Cambodia's Coast

The Road to Occheuteal Beach: Someday This...
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January 24, 2006

We headed from Siem Reap to Sihanoukville via Phnom Penh by bus.  This time the bus ride was much smoother and more filled with Cambodian travelers.  The only parts of the travel itself worth mentioning are the nice people we met, the brief pit stops, and the rather loud noises.

On the Beach!

Though a much easier journey, the Cambodian video karaoke (a very big thing here) with the volume at full blast was a cultural experience we won't forget soon.  Some of the passengers seemed to appreciate it however, especially the young girl behind us, as they sang along perfectly with the sappy pop music and cheesy filming.  The only noise that could pierce this din was the incessantly blowing airhorn, which happened to be mounted inside the bus.  Needless to say, we didn't sleep on this ride.

...Will Look Like This
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The pit stops were much appreciated, and we were given the opportunity to use the facilities (Caroline the filthy squat toilets, and Loren the area near the trash heap out back) and peruse the local fare, while the bus driver and attendant frantically threw water by the bucket onto various parts of the bus engine.  The refreshments we could purchase included sticky rice, fresh fruit, and fried tarantula (an expensive regional delicacy, and Loren's favorite).

As we switched buses in Phnom Penh, we said goodbye to Thomas and Lenka, a sweet Czech couple we had met on the trip from Bangkok to Siem Reap.  They are doing an extended bicycle tour of the region and were the first good connection we had made.

A Typical Afternoon on Occheuteal Beach...
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On the next leg of the journey, we sat across from a British couple also doing the travel thing.  Prattesh and Mira are on their year long honeymoon around the world.  We connected really well, and were able to vent a bit about the challenges and frustrations of travel here, as well as share our best tips.

We found a nice place to stay about a hundred meters from the nicest beach in town, and settled in for the night.

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...Into Evening...
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January 29, 2006

Our relaxing and rejuvenating time in Sihanoukville was spent running a few errands (mostly visa and onward travel stuff), moto-ing around, and lounging on the beach, where we watched a beautiful sunset every night.

A few highlights of our many hours on the beautiful beach include some good volleyball sessions, both with Cambodian guys and alone, fun with local kids, and long walks in the sun.  We also had a blast renting a motorbike and dodging traffic and sharp rocks as we toured the town and nearby Ream National Park.

...Into Night
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Our fourth night here coincided with the beginning of the Chinese (Lunar) New Year, a three day long celebration including feasting, parading, fireworks, and drinking lots and lots of beer.  We were forcibly invited to join in a banquet in our guesthouse courtyard before we even had a chance to change out of our swimwear.  Immediately the Cambodian women, who were more than busy preparing dish after dish (Caroline was conspicuously the only woman who sat at the gathering of about 25 Khmer men, a few other guests, and us), laid food and drink before us.  Toast after toast to the New Year left us all in pretty soggy shape, and only once the hosts were far enough gone could we escape to the sanctuary of our room.  It was quite a fun, if intense, cultural experience.

Caroline With Our First Moto in Front of the New Christmas Bungalows
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We feel that now is as good a time as any to confess.  We are both heavily addicted to banana shakes and have each had at least one every day since our arrival (sometimes this number can even climb to as many as three).  We know that with the support of our friends and family we will be able to wean ourselves off this delicious dependence, but we just aren't ready yet.