I think I lost 5 Cm

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It was so relaxing here I think I lost 5 centimetres in height. That’s what can happen when you’ve got 2 weeks to kill during the Christmas New Year period.

Sihanoukville is the beach resort for Cambodia and it would be here that I lazed about waiting for 2009 to arrive. No comparison to the beaches of Thailand and others but it did the job that was required.

The job required was a beach with nice white sand. An option of a busy tourist beach with deck chairs and shacks selling food and drink. Secluded beaches, nightlife not full on but enough to make the most of it, easy Internet access and entertaining company.

I arrived a few days later than Johannes the Dutch guy and within 1 minute of arriving with my backpack I saw him on the beach. Johannes stayed till Boxing Day and it will definitely be the last time we catch up. For New Years (as well as Xmas) I spent most of my time with Mel and Helen the two Melbourne hairdressers from Siem Reap I met back in Laos.

The main beach that the tourists go to is Serendipity a nice enough beach with around 20-30 little shacks selling food and drinks. Near the shore they have deck chairs to lie on and correct the office tan.

During the days I would have my fruit lady walk along with her basket of fruit on her head. Ladies asking, “You want massage?” Kids trying to sell jewellery and their parents selling fabrics. Also with the odd disabled person begging for money. Including a blind man singing. So most days it would be wake up and go to the beach till sunset. Have a bbq seafood dish than have a few drinks, see where the night would take us than go to bed and repeat it for nearly 14 days. Eventually the 3 of us lost a few brain cells from lack of use - The part that tells the mouth to move when talking.

At Christmas Eve we went on a boat cruise and saw some islands with a boat full of other backpackers. Basically to get started for the night with some cheap drink and beach games. Christmas was re: previous paragraph.

But the boat cruise was the continuation of my love affair with Havana Club Black label Rum. Introduced to the girls it would begin a bi-daily bottle towards the end of our stay. Alcohol in Cambodia is ridiculously priced at half price for quality spirits. This trip has been pretty good with the drink I haven’t felt the need to get drunk. But here at the beach just sitting, laying or swimming for 14 days can do your head in so the only option most backpackers do is drink or take drugs.

I don’t do drugs so drink is the only option. Boxing Day was a surprising night leading to a massive hangover meaning there was no beach till around 3pm where the blind singer made me suffer a bit more. The 27th I decided to discover a bit of the surrounding area. Ending up at Otres Beach, which is a bit more secluded. A long stretch of beach with evidence that eventually the whole area will be built up. Tourism is only new here, its only around 10 years since the Khmer regime finished so it’s nowhere near Thailand.

Another day I decided to discover the western beaches for something different and do a vegemite run in the centre of town. I haven’t done it every journey but this journey I pre bought a jar of vegemite two months in advance and left it in the cupboard. On the taxi from Singapore airport to the hostel I realised I had left it at home. To this day I can see it sitting there. I heard in Laos that Cambodia you could buy it so after a few failures in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap I had a mission.

I went to Independent beach and spent some time there and cycled to the other side of the city. I am half an hour from Serendipity and about to hit the main road near Victoria Hill. After cycling on one gear - first - all day it was time to finally have the right gear for the road when… SNAP! My 2nd chain in three bikes goes. Cambodia surely has the worst bikes to rent in the world.

Walking my bike back it gave me time to spot the Orange Supermarket. Looking at the spreads section there she is saying, “buy me” Vegemite which was soon followed by a purchase of Cadbury Chocolate imported from Australia. And to top that off there is the Australia Network on Cable TV. It has news, docs, Home and Away and sport. I watched Sydney FC’s abysmal effort against Adelaide and found out Australia lost the cricket test series. I have never felt so ill from a sports result in my life. So bad I now understand how Kiwi’s feel when they get knocked out in the Rugby World Cup.

That ill feeling would stick with me for the rest of the stay. Well actually the ill feeling in the stomach went through the three of us for two weeks. So often we would complain about a saw stomach after a meal or drink we decided to get a photo interpreting “our Sihanoukville pose”.

New Years saw us put down a bottle and a half of Havana Club and go to this beach shack where in the furthest point east some Indian DJ played a dance genre I can’t remember. To get there it was a tuk-tuk ride along some dirt road in the mud as it was raining. Drunkenly leaving too late we spent our first minute of the year in the back of a tuk-tuk. When we got there we were the only ones there. Eventually peaking at 14 people it didn’t matter because we had each other to keep us entertained and good music so good we went a second day this time with a crowd of 8.

But after all that lets not forget that we are still at the beach and here to relax so the rest of the stay was relaxing at Serendipity or the next beach across Sokha. Playing the ‘Beach Game’ - two small wooden tennis bats and a ball. Hitting it back and forth to one another - Summing that up in three letters is - F.U.N.

There were two options to finish our time one was getting a massage by some blind people or Jet Ski. No rules or regulations with these Jet Ski’s just go as fast as you want. Two at a time, I don’t know which one was better. I was like a dog with his head out a car window sitting on the back.

Our last and 14th night was a Cambodian affair. Firstly a few pre-drinks for old times sake at Mel and Helen’s place. They were staying 10 minutes walk from the beach on Karaoke Street. Some 60 odd (?) Karaoke bars with scattered locals in all of them. It doesn’t take long for the locals to insist on singing a song. I’m fine with that but there are no English songs, I thought. No problems up comes a random song I have never heard of and a microphone in hand. I gave an attempt of singing in an Elvis voice or something? I’ve got no idea, it wasn’t an Elvis song. Mel and Helen said it sounded all right but I think they are just being nice. Especially when they said, “…Considering you haven’t heard of the song before.”

The night finished at Club 333 where the club has a sign saying “no grenades allowed.” A pretty fun night when you get to go to a legitimate SE Asian nightclub with no prostitutes. It shows the lust for life they have. And after helping push start a shitbox car along Karaoke St at 3am it was a lift back home with 9 people in a car. Just another random happening, which Sihanoukville offers.

My stay here I enjoyed but that may have been because of the company and the time of year. Really it could be done in 3 days and move on. I have been quite lucky this trip I have been able to meet up with some quality people for long periods of time. That is one good thing about backpacking SE Asia. It enables people to follow roughly the same itinerary and if you make the right contacts its like travelling with a friend from home. Thailand was an Irish group. Laos Johannes and Cambodia Mel and Helen. The past two weeks has by no means been “terrible” but “unbelievable.” - One of numerous private jokes that had been going on since Laos.

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Photos

Thanks Jetstar!
Me trying to re-enact the Jetstar commercial at Serendipity Beach

Massage?
My attempt to re-enact the massage ladies on Serendipity beach

New Years morning
The Propaganda photos. It looks so crowded!!

Happy New Year
... in a tuk-tuk

Look at the mouth
Do you know how rare it is to get a moment when the mouth is like that.

Independence Beach
Notice the chains still on. A rare moment

Nice cup
This bar was so cheap that they couldn't buy buckets instead using old coke bottles.

Tuk-tuk
Where we celebrated New Years

My Fruit lady
Only one bad thing in 14 days. Giving us pineapple after a hangover instead of a mixed fruit.

Local girl
Pre drinks on NYE and this girl took some of the chocolate.

Yeah!
It should be pointed out that Helen's wearing she/he eyelashes.

Lions Balls
The major roundabout and landmark is the lions Monument. Poorly made its a cheap looking thing with not much attention to details except the Lions privates. Known by most long term backpackers as 'Lions Balls'.

Lets get out of here
No helmets... its safe?