Home Is Where the Heart Is

“We leave something of ourselves behind when we leave a place, we stay there, even though we go away. And there are things in us that we can find again only by going back there.” - Pascal Mercier


“The ache for home lives in all of us. The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” - Maya Angelou

My Humble Abode in Kampot

Home is not in Kampot, but I have definitely loved living here for a while.  My time in Kampot has been spent living in an apartment next to Little Garden Guest House right on the river front.  It's an old building and inside this is evident with cracked and crumbly walls.  It has a charm about it I like though, and the little terrace outside where the children from the HIV outreach programme come for lunch each day is a beautiful spot to sit.  Most of the time during the day I leave the door open (mosquito shutter closed) to let in the balmy breeze.  It's likely the centre will be moving because the house is so old and in need of rebuilding now but it's been 5* for me living here since moving on from Kampong Speu. 

The Terrace:

A Rainy Day Outside My Apartment:

The Living Area:

The Bookshelf with Resources for the Kids:

The Kitchen:

The Washroom (Cambodian take on a wet room?!) :

The Bedroom:

My 'Wardrobe':

Nearly 3 months on and I'm still living out my backpack.

So there it is; my humble abode in Kampot, Cambodia!  Where do you like to stay when travelling - hostels/ guest houses/ home stays/ hotels/ apartments... ?  Or maybe you live out a tent? Whatever it is, I'd love to hear! Is there an amazing place you stayed that you'll never forget?...

Can You Pass the Pepper Please?

Kampot is renowned for it's pepper and it is exported to both Western and Asian countries.  In all honesty it has never occurred to me where pepper originates from or how it's grown, that is until I came to Kampot!  It is the rainy season in Cambodia now and after an unusually hot and dry spell last week the rains arrived and it was extremely wet - I was worried I wouldn't get into the countryside to see the pepper plantation before I leave here, but lucky for me the rains have stopped for now and this weekend has been lovely and sunny with a welcome breeze too!

So, with my good luck, off I went to visit the Kampot pepper plantation and have a tour of the beautiful countryside, including some limestone caves.  

The Kampot Province of Cambodia:

*Please note this (edited) photo is not my own

The Mountain Where the Caves Are:

 

The 'Bridge' Across to the Caves:

View From Climbing up the Mountain Before Going Into the Caves:

Heading Down Into the Caves:

'The Elephant'

The Shrine Inside the Cave:

The Limestone Formations of the Cave:

Starling Farm | Kampot Pepper

Starling Ridge Plantation Resort, Kampot:

The Pepper Plants:

Drying the Pepper:

At Starling Farm they grow black, red, white and green pepper. 

The Mango Trees at Starling Farm:

The Track Down the Mountain, Back to Kampot:

 The Rice Paddies Are Starting to Turn Green:

I hope you enjoyed this post and next time you're at dinner and ask someone to "pass the pepper please" maybe its humble origins in Cambodia will cross your mind...