had a explanation of the different types of pepper (green, red, white and black as well as the long pepper, flower of the salt (Fleur de sel) and turmeric that they also produce). We were able to taste the different types before having a tour around the plantation.
By this time it was late afternoon and we were slightly concerned about getting back before dark so headed straight back, no detours this time. The countryside seemed to get even more beautiful under the colour of the setting sun. We got back a little quicker than expected so Kerry had a go at riding the scooter outside of our place under close instruction of David.
We have spent the evening chilling out in the restaurant, having dinner and unfortunately filling in forms - though it does mean that Kerry has another job offer to consider in NZ!Read more