Silence is golden

In the city it's never really quiet. There's always a dog barking, kids chattering away, a moto clattering through the streets, a woman selling eggs, the garbage collectors honking their horns, a semi truck thundering by on a nearby street, the whir of a fan. After our days spent on Rabbit Island, we stayed at a eco resort close to the coast, called Jasmine Valley. The first thing we noticed there? It was quiet - silent, except for the wind rustling the leaves in the trees and occasional birdsong. And that was golden. 

If you thought we were lazy on the island, well, in the valley we did even less. We spent the two days up on the balcony of our tree house-like bungalow reading and enjoying the view and cool breezes tempted to leave only by the delicious food waiting for us at the resort's restaurant.

our "tree house" bungalow

the view towards the ocean

where I read most of Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose"

nature in our bathroom

lizard on a papaya tree

As I already mentioned, the food at Jasmine Valley was amazing. The day started with a breakfast buffet encompassing everything from hot coconut waffles and fresh fruit to home-made yogurt, granola, and eggs and bacon that were prepared on demand along with as much tea and Cambodian coffee as you could drink. We for lunch we tried the cook's versions of various traditional dishes, all made with the freshest seafood from Kep, the famous pepper from Kampot, and fresh local produce. Jasmine Valley boasts a wood-fired stone oven for making pizzas that you can order topped with just about anything you can think of, meaning that dinner was pizza time for us! Any grams/ounces I might have lost due to the horrid food on Rabbit Island were quickly regained.

were we enjoyed our pizzas each evening

perfect spot for an afternoon coffee

yes, we also tried this and the fish has us squealing and laughing like little kids

To sum it all up: I think I've found my new happy place in Cambodia, an escape into tranquility when the city's getting to be too much for me and I need silence and fresh air - and some pizza.