Day 7: - Kampot (Bokor Hill)
I awoke in pitch darkness. I felt around as cautiously as possible for my handphone or watch. I cringed at every little sound I made because they resonated so loudly in complete silence. The flash of light that the handphone gave out was so bright that I rushed to cover it with my hand.
I used the handphone as a torchlight and felt about for my toiletries. Because the generator is switched off after 9.30 a.m, I was freaking proud of being able to put my contact lens in without a mirror, in pitch darkness. I found the bicycle torchlight that Gan uses and trying to make as little sound as possible, I slipped out of bed and felt my way around. I didn't even dare to use the torchlight lest I wake the other occupants of the room.
However once I succeeded in getting out of the room, I had to return back for my towel which I had forgotten and had to somehow cover my stuff so that they weren't so exposed though I doubt anybody would bother to rummage them in complete darkness and stillness.
To keep the noise level down, I chose the toilet outside instead of the one inside the building because with the stillness of the surroundings, they definitely would be able to hear the water splashing, sloshing and the running of the pipes.
Bathing at 6 a.m. in an enclosed area with only a torchlight for solace was quite an experience. The toilet bowl was 90 degrees to the sink and mirror, opposite to the crude shower facilities. I placed the torchlight on the cistern and I was startled everytime I caught sight of myself in the cracked mirror. However gradually I got used to it. Initially, I was half-expecting a face to appear in the mirror beside me or something and I was actually looking out for it so I can grab my clothes and run out. I gradually got amused at the pathetic state of my mind and decided that it was a nice little toilet after all albeit with only a torchlight to throw eerie shadows around.
There was no hot water. (-_-")
Once again, I was glad for my rashes that allowed me to brave the cold water in the cold hilly air.
As I brushed my teeth, I kept my gaze on the mirror and scrutinised my surroundings, taking note of the dreary surroundings, while wondering if a face is yet to pop out.
However I finished my washing up without much fanfare and had to tip-toe back into the dormitory again. So I put my stuff down and tip-toed out with only a towel hanging around my neck. I walked around for a while and it got light enough to see.........the mists was coming....
And so I tried to tip-toe back in to rummage for my camera. Gan said that I woke everybody. I think it was all the coming in and going out of the dormitory. I couldn't help it. I tried to be quiet but the door squeaks and even the slightest shuffle of my flip-flops bounces off one wall to the next to explode beside their ears.
... and hey.. they should be glad that I woke them..the view was fantastic lor...
*not contrite at all !!
I took a few pictures outside of the ranger station and I was about to head off for the casino when I decided that I probably should let Gan know that I was going off. I mean if I get trapped by the ghouls there she will have to mount a search party because I don't think she will step foot in there to rescue me.
I thus tried my best to tip-toe back in but I think by then she was already awake. I whispered that the mist is outside and asked if she wanted to go. She wanted to wash up so I headed back out and took in the surroundings while glancing at where she was to appear....impatiently.
I mean...how long does it take to wash up?!!
I went some distance, not too far, so she could still see follow when she is out. And then.. we set off. Gan lumbered.....(-_-")
Her
And Gan whined....possibly because I was so impatient and mean.
We took lots of photos along the way and most of them were after the sky has already brightened. The skies brighten pretty fast after dawn and washing up plus walking (I think we took the long route too...) allowed for only pictures of daytime mist. That's sad because the scenery in shadows and mists were really something.. really special. Ah well.. not as if my camera was good enough to capture them anyway...BOO !!
As you can see, the day has considerably brightened. This picture was taken after we had set off.
Gan perched on the cliff and knowing that she will refuse to set foot in the old casino, I went in alone. As the cover of the mist was so heavy, I didn't know when I will be back and told her to head back herself if I do not return in half an hour at 7.30 a.m. She said that it would be impossible for me not to return in time as the casino was but a short distance away.
It was good that the rock space she chose to perch on was opposite this derelict structure beside the path so I could easily find her again. Leaving her behind, I set forth and within a few steps, it got impossible to spot her. I couldn't see anything except the path and visibility was down to 3 metres at most I think.
As I plodded along, I was acutely aware of how alone I was on the path. I couldn't see much except for the soft glow of the morning sun and a little of the path. I turned back to look and the path disappeared as if the mists were eager to hide all traces of has-been.
I wondered when I would reach the casino until its faint outline appeared from the depths of the mists. Having been around the whole area the day before, I knew that everything was within proximity of each other but the mists made everything appear individual. Logically, one could not get lost but in the mists, it was as though I had stepped into another dimension and everything near was made out of reach.
It sounds weird but I was relieved when I saw the casino.
I went in.I know it sounds crazy but I went in there alone, mists and all.
I have no idea why and how I have the guts to do it. When the mists came, the only thought that occured was I should go to that place. Perhaps it was the notion of taking otherworldly pictures. perhaps it was just plain spite because maybe deep down the place gives the creeps. I don't quite know.
All I know is, when I went in, I felt quite all right in the place. I even sat on a ledge for a while. After that I possessed a one-track mind to take pictures from the roof and headed there. Of course I took pictures of the interior along the way but I did not know why I didn't take more if I was so obsessed with that place. Thinking back, I realised I should have because the pictures I've taken, I realise that the pictures I've taken are hardly enough to reveal the character of the place.
It must be because my mind focused so much on taking pictures from the roof that I didn't think to take other pictures.
While trying to capture good pictures of the sun (it was difficult because the mist would swirl around it relegating it to a mere pin-prick), I became aware of my surroundings. Much like how crickets in the forest suddenly get louder or like how when I am in half-slumber and I know that I was closer to being awake than asleep, something within me just awakened and I was suddenly very much aware of the silence, of the shifting glow of the sun, of the fact that I was alone right there and then.
I decided to head back down.
And then when I got disoriented in the maze of the corridors, a little panic arose. I laughed silently at my silliness when the thought that the house didn't want me to go pop up in my head and there and then, the way out became evident.
I suspect, as always, I have to do something to prove that I am the master of my fear and despite my uneasiness of being unable to walk out immediately, I took pictures and a short video of what is to be my last encounter with the casino.
However I think I was still startled at being disoriented in the casino and with the mist hiding almost everything, I mistakenly thought that Gan's perch was after the derelict house and walked past her. She must have been keeping an eye out for me though because she called out and lost in my one-track mind scouring for her, it gave me a little jolt.
She skipped from the rocks and cheerily said that I was going to walk past her. Yeah.. I didn't see her at all and it didn't help that she had on a black jacket.
We set for the ranger station. Gan plodded and took pictures and videos which she wasn't even concentrating on because she was trying too hard to make sure of her footing. Half-way, exasperated, I walked back to her and checked out the shaky footages. I shrieked at her when I thought she was taking such a long time because she was taking shaky footages that she wasn't even looking at. She shrieked at me when I said it looked like the 'Blair Witch Project'. We made a good pair. Haha !!
And it was good when we finally arrived back at the ranger station. V.Dad cooked breakfast. He also had this thing about putting food on my plate which is exasperating because I will finish it. Nobody does it except for my father or to a lesser extent my mother and my brother which I will just throw it back to them if I don't like it. However it is a bit harder to fling food back at people I am not very close with because passing food around is not a game. I have a feeling that he thinks that it is amusing that I will clean my plate and so after yesterday's dinner and after the second time omelette had been placed on my place after I've cleaned it. I've had it and food went back and forth.
Nobody ate it of course.
We then set off for Kampot. The pace was slow and it is scarier downhill than uphill though in a certain sense more exciting too.
We thought we had a lot of time because it was only 11+ a.m and the bus to Phnom Penh leaves at 1.30 p.m. And then halfway...his motorcycle ran out of petrol. V.Dad asked for the time and then suddenly said that we have to hurry. The bus leaves at 1 p.m, not 1.30 p.m.
All that came out of me was...."WHAT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Somehow he retrieve a bottle of petrol from his friend's bike and nearing the base of the hill, suddenly everybody sped off. I lost my cap and it was lucky this time Gan and V.Dad's friend was behind us because I have grown quite affectionate of my wide-brim hat.
We made it in time.
We also settled the rest of the payment. V.Dad forgot to factor in the day trip to Kep but being honest Singaporeans we did not cheat him out of his money. Being blur, Gan also quoted more. (-_-")
Then the tuk-tuk arrived to shuttle us to the bus deport for a 5 hour ride back to Phnom Penh. It was only when I was on the tuk-tuk when I realised that my guide still hadn't taught me how to ride a motorbike. ARGH !!!
Ah well....
The ride back was quite uneventful except for the part where I had an agitated Gan almost willing to strangle me for saying how alike the oil palms and the 'whatchamacallit' ornamental palms were, in a belittling sort of way.
Lesson learnt: Never tell Gan that two species look the same.
She scared me more than the house did.......ok.. that's not really true..none of them managed to put the fear in me. Bleah.
We arrived in Phnom Penh, haggled with drivers of every type of transport imaginable and managed to settle for 2USD for one of them to bring us to a guesthouse.
Forgetting to continue to be smart, we forgot to haggle with him when we book his tuk-tuk for the next day. I suppose he thought that we would drive a hard bargain and outrightly quoted 20USD which we agreed to. (>.<)
Sigh... ah well...
Our room was just 8 USD. Smaller than the one in Kampot, not comparable to the one in Siem Reap. The toilet light flickered and after showing us to our room and saying he will come back and fix the light, the guy never appeared.
Gan also plopped down in front of the television to watch some old movie, 'Waterworld'. Once again, her reason was that she doesn't watch television in Singapore. (-_-")
If anybody can see the logic in flying to another country to watch television... please enlightened me. I am still trying my best to grapse that. (-_-")
Since we only reached Phnom Penh at 6 + p.m and we only ate after her show, we did not explore Phnom Penh at all, which is fine because I don't think there is anything much to do there.
But we did cross the road to get toothpaste...*beams...
Most of the shops were closed plus she needed to bathe too....so we went back to our rooms however I suspect I was either slightly annoyed about her wanting to watch old movies abroad, or slightly cranky after being on the bus for 5 hours or perhaps I wasn't quite over my Bokor casino.....or maybe I was just bored (which I strongly suspect to be the reason).....
.......and so I started making wisecracks about flickering lights which made her extremely edgy....oopsie !!....=P
We finally got down to writing postcards in front of the television before sleeping. I remembered thinking....seven days with only each other for sanity....and we were still alive and the miraculous thing was I wouldn't mind going on holiday with her again....
I mean the fact is if you can spend seven whole days abroad vacationing, with only one person for company, any future trip is possible. *beams
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