Going to Bokor mountain

While Brian and Samantha were visiting us, we hired a car to take us to Bokor mountain on the way to Phnom Penh. Bokor mountain is a high mountain overlooking the ocean between Sihanoukville and Kampot. It gets quite cool up at the top and a lot of clouds blow past. On top of Bokor mountain there was once a French Casino/Hotel and a small French community. Construction began in the 1920's and this became a popular place for the French colonists to go on holiday because of the weather. It certainly is the first building that we saw with fireplaces anywhere in Cambodia. Back in its day, the casino was an impressive building.

The Bokor Casino was built on the edge of the mountain top to catch the breeze. A very impressive colonial building.

Decades of neglect and the fact that Bokor station was a battleground between the Khmer Rouge and the invading Vietnamese left this place an eerie wreck and a dilapidated reminder of past colonial glory.

Out front of the old casino/hotel there is a broken French statue.

They are restoring the old Casino with concrete (the ingredient for fixing anything in Cambodia). It still looks impressive, but it has lost some of the character.

Front today.

Same building a few years ago.

Inside we find some remnants of the original French building including the tiles and plumbing in some rooms, but most of it has been restored with cement.

This is the biggest hall in the casino.

The view from a balcony over the edge of the mountain. You can see the cloud rolling in.

The back of the casino. Not quite as imposing as the front.

Besides the casino, there are some other old French ruins.

There is also an old catholic church. It is just out of site from the casino, no doubt so people wouldn't feel guilty.

The church.

The alter.

Priest's bedroom and kitchen.

Priest's privy.

On the road up to Bokor station there is a huge Buddha.