Our next stop in Cambodia was Kampot where we heard there was more rock climbing, salt and pepper farm tours, and more. The tour group offering climbing is called Climbodia (punny, right?) and they were great to work with. They offer guided tours, but we were able to rent gear and coordinate rides to the climbing site for independent climbing. We had an AWESOME day. 
It was just the two of us so we were able to get in a lot of climbs! Plus the weather was nice and we were in the shade for most of the day. Couldn’t ask for much more as new climbers. One of the climbsI did was up what they call a chimney and it was one of my toughest climbs yet!And Brandon owned a climb called The Window that had a viewpoint at the top of another chimney.This was the view!
The next day we wanted to see more of Kampot. Brandon wasn’t worn out enough from climbing and wanted to do a bike tour. Since I was not up for a 45KM ride, I booked a tuk-tuk tour . We left at different times, but actually ran into each other at the first stop. Brandon’s guide didn’t believe we were married, even after we kissed. He thought we were two strangers playing a joke on him. (If some guy randomly said he was my husband and tried to kiss me, I don’t think I would play along. But yea…) We went in different directions from there, but I did get to see Brandon bike off in this good looking hat! 
After the first or second stop, Brandon had the following conversation with his tour guide:
- Brandon: How far have we gone?
- Guide: Not far.
- Brandon: How much further do we have to go?
- Guide: Very far.
Needless to say, we didn’t see each other for the rest of the day. But here is a bit of what we saw:
Phnom Chngork Caves – This is where we saw each other.
Secret Lake – This was our first real introduction to the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, also known as Pol Pot. A future post will share more on this horrific time period. This lake may look beautiful, but it’s known as Secret Lake because the Khmer Rouge used the site as a mass grave.
Kampot Pepper Farm – I was placed with a group of “English-speakers” for the tour. (I was the only one whose native language was English. But we got lucky and the farm owner – from Belgium I believe – gave us our tour! Then we got to taste all the pepper varieties (white, black, red and more!) 
The Crab Market at nearby Kep Beach – I got to have fresh, Kampot Pepper style crab for a great lunch with a view!
The Salt Fields – Brandon got to help with the harvest! Verdict: Salt is heavy!
The next day, we were off to Phnom Phen for a very interesting and eye-opening lesson in history.
Brandon & Devon (BaD) Journey 