CAMBODIA
wanderlust.co.uk October 2019 75Thenextmorningthetrain
southlurchedoutofPhnomPehn
90 minuteslate.Thistimeitwas
almostfullwithbackpackersontheir
waytotheislands.Unlikethem,
IwouldstopenrouteatKampot–
anoldFrenchriverportonthePreaek
TuekChhuriver,andBokormountain
wheretheFrench,inwhitelinen
suits,retreatedfromthesweltering
summersuntosipcocktailsand
gambleintherelativecool.
IwalkedaroundKampotinunderan
hour.Itwasamereclusterofstreets
- theprettiestsatfacingtheriverfront
withbalconiedfacades.Manyhad
beenconvertedintoartyrestaurants,
decoratedwithgrainyblack-and-
whitesandantiquecrafts.Withsoftly
swirlingceilingfansAtelierlooked
particularlyenticing.Ipromised
myselfIwouldeattherelater.
Butfirst,Bokor.Ihiredamotorbike
fromoneofthelittlerentalshopsin
thebackstreetsandwassoonrushing
pastblackpepperplantationsfragrant
withbloomingpepperflowersand
fieldswherelocalsinconicalhats
pluckedred-chilliesfromthevines.
After 20 minutesIbegantowind-up
thehairpinbendswhichcutthrough
Bokor’sforestedslopes.Istoppedto
seegreenmagpiesflittingthroughthe
treesandmacaquesgroomingeach
otherintheshade.
Finally,Ireachedapasswhere
ahugestatueoflocalBuddhisthero
YeayMaostands.Legendhasitthat
shegaveherlifetosaveherhusband
andnowsitsforalleternitylooking
outovertheedgeoftheescarpment.
IreachedtheoldFrenchcasinoafter
another 10 minutes–aspittledruin
inscrubbybushland.Althoughthe
buildingwasnotmuchtosee,the
viewlookingoutoverthehazy
lowlandstotheblueSouthChinasea
certainlywas.
ThenextdayImotorbikedto
PhnomChhngokwherearockypath
broughtmeintoanemptycavern
andatinyKhmertemplelostunder
drippingstalactites.Andinthe
eveningIfinallyvisitedAtelierand
atebig,juicytigerprawnscookedin
atangygreenpeppersauceasthe
sunsankovertheriver.Endoftheline
FinallyitwastimeforSihanoukville
andthetownsandbeachesofthe
southcoast.Wegotthereslowly.At
onepointthetrainwasovertakenby
aboyonabicycle,racingalong
aleveenexttoalotuspond,histoddler
sisterbalancedonthehandlebars.
Sihanoukvillewasthefirstuglyplace
I’dseen,packedwithtouristsand
backpackersnursinghangoverson
thetawdry,plastic-coveredbeach,
hugegroupsofChinesecrowding
intocasinos,withcranesand
concretemixerseverywhere.This
wasatouristboomtowninthe
making.IleftonthefirstboatIcould
forKohSamloen–anislandyou
couldwalkacrossinhalf-an-hour.
ThatafternoonIswunginmy
hammockoutsidemyair-conditioned
bungalow,mojitoinhand.The
soothingliltofBobMarley-reggae
driftedacrossthesandfrom
aflashpackerbeachbar.Itseemed
alongwayfromthehidden
CambodiaI’dtravelledthroughon
mytwoweekrailadventure.Butwith
turquoisewavesgentlylappingwhite
pepper-sandandpalm-fronds
swayingagainstapowder-bluesky,
thiswastheperfectendoftheline.‘My faith in humanity was
restored at the Phnom Tamao
Wildlife Rescue Centre’