Paradise Found

Three nights ago, I arrived in the small seaside town of Kep, Cambodia. I knew within an hour that this was paradise. Vanna Bungalows sits on a hillside looking over the Gulf of Cambodia. I have my own spacious (by Cambodian standards) bungalow, balcony and hammock. All with a view of the sea, islands and the occasional fishing boat. I have spent the last three days essentially doing nothing, which was the plan.

Kep is the definition of sleepy little town. It has only had electricity service for 2 years, and there are still only a few street lights. Perfect for star-gazing at night. I have seen less than 20 cars in 3 days. Mostly motorbikes, the occasional tourist tuk-tuk, and bicycles. I have rented a bike for 3 days now, and just pedal from beach to beach, then coming back to the bungalow to hang out in the hammock for a while with a pineapple shake in hand. On Friday, I was at the main beach and came across a bunch of monks out for a weekend picnic. Next, they were on the beach, stripping off multiple layers of orange monk robes, down to their orange monk shorts, and frolicking in the water. (I am really amused by monks outside their normal habitats.)

The main (ok, only) industry in Kep is seafood. I have taken full advantage of this. I had crab Thursday night, shrimp Friday for lunch, squid on Saturday, and a big 'ol fried fish (head, tail, spine and all) for lunch today. There is a row of crab shacks right on the water, where I have watched the women wade out into the water to tend to their traps, bringing the catch straight to the restaurants just a few feet away. I don't think you can find fresher seafood than this.

The only non-idyllic part about Kep is it's obvious past. There are shells of once glorious estate homes on every road, burnt out by the Khmer Rouge in the 70's. Either nature or squatters (or sometimes both) have taken over the ruins. But there are also signs of up-coming development - new hotels being built by the beach, restaurants a few notches up from the sea-side crab shacks coming in. This place will not be the same in 5 years. Maybe still paradise, but not the same.