Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Sihanoukville, Cambodia: Beaches, Boats, and Birthday!
Ok seriously, I think this might be my fifth attempt... if I had a dollar for every word I've written in this entry that has then disappeared due to sh*t internet connection or power failures, I'd have a lot more spending money!
So after we left our homestay, we headed to Sihanoukville, the part of the trip we'd all been waiting for. While it's great being edumacated about how other people live, it's also great to sit on your arse on a beach and drink cocktails! So after yet another honky swervy bus ride, lasting several hours, we had an "ooh, aah" moment, as we finally came around a corner to see the ocean peeking over the hill. Not quite as specky as when you come down the hill into Yallingup, but the relief was the same! After we checked into our hotels, we headed straight for beaches and massages. After walking for ages and sweating half an ocean, we were told by one of the tuk-tuk drivers lounging on the side of the road that the place we were looking for had now moved, and was a long way away. Assuming this was just yet another dodgy guy trying to get us into his tuk-tuk and make some cash, we ignored him and kept heading for the address - only to find out that it had in fact moved. B*gger... So more sweat, and more walking, we found ourselves at Lotus Massage - about 100m from our hotel. I had planned to just get a pedicure (yes, I'm being a girl on this trip - because I can't find anywhere that sells a pumice stone or Heros sponge) and skip the violent massage (based on my previous two experiences), but decided maybe it was third time lucky. Nope, unlucky - this one actually managed to find an obscure nerve in my spine which she insisted on poking and cracking a few times to the point where I actually squirmed and yelled "ow!". So Anna (my roommate) and I left the room feeling a little violated and worried about what a pedicure might entail. Not much, it turns out - file, paint, that's it. Feet were still feral afterwards - lovely...
Next morning, we all met up downstairs (to a chorus of "Happy Birthdays" - yay!) bright and bloody early for our trip to Bamboo Island, about an hour's boat ride off the coast. Our included breakfast was at the same place we'd eaten the night before, and consisted of a bread roll with jam, and a coffee - classy... While we were eating, the wind started to howl, and the sky opened up - coming to Cambodia during the wet season - smart! After a bit of debate with Haing (who was strongly encouraging us to go with the national park tour instead), we decided to risk the crappy weather and head to the island anyway. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I don't think it was the long wooden boat we saw when we arrived at the beach in the back of the restaurant owner's ute (sitting on little plastic stools - apparently this is actually legal here).
The boat ride wasn't too bad, and considering I get motion sickness on a swivel chair, I was pretty proud of myself for only feeling a little bit seedy when we arrived. Not so for Haing though, who had managed a very discreet girly spew over the side of the boat without any of us noticing (explains how they managed to catch the fish for our lunches though - free burley!). The day was pretty uneventful - exactly what I was hoping for! I stepped on what I think might have been sea urchins - I got the spine out of my toe, but there's still one that's decided to remain in the ball of my foot as a souvenir. Lots of swimming, an attempt at snorkelling (their water wasn't very clear though and not much to see - plus cheap, leaky snoggles), and plenty of sitting around with a book and headphones in.
Around 4pm we headed back to the mainland, and this boat trip was slightly different to the trip over (which had been pretty smooth in comparison). Massive swell meant the boat was rocking, pitching, dropping, and water was coming in over the sides. Knew I had a garbage bag in my backpack for a reason - it came in very handy! Jen wasn't so lucky - her camera and phone got a drenching and haven't worked since. Thanks to the waves coming in over the front of the boat, and my spot only one row back, I was soaked to the skin within a few minutes (thankfully the ocean here is like bathwater - nice and warm), and a few people started reaching for the life jackets. I wasn't too worried - the guys driving the boat were still looking pretty relaxed with a fag each hanging out of their mouths - if they'd looked worried then maybe I would have been. A couple of people seemed pretty terrified though, and Ruffin never stopped talking for the entire trip (including pointing out that the boat had no radios and there's no coast guard, in case we should capsize - very reassuring). After an hour feeling like we were in a washing machine we made it back soaked, but alive and surprisingly spew-free. Thanks to the near-death experiences, loss of hearing (thanks to water in my ear which didn't clear out for days), and sea urchin spines, my 26th birthday was so far pretty memorable!
We headed out for dinner that night, but nobody was too keen on the Japanese restaurant that Haing had chosen, since it looked a bit expensive. He was pretty insistent, but there seemed to be a bit of a rebellion going on and everyone was keen to go somewhere else, and since it was my birthday, decided the decision was mine (didn't quite want the responsibility, but thanks anyway!). In the end, we headed back to the same place we'd eaten the night before, since they had ridiculously cheap and strong cocktails for a very long happy-hour (4pm - 11pm). Haing didn't look too happy and told us we couldn't go there since they had a reservation for about 60 people. Being a bit cynical by this point, we assumed this was another tuk-tuk driver trick (maybe Haing was getting kickbacks from the Japanese place which is why he wanted us to go there?) and decided to go check it out anyway - Haing seemed to be on his mobile for the entire walk there, and when we arrived the restaurant was empty, and ready to receive us. At the end of the meal, just as we were getting ready to leave, we found out why Haing had been so insistent on eating at the Japanese place - a birthday cake, complete with my name and birthday piped onto it were brought out, and everyone sang happy birthday - totally unexpected, but very cool! But the cake had been ordered and was at the Japanese place already... ooops... we all felt a bit bad about our little rebellion when we found this out...
After we left there, we headed to the Cool Banana, a bar/restaurant we'd eaten at a couple of times which is owned by a guy from Wanneroo of all places. And since it was my birthday and he knew I was a fellow West Aussie (albeit from SoR), he made me a free banana cocktail and a tequila shot. With everyone else buying me drinks all night, it turned out to be a pretty massive one! Someone suggested we play the accent game (pick an accent not your own and stick to it for the night - if you slip up you drink), which I was pretty happy about since I completely kick arse at it - so I didn't have to drink nearly as often as most of the others, especially the Americans who can't do any accent other than their own - Bryan's Indian accent was pretty hilarious though, especially considering he's a "ranga" sir! I remained pretty respectable (aside from some daggy sprinkler dancing) and woke up as sleep-deprived, but otherwise fine 26 year old in the morning.
The next day was a free day, but the weather wasn't great, so no beaching. Sleep-in, breakfast, packing, internet, and a bit of shopping (their shops are absolutely rubbish), before jumping back on the bus for the ride to Phnom Penh, where we would be staying for a couple of days.
Once again, I've written an essay, so nice work making it this far! Sorry I haven't really had time to send individual emails much, there hasn't been a whole lot of time or reliable/fast with the internet (which you can probably tell, since I'm about two weeks behind on this blog!). Hope all's well, leave me a message or send me an email with news!
- comments