A lovely town near the coast of Cambodia, Kampot is divided by the Mekong River running through it and flanked by beautiful deep green mountains. On one side of the river is the centre of the town, with its market, many general stores, guesthouses, and numerous pubs and restaurants. Higher up and on the other side one finds the nicer, more laid-back and pretty riverside resorts and guesthouses (this area is generally where the backpackers choose to stay; albeit a very uneventful spot). Only late at night do some of the resorts blast music from their small riverside bars. This section of the Mekong River is also the first one that we have found that swimming is encouraged (it might be because this is the cleanest we've ever seen the Mekong). We mustered up the courage to jump into the opaque waters a few times, but eventually the odd smell discouraged us.

Our days were spent mostly reading, going for a very brief dip in the river,and having afternoon beers and cheap street-side meals. We discovered a nice little stall within the central market that dished up the yummiest soups for very cheap; whilst on the corner of another street there was a locally-owned place that saw us return more than 5 times! It served lot, which is a fat short rice noodle; and kachay cakes, which we believe are little potato cakes stuffed with chives. Delicious!

We had chosen to stay at Olly's place, where we got to call a little grass-thatched bungalow our home for a few nights. Olly's was a very peaceful spot, which made lounging all day a pleasant affair. Each morning we'd do some exercise, go for a swim, and then have our two cups of coffee (the staff soon learnt our routine!).

The river promenade within town was a lovely place to go for a stroll, with such beautiful views of the river and local life around sunset. The town itself has some interesting shops - bakeries, a family run "cinema" that serves Chinese dumplings and noodles, a bookstore, many pizzerias, and clothing outlets. Walking about the streets and viewing the old colonial architecture being put to use was also pleasant. Around dusk everyday the little street-food vendors would set up shop, offering Cambodian desserts such as pumpkin in custard, or the Khmer staple meal - rice porridge with meat and veggies.

One particular morning we hopped onto our scooter and drove along the beautiful rural countryside to visit Phnom Chhnork. This small mountainous hill boasts a cave that houses a very ancient Buddha shrine within. It was rather wonderful to see: after climbing 203 steps, one arrives at the mouth of the cave, with its famous elephant-shaped stalactite and wall image. Down a few stairs and one sees the small but well-preserved shrine, with more stalactites within. And then the fun starts - a crawl and walk through the hill's interior, created by a few caves. A very dark but interesting expedition! The views around the hill were gorgeous too - bright green rice fields, little rural homes, and veggie patches put together like a large quilt.

On Saturday we had a cup of coffee early in the morning, and then made the short and scenic journey to the nearby town called Kep.