(31) Lounging around SIHANOUK VILLE beaches
Trip Start
Oct 03, 2007
1
14
31
Trip End
Dec 20, 2007
Sihanoukville,
Cambodia
Friday, November 2, 2007
Given our now strictly planned fortnight travel allowance for Cambodia, we were rather sceptical right until the last minute, that the weather in Sihanoukville would result in rain thus effectively ruining a 3 day portion of our tight schedule.... Alas: checking the forecast on the web, we decided to give the place its worthy justice.
Sihanoukville is easily described: seeing as though Angkor Wat Temples blow minds, the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Prison blow souls, and the devastating roads of the North and East blow backsides around, it is hardly surprsing that backpackers like myself are increasingly flocking to the easily accessible undeveloped beaches of the SW, often deserted in the weekdays. Blissful indeed, but not to the same extent of the Thai Islands by any means.
Arriving at midday after a highly scenic bus ride down one single highway, we just hoped it could be seen in its true finest yet the skies were semi-overcast then. Instantly liked the general feel for the place however. A young Englishman in partnership with his brother running a Guesthouse approached us when getting off the bus and soon had us convinced his deal was the best in town. No sooner had we checked-in to the charismatic legendary "Monkey Republic", but Jamie and Caroline the English couple shocked us by turning up. By now, the three of us thought any chance of a reunion was slim so that was a nice surprise. Spent most of the remainder of the afternoon just chilling out and catching up, comparing travel paths and stories. Didn't make the 200m or so as far as the beach itself but instead just had dinner at base camp and a fine dinner it was - this Chicken Amok again, which beats its Phnom Penh counterpart hands down.
tired from the previous night, we tried to get a flavour for the local bar life and got as far as Utopia before crazy hour began, then rolled back exhausted. For, it was a lazy couple of days ahead really...
DAY 31 - Saturday November 3rd:
What a relaxed typical beach holiday day on the white sands. The activity was kept simple - each of us having our own book, sunbed and personal waitors and little kidies freely making trinkets for us...apart from the hassle of begging amputees trying to flog copied books to us and fresh food vendors/masseus, I pretty much vegetated in the blistering sun until dusk, only cooling off in the warm clear turquoise waters when I couldn't handle it any longer....The only nuisance from the perfect setting was the presence of jellyfish at the shores! Managed to avoid them unharmed though.... For the first time throughout my whole time traveling, it was tranquility and bliss. The strip of Serendipity Beach wasn't too busy either with sunbathers.
To add to the delights, dining that day was more extravagant than usual. For lunch, I tried a delectable battered ber fish and chips and for dinner at twilight, an exquisitely BBQ'd aamzingly textured Barracuda steak with potatoes. Divine and at such an economical rate... Watched a mediocre sunset from the top of an open tree-house where I chilled out and spaced out completely. As you can imagine, wonderful photos form this day and many of!
Continuing the relaxed spirit of the day before hitting the nightlife spots, a few games of cards and pool were played at the hostel and quite late on, we made for the banging Eden Bar sprawing out on the sands, where great tunes resulted in dancing he night away with the aid of cheep happy hour beer/cocktails. During the night, the group of us decided we would charter our own boat and organize an independent itinerary for a day's freelance sailing....By the end of the night, we had recruited a further 4 people, Jamie and Caroline's English friends from back home and a couple of friendly Australian sisters.....
DAY 32 - Sunday November 4th:
Struggling to get the day started at 8am, the gang of us boarded the boat for a fun-packed day out at sea with the trusty navigation skills of our captain. Insated of joining a tight-scheduled touristic boat trip, off we went on our own grounds. Once an hor or so well offshore from the beach, we anchored for a spot of snorkelling. the visibility was Ok and the sealife average but the current was the main force to be reckoned with...Quite strong, so we jumped and dove of the boat instead then continued with a bit of fishing in our own improvised manner. It was quite funny watching us reel in and out off our plastic bottles we used as rods. Between the lot of us, we did manage to catch a cfew bits but we ultimately deemed them not worthy enough for supper so they just stayed put in an ice cream tub of a fish tank until we got bored of them.
Following the morning's programme, it was considered time for soe lunch so we duly made way to Bamboo Island where a few toursits loomed. Before food, the guys split into two team and combined forces with a bunch of local boys then played a bit of beach volleyball. Laughs! Just then, the heavens opened up meaning that we did have the best part of two days' glorious weather in Sihanoukville, so yes, content with our decision to go there...
Quite an active day and so the evening was light entertainment back at the hostel with a movie showing and some hapyp hour drinks.. It was the last night again in Jamie and Caroline's company, so we toasted to that and couldn't last the whole night... Feasted on a Lok Lak (specially stir-fried meat in a rich sauce), another famous Cambodian dish. Next day it was bye to charming, blissful, backpackery but undeveloped SV and a second brief encoutner with Phonom Penh as the travel hub.
DAY 33 - Monday November 5th:
Began with a lazy chill out by the hostel and an eventual bid of farewell to Jamie and Caroline before parting ways. We thought it would be the alst time the 5 of us would be in the same palce at the same time again, but as you will see, this wasn't to be the case!
By the time the pottering way done, me and the Flying Dutchmen arrived back in Phnom Penh. By the time we had sorted ourselves out and installed ourselves inthe same friendly hostel, it was late. I had a really good value Indian set meal and this started a realyl good party night (one of hte few I had on this trip vs my Latino-American extravaganza). There had been talk of this place called "Elsewhere", a rather fancy bar based around the patio/poolside/decking area of a villa-type place with trees and lighting... very relaxing but ended up being not that well frequented that night..Apaprently it was the wrong night to go there but can see it being the scene of drunken poolside folly at the best of times. Onward tot he hyped-up "Heart of Darkness" Club which literalyl all travelers and locals raved about alike! Could NTO afford to be let down here... The plan was to get up the following day for a rough bus trip to Kratie in the middle of the coutnry, and thus relax.. however, we soon got entranced by this homely but buszzing place which probably had a 60:40 ratio of locals:foreigners. good beats, good drinks, some dodgy female clientele, but overall a buzzing night out - better than in Saigon I thought.
