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Published: September 8th 2008
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The rooster on this quirky island woke me before daybreak. Hann and I untangled ourselves from the mosquito net, opening the creaky wooden door to reveal the calm waters caressing the sand in front of our bungalow. Tiny white spotty crabs darted in all directions as we strolled along the beach in the morning glow of dawn. Fisherman moored just 30 metres from shore prepared breakfast and sang traditional Cambodian songs while our hosts fed their farm animals underneath towering coconut palms. ‘How’s the fucking serenity’ I thought.
Koh Russei (Bamboo Island) is an hour by boat from the main shipping port of Sihanoukville. It’s a sleepy little island surrounded by tranquil tropical waters in the Gulf of Thailand. Unlike Thailand, most of Cambodia’s islands remain undeveloped or strictly out of bounds. Bamboo Island and its surrounding islands have a strong military presence. I assume they’re here to protect the border, although they don’t seem to do very much at all. One guy who patrols our beach in his pyjama style military uniform is always keen for a chat. Each time he passes, we teach one another a new word or phrase in our respective languages. Despite the occasional inappropriate
question from him, his beaming smile and eagerness to communicate always leave me smiling.
Several other wonderful characters pass by for a chat in the mid afternoon heat, each of them blissed out by the peaceful surrounds. Joseph, who we first met in Battambang, has been travelling for the past 10 years. It’s his profession, he says. His humorous and eccentric outlook on life drifts by momentarily, and before long his mass of dreadlocks and enormous straw hat are but a speck on the golden sands of the empty beach. Chickens, dogs and cows regularly visit the shoreline, all swinging by our bungalow on the off chance of a feed. A 15 minute walk through the butterfly and centipede infested jungle leads to a beautiful beach where locals fish and swim.
Each day between 10am-3pm the day trippers arrive, a combination of wealthy Khmers and tourists staying in Sihanoukville. They eat, swim, flirt, snorkel, get drunk, leave their rubbish and fuck off back to the mainland. The following morning, the locals on the island pick up the litter, rake the beach, clean the toilet and get ready to do it all over again. Hann and I explore other
parts of the island during the day to avoid the crowds. Each night we’re surprised by how few people choose to actually stay the night on Bamboo Island. On our first night, we were the only tourists on the Island! Bizarre. But exactly what we were looking for, a little semi-deserted island paradise away from the party beach at Sihanoukville where old aged western deviants parade along the beach unashamedly with young Cambodian girls, where beggars and drug dealers hassle you every few minutes, where body image is the Mecca and buckets of vodka and red bull are churned out 24 hours a day at $3 a pop. NO THANKS! If this means I’m getting old, then old I am. Bring on the knitted cardigans, the poof to rest my feet on, a lawn bowls trophy, a white shiny head of hair and many more adventures in foreign lands……. Then when dementia sets in and I go a little strange (stranger!) in the head, I might return to Sihanoukville to find myself a nice young Cambodian girl and a super tight pair of speedos. Don’t anyone tell Hann!!
UPDATE: Since writing this, we’ve been travelling around with an
Australian/Swiss couple along the South East coast of Cambodia. We’ve explored the quiet friendly town of Kampot and the surrounding limestone caves. The caves were filled with bats, fresh water and an ancient temple. It was then onto Kep where we indulged a little by staying in a lodge with incredible views over the ocean and the mountains lining the coastline. We spent hours in the pool admiring the view and chatting with fellow travellers after dining on the delicious local cuisine of crab with Kampot pepper sauce. In Kep I hired a motorbike (you don’t need a license in Cambodia) and drove around with Hann on the back. I’ve been feeling all manly ever since. My balls tripled in size! A Bloke, his Bike and his Babe, oh yeah! Admittedly, we never went very fast….. and Hann has now grown tired of my constant reminiscing about the motorbike. On Saturday, I managed to stream the last half of the Collingwood game. Go Pies!
We’re now back in Phnom Penh to explore the Russian Market, organise our transport to Vietnam and catch up with the Australian/Swiss couple for a few farewell brews.
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