Another beautiful day in paradise, round 30 deg and sunny
The Crickets
On the trip from Phnom Phen to Kep, we stopped off at a roadside stall so we could try deep fried crickets.
Crickets in dish
Crickets cooking
Annie with crickets
Both of us tried one. An interesting taste, not at all unpleasant, but I still think I prefer KFC.
Just as I was think this, along came…
I still find birds of all stripes, and the chooks of Cambodia are particularly colourful.
There was one rooster in a cage, and by the look of the spurs, more likely to be a fighting cock.
Temple
First destination is a ruined temple dating from the 12th Century.
Part of adventure was taking the courage to pass through the entrance, propped up by a wooden pole
Also in obligatory attendance, were the locals, in need of some money. They ranged in age from teens, to what looked like 90s, by Vutta said were round 60
Pepper plantation
Next stop was a pepper plantation- I now think I know far more about pepper than I ever need to know.!!!
Our guide was a young French girl who was working as a a volunteer ether for a month. Cambodia grows the best peppers in the world.
Peppers like heat, but not sun.
Vines take four years until they can be harvested.
When first picked, peppercorns are green. and need to packed quickly. Once the bottle is opened, they will last 6 months in the fridge.
Most peppercorns are dried to become our common black peppercorns
4th Century Shrine
Next stop was a 4th Century shrine. We were warned that were over 100 steps to it, but not that the 6.5km bus trip in would take nearly an hour.
The road was a narrow dirt road, ver corrugated with loads of potholes.
After climbing the steps up the side of the steep hill, there were more steps down to the shrine. The shrine is inside a very tall cavern, with stalactites ans stalagmites.
Certainly well worth the bus trip and the steps.
Bungalows for tonight
Ours was up the hill, bit of a hike, and there steps up are not something I want to tackle after a few drinks
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