The River’s Edge

13,148 km so far.

Samon Village, our bamboo-bungalowed home for a few days, offers a boat into town, for $1 per person. The river is between tides and calm this morning (and my bike has a flat) so we hop on the boat to take us to breakfast.

View along the river, Kampot.

Wooden taxi boat into town, Kampot.

View along the river, Kampot.

The only sound is the engine putt-putting behind us as the captain steers us slowly under the three bridges that lead to town.

On the taxi boat to town, Kampot.

Getting out on the river is a required activity in Kampot.

Since Espresso Café isn’t open (stupid New Years) we went to Epic Arts again. They have Espresso Café coffee, which is quite good, and delicious food. I could see spending a lot of time here if we stayed in Kampot.

We walked around Kampot just long enough to justify a visit to the Kampot Pie And Ice Cream Palace.

Rice paper drying in an alleyway, Kampot.

Tiny puppy or giant flip-flop? You be the judge!

Kampot home.

Much to our disappointment it was not a palace, and their ice cream and pies were not that good. It sure wasn’t House Of Pies.

Come On Baby Get Wet With Me

Samon sits on Preaeak Tuek Chhu river about 8 km inland from the Gulf Of Thailand. The river is deep, wide, and looks clean, so swimming is high on the list of activities today.

Jane’s note: Actually, swimming IS the list of activities today.

River view at Samon Village, Kampot.

There is a wooden diving board perfect for jumping from.

Diving board at Samon Village, Kampot.

In most places, jumping into the river is a great way to cool off. Around these parts, though, the river water is almost the same temperature as the air. Still, jumping into it from the diving board is fun, and refreshing, if not as cooling as you might hope.

It Takes A Village

The ‘village’ has about 23 small simple bungalows, including one tree house and one stilted house both sitting over the water. Many cabins have their own toilet and shower (made of a coconut shell as Jane mentioned yesterday).

Bikes under our cabin at Samon Village, Kampot.

Ground-level cabin ($8 a night) at Samon Village.

Cabin at Samon Village, Kampot.

There is a communal lounge / deck area with a bar and kitchen attached. From here you can watch the sun rise, have breakfast, sip fresh fruit juices, read, jump in the river again, drink cocktails, and go back to relaxing.

Over-water lounge at Samon Village, Kampot.

The Khmer economy is such that accommodation like this costs us $6 a night per person. Drinks not included.

The vibe is chilled, and the scenery unspoiled. The next few months should have a few stops like this in it, and I don’t feel bad about it at all.  ♥