The final days in paradise

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February 9
Yesterday was a travel day for the most part. The trip from Kampot to Sihanoukville in a minibus was certainly the most civilized trip to date. Not a single hair raising pass and the very annoying Cambodian turn signal, the horn was only heard a few times. Best part was there were only 6 of us including the driver and his helper. We know from past experience that the preferred number of occupants is closer to 18!

We stayed in Sihanoukville only long enough to get supplies and catch the boat to Koh Ru. The island is about an hour from the boarding area, mostly because of the full beyond any what any reasonable naval occupant loading capacity factor … cambodia has its own buyoancy rules and besides you have four guys copping the water out that and the 2.5hp Briggs and Straton engine used to power a propeller that is about the size of the paddle on our kitchen mixer! Completely soaked from the sea spray and smiles from ear to ear, we arrived at the island.

As you can see from the picture we really are staying in a little grass shack. It's nothing more than a place to put a mattress and mosquito net, which is exactly what we were hoping to find. There is electricity in the evening but other than that it is just the sound of the waves and the cooling ocean breeze or and the resident rat chewing on whatever it is you might have forgotten to lock in the metal box that comes gratis with the hut, compliments of management.

We met a 'boat load' of people on the way over and all seemed to be good fun. There is a large common area that serves as bar, restaurant, and sometimes sleeping area for those who have had a bit too much and cannot find their way back to the dorm room. No one seems to care and the resident dogs just curl up with those on the floor and everyone gets on with what ever it is they are on about......

So, the next three days will be filled with doing nothing or as close to that as we can come. Relaxing in our hammocks, cooling off in the bath temperature water and enjoying the sunset with a glass of wine. We know it is a hard life but someone has to do it and we are willing to endure the hardship for the sake of civilization. Besides, we heard last night that the island has been sold, for a measly $22M and in three months time the Bamboo Island Resort will cease to exist. It's a shame that progress has to come to this little slice of coconut palm tree lined beaches. We are thankful we have gotten this opportunity to experience it and hope many others do as well, before it is just a postcard......

A cat, three dogs, chicken, a rooster that only crows after 8am, a high energy loving rat and a peanut butter eating billy goat named Rambo....Jeff found another day in his pocket this morning, welcome to day three at Bamboo Is Resort! February 10th, is the date, actual day of the week is unknown and we like it that way. Completely off grid. No cell phone signal and certainly no internet connection. Electricity we have only just learned, is from 6-9pm, nothing more, nothing less. A slight correction on 'doing nothing' from yesterday. We did actually go for a short run along the beach. But outside of that we literally went from the hammock to the sea, rinse and repeat! The people who happen to mind the bar and restaurant are a wonderful group of travelers. Long stay turn employee or helper is not unheard of here. Brad and Laura have been here for 10 weeks and have no intention of leaving until the French company who bought the island close the bar down. Nora will continue to pen tattoo designs and drawings until then as well...progress only matters when you have no other option.

So far today, besides hammock time (currently enjoying) and swimming, (just came back from), we went for a walk around the west end of the island which according to Brad, has not been done since has been the resident drink slinger, so we feel like we've accomplished 'something' today and not wanting to strain ourselves, that is about all we will get done today. So maybe a little about our paradise. A bed in the dorm is US$ 3 a night, which Robert the Brit pays even though we find him every morning, sleeping somewhere in the communal gathering area. A bungalow is $15, we are in #6, but you would only find it if you started counting them from the bar! The sand is of the squeaky kind and gets everywhere regardless of how we attempt to keep our hut clean. Yeah we swept once but found it futile so we didn't do it again. It was going to get in the way of hammock time. The sea is off cool bath temp and has only a few rocks in front of our place but that keeps everyone away but us....The food, well let's just say it's an eclectic mix of Khmer, backpacker and a dash of British. Even have Pringles and deep fried Snickers bars should the craving occur. As for the people we've encountered, Brits, Australians, Americans, one other maple leaf, a mixed bunch of Norwegians and a couple of Dutch and a girl of unknown origin who was told this morning that her thong bathing suit was ok on the beach but not in the bar area as the Khmer boys might find it disturbing (not certain about this inference since they all has great big smiles on, breakfast and a show...). We suffered it over breakfast and thankfully we'd finish eating before it arrived. Surely she is a nice person looking for something but what we've not quite worked out, not that it really matters in the context of Bamboo life....So now that's late afternoon, Jeff has figured out that there are two more nights here, the rat has nothing left to eat and Rambo won't be eating peanut butter any time soon (he did like the honey that followed), it is time to focus on hammock time and have another swim....hoping all is well in you world and that any billy goats pushing you around, are satisfied with a frontal nudge and peanut butter...Reality is what you make of it and at the moment we REALLY like reality!

February 13
a long day of travel ahead of us. Round one of Running Cambodia is complete. Three hundred and twenty sleeps to go and then rinse and repeat! Running Cambodia V2 begins in early 2011!

Thanks for following along, your comments and thoughts touched our hearts and enriched our journey

Nat and Jeff

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