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Published: August 23rd 2008
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This is it, the last and final entry and the end of the trilogy. Even like Lord of the Rings, I don't want this story to end. Perhaps it is my fondness for Cambodia and the desire to see it again, and maybe because it just leaves me back here in Seoul waiting to tell knew stories that at least live up to the ones from Cambodia. I want to thank everyone that has been reading my blogs. Your comments mean a lot to me and I am glad that everyone is enjoying them. I just hope that I can keep it spicy and new every time.
Sihanoukville-
Justin and I arrived after a long (stretch that word out) 12 hour bus ride. I have to say though that the rides were a time of reflection and for yourself. Most of the rides we spent buried in books and staring out the window as the country side slowly slipped by. What I like about Cambodia (one of the many) is that you can leave a city and in five minutes find yourself on a country road passing little villages or homes. Most of the country is rural and very
poor. Transportation is by scooter or by foot with the occasional truck jammed with people passing by. We step off the bus in Sihanoukville to be greeted like celebrities. Everyone was grabbing at us to either hop into their tuk tuk or on their scooter. The hardest thing is to actually get off the bus, but once off there is no time for lolly gaggin. You have to be on the top of your game, ready to strike deals and haggle with the local transport service. Justin and I had decided on the bus ride down that we wanted to check out some bungalows that were right on the beach, but none of the tuk tuk drivers would take us. We soon found out why as we climbed on the back of a couple of scooter taxi's and took off towards the bungalows. My driver had my big backpack between him and the handle bars with me on the back. I had my day bag on my back and was holding on with white knuckles to the back frame of the bike. He sped up a country road that seems was made for a four wheel drive trucks only, but
what?
no comment made it to the bungalows in one piece. Who needs coffee when you can have rides like that. We found when we arrived that the bungalows were fully booked, so we headed back down the road, which is down hill now, at break neck speeds and I now know where that term comes from.
We ended up at a hotel one block from the beach for $5 a night ($2.50 a person). It was a nice place except the beds seemed to sweat more than we did and it seems that the mattresses were as old if not older than both of us. For $5 a night we could manage, and hell I have slept in/on worse places/things (pool table in Amsterdam).
The sea was bathwater warm and at the edge of the beach there were bars and restaurants that enclosed the beach. I swam for about a hour and managed to walk up and down the beach a few times. We went into town had massages and checked out a bookstore. Oh, and we ate decent food. That is about the extent of the four days that we were there. It rained almost none stop and in every direction
tuk tuk driver
This guy was really nice. He drove us around all day and showed us the local scene. possible. My hopes were that when we got here that we would be snorkeling and taking boat trips out to islands around the area. Having BBQ's on the beach and enjoying our beverage of choice....Angkor beer. Well one of those happened and it wasn't the more exciting of the choices. We drank, a lot and ate when we could, played rummy, watched tv and read. I wish for my sake and the readers that we had done more and seen more, but there is only so much that you can do when it seems that a tropical storm is descending upon you with a fury.
It was bitter sweet when we were boarding the bus back to Phnom Penh, the rain lifted and the sun started to appear again. I laughed a bit, shrugged my shoulders and said next time.
We arrived in Phnom Penh around 6:30pm and were again immediately swarmed by tuk tuk drivers fighting their way to get to us, to take us to the cheapest and nicest hotel in the whole of Cambodia. We lowered our shoulders and barged through and into the nearest restaurant for dinner. We hung around the old market for a while
sihounokville
The beach we stayed at. playing cards and drinking beer waiting till our time with the country was over. Around 9 we caught a tuk tuk and headed to the airport.
Now you this is generally where the story would end, but not here, not now, not to us. We arrived at the airport to find that we were too late. Our plane had left...24 hours ago. We were a day late. We looked at our itinerary (for the first time since we left Seoul) and realized that the man at the front counter was not crazy. We asked if we could get on this flight tonight, but were told it was full and the one tomorrow was also full. We would have to wait 2 more days, since there is only one flight a day back to Seoul. We put our names on the waiting list for sooner flights and booked the flight for two days from now. This would not have been too bad except that we had only $3 between us. I had a dollar left and Justin had $2. As we were about to walk out of the airport, the attendant yelled to us that they might have an opening for
beach weather
so nice that day that we needed jackets us tonight. We ran back and found that we could get on the plane, we just would not be getting a meal. We high fived, thanked the attendant and ran to catch our flight.
There it is, our trip, full of laughs, awkwardness, contemplation, confusion, excitement and tardiness. We met such great people and saw things that most people can only read about, or see on TV. Looking back at the trip now from the comforts of my apartment in Seoul, I have more appreciation for everything I have, not just material possessions, but opportunities, and support. The people I met their were so kind and welcoming. They asked questions and told us about daily life of being a tuk tuk driver, a hostel worker, or a student. Most people we talked to would love to come visit America or Europe, but don't have the means to. What money they have or make goes directly to the family or back into the business to try and scrape together more daily comforts that we take for granted everyday. We should not feel guilty either about going and showing off that we can leave our jobs and lives for the hell of
headin home
found this "local" on the same bus to phnom penh. it. For when we do, we help put food on the table of those that might not have food, and new perspectives of life from people all over the globe. And most importantly, a smile that most people no matter where you are need.
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mom
non-member comment
I just love your blogs Joey! They make me feel like I am right there! Love the pics too! What is with the machine gun? Love, Mom