More Sihanoukville

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Saturday 27th

Changed our routine for our final day in Snooky. Ambled very slowly into town because although overcast the humidity made it very sticky ( I also think I've got a slight high temperature with my cold). Cashing a travellers cheque was a similar palaver to Cuba. You go up to counter sign them and them and then are sent to sit down for five minutes. The bank had very few customers. We then headed to a cafe that supports a children's charity called Starfish. It is tucked down a very unappealing and dodgy looking dusty side road but once inside it is a haven of tranquility with lots of green foliage, running water a fluttering butterflies. Understandably they charge a little bit more than most cafes but the food and coffee was very good. I'm now a french toast with honey addict (Jen had a huge egg roll). We headed for the maket and bought a bunch of small bananas and some tangerines. Jen tried some ramboutin. The market is in a huge building under tin roofs and is sweltering ( the original aparently burnt down). We were glad to escape. The walk back was energy sapping. (I think I'm running a temperature and by the time we got back to the hotel I felt like sitting in an air conditioned darkened room all afternon. However the lure of the beach meant that twenty minutes later we were on our sun loungers and running into the refreshing sea. It was a great relief. The clouds became scattered with the sun breaking through just half an hour before sunset. Many of the beach shacks have a happy 'hour' from about 5 to 9pm so a few minutes after 5 we ordered our first draft glass of Angkor Bitter. Apart from leaving the beach briefly to buy tommorow's minibus tickets we spent the rest of the evening on the beach and indulged again in a superb whole barbecued red snapper each. We were back at the hotel by 9 to start packing.

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