The Long Road to Sihanoukville

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To say that yesterday was one of the longest days in a while is an understatement. What I was told was to expect a 7-8 hour bus ride ended up being 13 1/2hours of pure agony. I left the hotel at 6:45 and was dropped off by Mr. David at the bus station, which was more like an intersection with a covered sitting area and this big sign telling the time each bus left for different destinations. The ticket had an assigned seat which was strictly adheared to. When the bus left it was only about 2/3 full but after a couple of stops, it was packed. The last stop was about 30 minutes outside of town and this young couple with a small baby was there with about 30 friends or relatives and they loaded these boxes and a big laundry basket packed full. It was like in the movies where the couple leave the small home town headed for the bright lights of the big city, in this case Phnom Penh, and the whole town shows up to send them off.

It was about this time I realized this seat was going to kill me. It was an older bus and it was about the most uncomfortable seat ever and within an hour my back was killing me. I was constantly shifting around trying to get comfortable but without success. The trip to Phnom Penh where I was to transfer buses took 7 hours with a couple of short bathroom breaks along the way. The 1^st stop was nice enough and seemed to be a company owned place where you could buy food and drinks, but I chose to walk around to get some relief. The 2^nd stop was this typical sheet metal lean too with outhouse style bathrooms that I avoided without regret.

We arrived in PP at 2 and the traffic was a nightmare as you would expect. I got my bag after fending off several tuk tuk drivers and went to check out how to find my next bus. They had a huge board written in Khmer and I was LOST! I asked someone who pointed to this bus so I went over and nobody was loading yet so I waited and from time to time they would give these big announcements which you could not understand, it was like a drive through with a bad microphone. Soon I heard the distinctive “Sihanoukville” but nobody was boarding yet. I started to get a bit nervous when I spotted a bus with a “Sihanoukville 2:30” sign on it. It had almost finished loading and I barely made it. It was a newer bus so the seats were a bit better but the damage was already done. On the trip to PP this young lady sat next to me who was traveling with 2 other girls. She never said a word to me but they visited across the aisle the whole trip. When I got to my seat guess who was sitting next to me? When I sat down I apologized for being so squirmish during the previous trip and explained how my back was hurting. She was nice about it but I am sure she was thinking, oh God, not him again.

This trip to 5 hours and was a bit harrowing. I guess there is a small shipping port in SV, so these huge shipping containers were being trucked from PP, but the vehicles pulling them are SLOW SLOW SLOW! I think the max they do is about 30 mph, so on this narrow road you constantly have to try and pass them, but the traffic makes it difficult. So, it was best to keep your eyes watching the scenery and not what was happening ahead. The other annoying thing is that people get on and off the bus at random areas and so as soon as you pull over to pick up or drop off, those slow trucks pass you and you have to repeat the process all over again. Then it got dark, and you find out that headlights and taillights seem to be an option in this country. So the bus was crawling along after dark dodging motorbikes with no lights, and people passing in the other direction coming right at you. Not to mention all day long with anything with a wheel allowed on the road no matter how slow it is. I had read that you should not travel after dark, and if you are reading this, its very good advice.

Now, the videos play on a big TV at the front of the bus and thank goodness they were not as loud and annoying as I was led to believe they would be. But they are entertaining to watch. Some are like soap operas where you have this couple and they are fighting with their family or someone, I mean literally the women will be slapping each other, then on a moments notice they all face the camera and break out in song, smiling the whole time. But my favorite ones were when you would have this huge group of people and a couple of people at the front would start singing and I swear to you, the rest started this Khmer Line Dancing. It was so funny. The bus to PP had a large group of locals in the back and they would sing along with the songs and from time to time one guy would make this rooster crowing sound and they all would bust out in laughter. If it had not been for my back and the uncomfortable seat I might have actually enjoyed the trip.

Bottom line is I made it to Sihanoukville, it’s a beach side town in Southern Cambodia, that has been a backpackers paradise for years. Normally I post my blog at night before going to bed, but last night I downed a quick meal and 2 Ibuprofen and off to bed. I am sitting here this Friday morning and its beautiful out today, about to have breakfast. My first order of business is to check out the beaches. And of course I will fill you in on that later!

Happy Travels, Don

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Comments

[Donna]

Hope you enjoy the beach to make that bus trip worth the agony!! WOW

[Ann]

clothes
Man that guy has good taste in clothes!!!!!! LOL