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Published: January 17th 2007
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Snow Drift Beach
This picture doesn't do it justice, I think The last few days have been spent in Sihanoukville, and I was planning on heading to Vietnam a couple of days ago. However, Evan, a californian guy I met here suggested visiting an isand called Koh Rhung, which he had read about in the local guide book. I hadn't heard of it, and neither apparently had anybody in the tourist agencies or dive shops we asked around. They all suggested we go to Bamboo Island or Snake Island, which is apparently the standard. That said we were told that if we were desperate a boat could be rented for a mere $180 per day!
We decided to try and see if we could hitch a ride with one of the local fishermen, who fish in the waters around Ko Rhung. This resulted in an afternoon-long trek all round Sihanoukvile, all the way from the fishing village at the port to a dive shop ran by the rudest man in Cambodia at the top of the town.
After visiting about six or seven different places, we ended up in a bar right down on the beach, about 5 minutes walk from where I was staying. There we met Jones, a
The Fishing Village
I forget the name. That's Eddie The Alaskan Tree House Builder in the foreground. Finnish guy who is apparently building a hotel on the island. He agreed to take us there for $20, and put us up in his unfinshed hotel. So, after our wild goose chase... Success! We'll be able to pay twenty dollars (one way) for the privilege of going by boat to stay in a half finished hotel on an island nobody seems to want to go to.
The next day, we arrived at the meeting place ("The Golden Barracuda" restaurant) (me twenty minutes late due to my alarm not going off), to be told that the boat can't go today. The water was apparently too choppy. We decided to wait for tomorrow.
The next day, it was all go. Jones, Evan and Songka (Jones' business partner) and myself drove over to Hawaii Beach, after picking up some provisions on route. The boat arrived later, and we helped Jones to load the boat with thatching for the roof of the hotel (the first work I've done in about two months!). Prior to that, Jones and I had bonded over us both having the exact same tattoo on our legs. After loading was done, we waded aboard and headed off.
Fishing Fowk
Good sorts, one and all. The water was quite choppy, but bearable. After three hours we rounded the point of Koh Rhung and there lay Snow Drift Beach. Seven kilometers of pristine white sand, and perfectly clear water. From the water it appeared completely deserted, but as we drew neared, we could make out three wooden bungalows. This was Jones' development, and what will later be known as Broken Heart guest house. The site will be very low impact, and when completed will have a restraunt, bar and elevated tree-top viewing platform, all enclosed in the jungle. At the moment, it was just three one room bungalows on stilts, and a cooking area. It was real frontier post kind of stuff, down to the lack of any plumbed facilities, electricity or communications. The only other development was next door, a site owned by an Alaskan called Eddie, who was building some treehouses. At the moment, his was the only one built, about seven meters up a tree.
As soon as I arrived, I went swimming. The water was the clearest I'd seen, and from out in the water you could appreciate even more the spectacular scene. A seven kilometer, unspoilt beach, crystal water,
Pre-Fishing Fowk
Although these kids start fishing practically before they can walk. and white sand; and it was all mine (well, that was the way it felt at the time!).
Jones' and SongKa had laid on lunch, after which we sat on the verandah on the balcony of the bungalow and took in the scene. Jones showed us around the area, and talked us through his plans.
There was a fishing village at the end of the beach, and Evan and I decided to walk there to see about arranging a boat back tomorrow. The walk took about an hour and a half, along a beach that was heavily populated by crabs. Real ones, with their eyes on stalks! Eventually we arrived at the village. As expected, we made a bit of an impression, and soon were being invited to share food with the villagers. I tried the raw shellfish (not very clever, but I'm terrible at saying no), which was meaty and fishy and squishy and gritty.
As we walked on, we found ourselves being ussured into another eating area to wolf down a meal of rice, whitebait-type fish, and fried chicken with lettuce. It was delicious after the walk, and the tea served was great also, made from the bark of some sort of tree. Afterwards, we adjourned to what seemed to be a sort of town hall/meeting room/tv lounge, where we were served great coconut cakes.
Stuffed, we broke out the digital cameras. This resulted in mayhem for the next twenty minutes, as the kids went crazy seeing themselves in the viewfinder screen. It was nice to be able to provide some amusement, after being fed and watered so well.
By this time it was dark, and we needed to get down to the business of arranging transport back to Sihanoukville the next day. However, the local captain explained that we'd need to wait till the day after tomorrow to get back. This wasn't what we had in mind, but there was nothing we could do. After he finished his meal, he offered to give us a run back to the bungalows.
It was pitch dark when we set off, and the water was very choppy. The speedboat ride back was ... well, I wouldn't say terrifying (I loved it), but certainly not for the faint hearted. As we tore through the water, it was impossible to see when the next big wave would hit to catapult me up or bash my backside against the wooden plank I was sitting on. The night sky provided a particularly appropriate canopy for the extraordinary beauty of the island, and a bright orange shooting star fell in front of us.
We arrived back, to conlude our negotiations with Jones (who speaks Khymer). We settled on $20 each for the journey back (The locals pay $3). There was no electric light, only the single candle burning in the bungalow veranda, where Jones and his friend Marco were sitting. We sat and chatted with them, before retiring to the hammocks that had been provided to us.
I awoke the next feeling very refreshed. After a breakfast of instant Tom Yum noodles, I decided to go for a swim. I took my goggles, and was out there for hours, investigating the rocks where bright blue, yellow and silver fishes swam by the dozen. On one occasion, I shut my eyes and floated for a few moments, opening them to find myself surrounded by a shoal of thousands of tiny silver fish. After lunch of more noodles, I read in the hammock, napped and finished the afternoon playing volleyball in the water with Jones, Marco and two of the Cambodian workers.
During the day, a Dutch couple had arrived on a day trip. They were put up at the bungalow, and joined us on the veranda in the evening. It was a great end to the day. Thank goodness the boat wasn't available this morning. We all agreed that eventually this place will be like Ko Phi Phi. It's pretty much inevitable, so I'm glad that I was able to (just) get here before that begins to happen.
The next morning Evan, Eddie and myself joined the boat back to Sihanoukville. Next stop, Vietnam, and Ho Chi Mihn City.
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Mum and Dad
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Greetings:Hi, Adam:
Hi Adam: We think that we're reading this as you're loading it up! Good to hear from you again and it's fine to know that you're having a good time. Love Mum and Dad