Imagine a river. a tropical river where the sun is so very hot but in mere seconds the water can cool your body by at least 10 degrees. it is a coastal river, rising and falling with the tides of the Gulf of Thailand. there are palm mangroves reaching 30 or so feet into the damblue sky speckled with pieces of floating cotton candy. the air was sweet and filled with the joy of being near water. When we reached Kampot we had to take a boat from Kampot to where we were staying. it was a meduim sized boat. all of us were able to fit on it comfortably with our big bags. when traveling in a groups of ten this barely ever happens. we were on the river, hot bored, so ready to arive at our next living situation. in the distance there were grey shapes on the waters edge. as we got closer the reality sunk in. single room bamboo huts over the water. the rooves where made of stiched grass blades, a common sight in cambodia. I had never seen a bungalo before in my life so I was in shock. are we really staying here? I said this out loud but beacuase there were 8 girls screaming in pure joy and awe I could not hear myself. Below each bungalow emerging from the murk there was a ladder leading up to a deck with a hammock stringed across it. behind the hammock there was a wide double doors showcasing a single room with a giant bed. I really looked forward to sprawling out on that bed. this í where we would be staying for the next week.
About 1/3 of a mile up the road on the river is where Annie lives. she used to live in Colorado and now has a program where young cambodian adults teach tourists hơ to kayak and paddleboard. I can kayak pretty well but my expeirience on a extralarge inflatable surfboard with padding was very uncomfortable. One reason being when I was just graduating highschool I skipped school one day to go surfing with a couple of my close friends and almost drowned. On a side note, I didn’t know that we would be going to the beach where my grandpa’s ashes where released and I believe somehow it was connected to me not dying. So a couple years in the future I am in southeast asia struggling on the Kampot River. After we had a some hours of that I was convinced I would enjoy gliding over the water on a kayak much more.
Exploring the mangroves was my highlight of being there. shady, cool, and gentle. the many shades of wood and leaves were a sight to remember. We also met a few young adults from the area. One of them was Sela. He was a really cool guy. He and his friends run a education tour group throughout parts of cambodia. Their goal is to educate and change people’s lives with the expierience of travel. My grandfather told me about Kampot. He explained an island that is part of vietnam but so very close to Kampot. I saw this island. When we went to the bay where the Kampot River meets the ocean many new memories were created. I learned from Sela and his friends how to launch people into the air. I was them flaying up and doing flips and I just had to ask. I was easily thrown 9 feet above the water. I will deffinetely try that at home with my brothers and friends.
The sun is setting. I was sitting, watching the view from my Bungalo on the Kampot River. At the top of the sky the color os a deep purple and it fades to a pink Salmon on the left of the horizon. The clouds are splayed out across the sky in many depths and patches making the three dimensional painting of the atmosphere and heaven above the mountains straight ahead. When I Look down I see the reflection of a farmer hearding some cattle on the road on the other side of the river. I cannot see him clearly but his voice was hoarse as he yelled at his dog. Ths sun sets a tiny bit faster and later that night I found a tree lit up with bioluminesence. Firflies clung to this one tree instead of any other. I could not understand nor did I want to. They flashed and glittered while behind them the stars twinkled. a few nights later the moon was full and I could not help but thank her for the wonderful and spectacular scene of which she was a part of. Kampot was a great last place to be in While I was in Cambodia and I plan to visit someday in the near future. Maybe when I bring my grandma back to Cambodia with me after I graduate college.
Kampot was the last area in Cambodia we visited. Cambodia as a whole was very beautiful and intense. I appreciated our time in Kampot because we never really had any outdoor activities in Cambodia. I mean we had seen things outside but there is something nice about a majestic view of rows of mountains and the way the water reacts with somethings in side my heart. Cambodia is a reason why I joined Carpe Diem and I am so happy to say it changed me, my world, and how I think completely. I have learned about myself and my relationships. This has been an expireince that will impact me for the rest of my life.