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So after a 1 day unintended stop over in Phomn Pehn, I arrive in the seaside town of Shinoukville after a interesting 4 hour journey through the Cambodian countryside. I left Phomn Pehn about 12pm and saw quiet a few things on the way. The first thing I saw was that we side swiped and almost turned over a tuk tuk whilst taking a corner at low speed. This guy understandably went nuts, beeping is horn, kicking the bus and generally going crazy, good on him, because our bus driver turned out to be just like the other usual loonies that drive on the road. Then shortly after, before leaving Phomn Pehn completely, we witness the immediate aftermath of a crash between two motorbikes (both of who were ok). This is then followed by 3 1/2 hours of playing chicken with every other thing on the otherside of the road, only slowing down (sharply!) to steer (more like swerve to anyone at home) around the biggest road kill I have ever seen....... A full sized cow, left on the road, with its head partly crushed and its tongue sticking out. Shocking thing to see! So anyway, my general opinion of road driving in Cambodia would be that I am now 100 percent sure that EVERY single bus driver in Cambodia has taken and passed with flying colours, the Evil Kenivil school of motoring!
So anyway. I arrive at the bus station in Shinoukville. Saddled up and grasping my trusty yellow bible (Lonely Planet) in one hand, drink (water!) in the other, for all of 5 second before your set upon by the usual motorbike or tuk tuk driver fighting to be the first to take your stuff off you and ask you where your going. So with my Lonely Planet being correct most of the time, I ask to go to what it says is the main and traditional backpacker ghetto of weather station hill. So being on my own, I get a motorbike taxi, with the backpack being balanced on the front of the bike like some circus stunt, and with me on the back with my other bag. It is actually quiet a relaxing journey when compared to traffic surfing in Phomn Pehn... although the newly introduced traffic lights in this town seem to be no more than pretty lights as virtually no one pays attention to them. Kamikaze! lol.
So I turn up at this so called backpacker ghetto. Only to quickly realise its every so slight resemblance to Pattaya in Thailand. The whole bit is pretty much full of old people seeking young Khmer woman. With there being 4 bars on the main street with hordes of attractive , but at the same time skanky, being prozzie's after old man willy every night and all), dragging anyone they can in. Easily 95 percent of these are old men, most of which proberbly tell there wives they are on 'buisness trips'. It looks like the sex industry of Thailand is starting to become a even bigger thing here in Cambodia. So thanks lonely planet, first you said last year that Pattaya was 'not too bad', then you tell me that this f*** hole was a backpacker ghetto, you getting a kick outta telling me this? mr.lonely planet? you f***er? lol. Maybe once upon a time, but I wouldnt touch it with a barge pole unless you are into the whole prozzie thing. Still though, ignoring the inaccurate locations on the maps, and the general f*** ups, its just a guide and its still awesome and useful.
So, in the evening i grabbed a motorbike taxi to the real backpacker araea on the other side of town, nicknamed serpenity beach, and stumble across this backpacker haven called Utopia. Cheap beer (15 uk pence!!!!) dirt cheap dorms (dirt can also describe the dorm, also smelly!) , and open all night and all day for those who are partying. Allegedly they have several 24 hour parties every month, although i was there nearly a week and never saw one 24 hour party. I ended up rocking up here the following day for 2 dollar a night. Usually finishing partying at about 4am in the morning. I learnt on the first night that this is the only way to have any hope of sleep, as this is when all the drunk people start arriving back at the dorm, when the music is turned down or off, and the only time where you are going to be so tired and drunk that you sleep right through the usual construction work that starts just outside the dorm at 7am in the morning. You also get to sleep through most of the puppies running around outside the dorm (there were 10!), fighting each other and crying.
Over the next few days I chilled out on the beach alot, and went for walks, whilst partying at night with the numerous randoms that i meet along the way and at the bars. Then on the 4th day i did the most awesome thing.....Zorbing! for $10 USD between 3 of us, we went 20km out of town on 2 motos (motorbike taxis), and spent and a further $10 usd each to stay at the zorbing place all day and be pushed down a hill with one of my mates in a giagantic inflatable ball. Lets put it this way, the adrelanine from it was almost as intense as the adrelanine i got from skydiving, its fast, its scary, its bouncy, and it hurts after you have done it 5 times!!
Now I travel with the 2 cool guys i did the zorbing with. I met these guys when they arrived at the dorm in Utopia, about 2 days after i arrive there. There names are Juan and Erik, from Holland and Sweden.
I now get ready to travel with them to Kampot in the morning, about 1 1/2 hour journey from here. Finally i leave after 6 days, its so easy to get 'stuck' in some places!
Anyway, enough of this. I been typing this for too long! Here from me soon about my adventures in Kampot, Cambodia.
Chow for now!
Gary.
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