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Looks can be deceiving!
After leaving the wonderful Koh Ta Kiev island we set off for the mainland aboard the speed boat. I felt funny all morning and not myself at all. I had a headache and no energy, never the less we were due to meet Brad and Jake and we couldn't wait to see them after 2 months of being apart!
We made our way to the guesthouse they recommended and were also staying at. Heading deep into Sihanoukville past the bars and beach I was starting to deteriorate, my throat was swollen and my head was pounding. As we pulled in we saw the two familiar smiles of Jake and Brad, after we had a catch up and checked in I realised how sick I actually was feeling. Ahhhhh so frustrating as we had been planning a night out with these guys for so loooong.
Chris spoke to the boys as I clambered in bed- luckily there was a TV. This came in particularly handy as I actually didn't leave this bed for 2 nights and 2 days. I had my usual dose of penicillin and Chris trying to force feed me, CABIN FEVER!
When I finally felt well again I was desperate to get out. We decided to head straight for the next island Koh Rong for some beach therapy and catch up with the boys when we came back to mainland again. The port to catch the ferry to Koh Rong was literally in the center of Sihanoukville so a short 10 minute journey from the guesthouse. We only planned to stay in Koh Rong two nights which meant we would be back, both fit and healthy for Brads birthday celebrations. Perfect plan.
We arrived at the port extra early to catch the first boat, there was a cafe right by the port and it looked a bit like it was a nightclub by sunset and a makeshift restaurant during the day. Chris was really hungry though and was about 10 minutes away from becoming hangry, so we sat down and looked at the menu. Still quite sceptical we just had 2 fried eggs each.
After that we jumped on the boat and managed to grab one of only 4 beanbags available to lounge on the top deck, everyone else was left with no choice but the burning steel floor.
As we neared the island we could see crystal clear turquoise waters surrounding it. The sun was beaming down and you could see the white sandy beaches with local fisherman boats along them. Before deciding to go to Koh Rong we had heard such mixed opinions on it. Some people said it was beautiful whilst others said it was disgusting. Chris and I decided we wanted to make our own decision.
We got off the boat and were greeted by a crowd of men asking for payment to carry out bags and take us somewhere to stay. We refused and began walking down the pier. Once we reached the sand you could see accommodation either side. To your left was the village, so more packed in accommodation above restaurants and bars. To your right were the more spread out beach hit type places. Chris went one way to ask prices whilst I went another way. The end I picked was apparently the more exspensive side. With bungalows starting at $40 dollars set way off the beach and kind of up the side of the jungle. The village side was far more suited to our budget and infant the place directly opposite the pier entrance where we had began our search was where we ended up. It was a huge room with a private bathroom facing the beach with a veranda and hammock outside. That day we took a stroll along the beach in front and just around the corner and wrote our Mother's Day message in the sand; having a mini photoshoot along side it. As the day progressed Chris began to feel quite sick, so we grabbed a late dinner and watched the hunger games. Shortly after closing our eyes in attempt to sleep we noticed something that seemed to have began whilst we were busy watching the film with earphones in. The music. The loud s*** music. We were above a bar that apparently had no concept of noise levels. It was okay I said it will close soon it's midnight now. I don't have a clue when I finally did drift off or how long it was for but when I next woke up, the music was still booming and Chris was laying next to me with the worst fever I've ever seen. Sweating and shivering and quite frankly scaring me to death. In the whole 4 years I'd known Chris he hadn't taken a day off work sick once. He didn't get sick. Well he certainly hadn't even had a cold in the 2 year duration of our relationship. All I could think of was to call my mum. I didn't want to worry Chris's mum sue, and Chris didn't either. So I called my mum and asked her advice on how to get a fever down and what to do. It was so hard with such loud music going, but eventually Chris's fever came down and he drifted off to sleep. The music carried on until 6am. And sleeping in a bamboo building, we might as well have dragged a bed into fabric and tried to sleep on a Saturday night in the middle of the dance floor.
Come morning, Chris was feeling abit better. He said he wasn't 100% but still wanted to do the hike and camping we had planned for that day. We checked out the hotel, complained downstairs and went along to the man hiring out the tents. We packed our little bag with essentials, head torch, toilet roll, music and sleeping bag liners. And stocked up on fruit and water. We then began the 1 hour hike up the hill heading out of the village and into the jungle. It was quite a tough hike in the heat with all our bags, but we were promised heaven on the other side. Long beach was an uninhabited beach about 2km long. As we started to descend down the opposite side of the jungle the hike got even harder. There was now rock with ropes tied to trees, so you were basically abseiling down. There were people in flip flops doing this, I learnt what not to do in my first week in Thailand, these girls didn't get the memo. I went from carrying half the load to Chris carrying all of it. I needed my hands to rock climb and Chris was apparently an extra in the blockbuster cliff hanger with Sylvester Stallone. Flying down with all the bags and water as I shimmied down a rope with a Cambodian man helping me as if I was his elderly mother.
As we neared the bottom, through the trees was the most glorious sight. I don't ever use the word glorious but it had to be pulled out when describing this view. The whitest sand I have ever ever ever seen, the clearest water stretching out for miles. This place was heaven, how could anyone dislike it?
The sand actually squeaked as we walked down past the hippies selling there ankle bracelets and all the tents looking for our own private pitch. We walked for about 20 minutes but when we turned around it looked like we had gone no where. It was just constant of the same. White sand. Blue water. I felt although I was in a mirage after that walk. As we neared the middle of the beach. There it was.... The digger, the monstrous digger. Digging out the beach. Why am I even surprised? All the workers told us it could be the last time you could camp on the beach before it's completely destroyed. Whilst I was happy we got there before it was flattened like the rest of Asia I was extremely distressed at the thought of no one else being able to enjoy this as we would. We carried on waking past the digger, way way past it. And found a nice private spot by a tree with some grass on a verge behind us.
We set up our tents and managed to make use out of the 'carpet' as Chris calls it! He's also been known to describe it as a rug bigger then your average UK box room in a 3 bedroom semi detached house. It's a basically a Thai silk throw about 2 by 3 meters, with embodied gold and purple elephants on. We bought it in our first 2 weeks away and Chris has been cursing it since. Partly because he has to carry it, well mainly because he's carrying it, and partly because he says it's useless. Well it wasn't on Long beach. It made a perfect space for outside the entrance of our tent. Plus I figured it would do well for group activities on beach days, for all the friends we are going to make.
After the music was on and we had had sufficient play time on the beach and in the sea it was time for a couple of drinks to whine down.
Me being a light weight it didn't take long before you was snoring in the tent.
Approximately 1 hour of good sleep time later and I was awoken to the horrifying sight of Chris's fever returning. He was shivering and burning up. I could have cried I was so worried. There was no way off the beach as no boats were there at night. There was no first aid, in fact no people at all. I encouraged Chris to get in the sea to help his fever but he was so cold he couldn't move from the fetal position. He took some ibuprofen. But the only time he was able to move was to go behind the tent and do his business. This was happening every half an hour. I know I can speak for both of us when I say that night plummeted from heaven to hell in a matter of moments. I tried my best to keep calm but seeing Chris that way I felt so helpless. We were both up all night and I was continually checking Chris. As soon as the sun came up we finally found someone to take us back to the village on there boat. Packing up the tent and carrying everything we had was stressful as I could see Chris deteriorating. The 30 minute boat ride felt like a lifetime, but eventually we arrived. We walked straight to the guesthouse where we had hired the tent and I explained that we wouldn't be leaving the island as we had planned we would need to stay as Chris was so sick. The man was so helpful he gave us a room with private bathroom and charged us a fraction of the cost. I got Chris settled and got some more water. I left him to find a doctor and when I returned 10 minutes later he was on the floor being sick. He still refused a doctor but I ran back and the doctor came to visit him. He checked him over and said it was probably salmonella poisoning. THOSE BLOODY EGGS FROM THE PORT ON THE FIRST DAY! He gave him some antibiotics and me some advice for taking care for him.
That day as I was walking along trying to get Chris some fruit, I saw it. All the ugly, all the dirty, everything I had been warned about was suddenly now highlighted as we were in crisis.
The over populated stretch of beach had sewage running directly from the guest houses and restaurants into the sea, all open. There was glass in the sand. The restaurants were storing food in the toilets, through lack of space. They were cooking next to toilets. It was a breeding ground for decease. The sand flies on the beach here were unbearable. The jelly fish in the sea were huge. The tourists on this island, all backpackers. Young, drunk backpackers with total disregard for health and safety. No pride in there own well being. The workers there- were all the same, backpackers working for free for there food and accommodation. They basically wanted to get drunk continually like they were in Malia. There was only one pharmacy on the island owned by a doctor, who had only opened it a few months prior. Before that there was nothing. Dengue fever was common as well.
I got back to the room and Chris was no better. It was time to tell his mum. I didn't consult Chris in this I just had to share the load and get her advice. Again another sleepless night for us both. The problem with the guesthouse, as any guesthouse on Koh Rong was that the rooms were makeshift above the restaurants. They were partitioned off without the walls reaching the ceiling, using cheap wood this meant the illness was just circulating between people.
After another long night I went straight back to the pharmacy. The doctor came back to the room with me to get Chris and bring him to the medical Center (pharmacy) to put him on an IV. Chris wasn't happy about it but if there was going to be any hope of us being able to leave the island it was this. The doctor had in fact suggested an IV the day before which Chris refused. However the second day Chris had no option. Within hours of being on the drip Chris was feeling better, still nowhere near 100% but he was regaining energy and I even saw a smile.
I had spent so much time in the pharmacy that by the afternoon people were coming in to ask questions and I knew all the answers. Everyone was laughing, I could have got a job. Accept I would rather saw off my arm then work on such a s*** hole island. The doctor was so kind and offered to escort us back to the mainland on a boat as it would be the only way Chris would be able to recover.
As I dashed down the beach to change our boat ticket a piece of large glass got stuck in my foot. It was the final straw. I just collapsed in a heap of tears and a man came over and practically carried me into the pharmacy. Chris still sitting there on his IV was like what the hell? Bella you have been gone 5 minutes. And there I was foot pouring with blood crying 'I JUST WANT TO GET OFF THIS s*** ISLAND'
Other names for Koh Rong;
Koh Rotten
Koh Rank
Koh Rubbish
Koh Rancid
Koh Revolting
Or you could just re spell the island as KOH WRONG!
Back to mainland with the help of Mr T the amazing doctor and it was back to the same guesthouse. We unfortunately never made it out with the boys which was so annoying. We were there for another 2 nights whilst Chris recovered. Which meant we had a total of 7 consecutive evenings and days that Chris and I took it in turns to play hospital patient. It was a bad bad week. Chris still won't eat fried eggs, 3 months on. Needless to say we won't be back to Koh Wrong, nor would we recommend it to anyone ever. That one lovely stretch of idealistic beach does not make up for the misery nor make it worth your time. Unless your a teenager backpacker looking to get wasted and catch an STD!
Onwards and upwards, let's check out some Cambodian culture now
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