My journey to Kampot went smoothly.
Just like the past two days.
The Journey
I was quite tired on Sunday afternoon, so I needed a nap. However, I knew full well that trying to sleep then would be a mistake—I planned to wake up at 5:00 AM, and I know exactly how an afternoon nap pushes back the time I fall asleep at night.
So, I didn’t lie down. I worked on my “real wife”—at least, that’s how a friend of mine identified my laptop a few weeks back—until 4:30. Then, I took one last shower at the great hotel. By 5:00, I was already out on the street.
I had to walk 3.5 km to the bus. I waited there for half an hour. Then came another surprise: the bus actually departed on time. Everything is so different in this country. For starters, the travel agency employee gave a speech to the passengers—first in Khmer, then repeating the whole thing for the only Western passenger: me. He thanked us for choosing their company, outlined the stops, and even specified exactly where the bus would pull over. Honestly, I hadn’t been used to this sort of thing over the past year—precise information and punctual departures. On top of that, the guy politely asked me to please fasten my seatbelt.
I slept through the entire journey. I was so dead tired that falling asleep wasn’t hard. I woke up twice—once at the halfway stop. Then, at the words “Sir, we have arrived,” spoken right to my blank face.
Kampot
This city is very different. After Saigon—and the much friendlier Phnom Penh—this small town seems vastly more beautiful.
After getting off the bus, I messaged my friend to let him know I’d arrived, and he immediately directed me to a restaurant where we could meet. The place was called the “Magic Sponge.” It was a charming spot owned by an older man from Alaska. The restaurant wouldn’t be particularly noteworthy if we hadn’t gone back the next day. That’s when the owner, grinning from ear to ear, told us it was his last day; he was closing up at eight that evening to set off on a trip around the world. He had sold the place. Since the atmosphere was special on both days—and the food delicious—I responded instinctively: I was lucky to have experienced the vibe of the place during its final days.
From there, we headed to the chosen hotel—or rather, the hotel my friend had picked out. We ended up sitting at the reception for two and a half hours. The young girl on duty didn’t know when the boss would be back. We didn’t make a fuss about the wait; I chatted with a friend back in Hungary, keeping up our usual two-hour Monday ritual. But once we finished, we left the place. In the meantime, we had found other accommodation.
So, here we are now. It’s an excellent spot by the river. There’s a pool in the courtyard, though I don’t usually use pools—the last time I swam in one was in Ninh Binh. The shared room has twelve beds. The room is huge. So are the beds. The room—and the four adjoining shower stalls—are so great that I immediately thought it would be worth spending a whole week here.
We didn’t do much on Monday; we just talked, ate, and had some beer. It was perfect just the way it was.
The Boat
We spent the last two days—Tuesday and today—working on my friend’s boat. I had offered to help with the renovation, so for the past two days, I’ve been painting it. We’re enjoying each other’s company, and I share his delight in seeing the surroundings transform day by day.
Today, three young Cambodian boys played around the boat all morning. We’re working in a harbor where people live and work all day long. It was lovely to hear their voices; they spent the whole day giggling, playing tag, and having fun around us.
Then, they decided to take over the boat itself, claiming the deck as their own. They asked a million questions and chattered away, though, unfortunately, we couldn’t understand a word of it. Then, they discovered a common language: Spider-Man and Messi. We understood those names and could respond to them. At one point, the fun turned into the kind of wild frenzy that often comes with carefree play. One of the little guys jumped onto the freshly painted railing and then down onto the deck. His little soles left cute white footprints all over the surface. My friend wasn’t exactly thrilled about that. Luckily, I had explained to him yesterday why we needed thinner for the painting and for cleaning the brushes, so he had bought some gasoline this morning—which is what they use as thinner here. That gave us a way to clean up the footprints.
Interestingly, the work on the boat left me with sore thigh muscles—mostly because the boat isn’t balanced yet. This means it can rock quite strongly and intensely. My leg is working all day long to maintain balance, and it has gotten tired. It’s interesting: when I walk 30 km in a day, I don’t get sore muscles, but here, after just two days, I can really feel the muscles working.
On both days, we worked until around noon. Then a bit of rest, followed by a short nap. Then work in the afternoon. And in the evenings, dinner and conversation.
The Rain
It’s monsoon season here. It rains every day—hard and heavily. It’s a good thing I have a pair of slip-on sandals. I have Saigon to thank for them. I looked under the bed there when I first checked into my accommodation and realized the last time it had likely been cleaned was back in the Stone Age. Then, when I was leaving—as is my habit—I checked again to make sure I hadn’t left anything behind. Out of all the heaps of stuff I own. LOL. That’s when I found a pair of genuine Crocs. I kept them, thinking they might come in handy someday. Well, they certainly have now.
It rains so much that the sidewalk at our accommodation sometimes disappears, and we have to wade through ankle-deep water to get in from the parking lot.
We’ve done a lot of riding in the rain over the past two and a half days, since we have to head out whenever we want to eat or buy something. There’s no point waiting for the rain to stop here, though.
Fortunately, neither of us minds getting soaked to the skin several times a day.
The locals are very kind, and many of them speak English.
I’ll get to know the city better over the coming days, but based on my initial impressions, this place is likely to remain an unforgettable memory.
I am grateful to be here.
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