6/7 – We’ve been doing lots of relaxing in the heat.  June is supposed to be the beginning of Cambodia’s wet season, but there has been only one brief rain shower, and the sun came right back out.

We eat breakfast at the guesthouse every morning (omelettes and baguettes, very French) and alternate the rest of our meals between the small restaurant across the street, purchases from tiny stands nearby, and the occasional splurge at the French restaurant at the guesthouse (excellent cuisine, but three times what we are used to paying for a meal).  The people outside the guesthouse gates are living at a pretty basic level, and we like to spread our purchases out so that the most people benefit.  We noticed that some of the women who run the stands lack basic arithmetic skills – they can tell you the price of each item, but cannot add them up for a total.  Maybe folks here only buy one thing at a time?

Here’s our favorite small restaurant.  Beef and assorted fried vegetables ( I love the morning glory especially) with rice and a pot of tea, $2.00.

Jim negotiating for some fruit. 

As we returned from a shopping excursion with a small plastic bag, our host stopped us to inquire what was in the bag.  We showed him our little watermelon, and he apologized for asking.  It seems that the Asian folks in one of the other bungalows had brought home a durian, and left the rinds in the room overnight.  He said the bungalow now stinks so bad he won’t be able to rent it out for a week at least!  Sooner or later, I will try this fruit, I promise. Our delicious and not smelly watermelon, about the size of a softball:

6/9 – Today we walked down the dusty road toward the Gulf of Thailand.  We are not close to Kep’s swimming beach, but wanted to take a look at the water.  Aren’t the clouds beautiful?

There is no beach here, and vegetation grows right up to the water’s edge.

A fishing / crabbing boat:

A family’s waterfront home.

A flame tree and a zebu (bony white cow).

Another fine day.