Different Trails

BOKOR (Day 22 - part 1)

Our tour began with a 1 1/2 hour drive to Kampot.

Just outside of town, we were lucky to intercept a tour truck on its way up the mountain, so we hopped in. The trip was quite bumpy and the seat left a lot to be desired in terms of comfort, but about an 90 minutes later, we arrived.

Located in the Dâmrei Mountains, Preah Monivong Bokor National Park was established in 1993 and covers almost 550 square miles. Most of the park is above 3,000 feet in elevation. It's named after King Sisowath Monivong who liked to visit the area and eventually died here in 1941.

It's famous for Bokor Hill Station. This is a collection of buildings built by French colonialists in 1921 who wanted to create a remote retreat to escape the heat and humidity of the lower lands. Unfortunately, over 900 people (Cambodian indentured servants) died during the nine months of its construction. The centerpiece was the grand Bokor Palace Hotel (1925). There is also a Catholic church (1928).

Bokor Hill was abandoned in late 1940s during the First Indochina War. Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953 and the resort town was reopened in 1962, but this time it was filled by Cambodia's upper class. It abandoned again in 1972 when it was overrun by the Khmer Rouge. During the Vietnamese invasion in 1979, they used it as their stronghold.

We first wandered through a few of the old villas. There were many more in the area but we were warned that there might still be live land mines scattered about from various past wars... so don't ever explore off the main path!

We then set our for a two hour walk through the thick jungle. We had to dodge log branches and thorny vines, hop over logs and navigate the uneven terrain.

Flowers .... and a carnivorous pitcher plant

These red currants were edible and VERY yummy! You just sucked it out of the skin.

Eventually we left the forest and crossed a large plain.

Remains of the old bridge .... and the current one

When we arrived at our destination, our tour guides were waiting there for us. They had driven out with a picnic lunch. Unfortunately they failed to bring any water, so no one was super interested in eating.

We walked another few minutes over to Popokvil waterfall. It was currently the dry season, so nothing was flowing.

Cambodia has three seasons:
- a cool season (Nov - Jan)
- a dry, very hot season (Feb - April)
- a rainy season (May - Oct)

We all piled in the trucks and drove 15 minutes back to the historic Bokor Palace Hotel. Mist moved about in large, thick clouds. It was quite a spooky place! Perhaps the creepiest part of the area was the absolute 100% silence. There were no birds, no traffic, no sounds at ell except for some faint wind and an occasional bug. Our ears actually rang from it.

The old church in the distance .... A cement umbrella