Sihanoukville

I don't remember much of the ride to Sihanoukville, mostly because I slept the whole way. As soon as the bus/boat/train engine starts, I zonk out. This makes for good travels. Sihanoukville is a beach town located in the southern part of Cambodia.

Upon our arrival in the city, we learned there were no tuk-tuks available. Therefore, Jon and I hopped on a motorbike (with our bags) and sped off to bungalows located on the beach front. The journey was a bit more exciting (and by exciting I mean frightening) than my last experience on a moto. We decided to eat at a restaurant that had the worst food to date. The next day we relocated: not only did our bungalows smell, but I was on the losing end of a midnight war with mosquitoes.

The second day we lazed around on the beach (after we relocated). It made for a very nice afternoon. The water temperature was about the same as Galveston--that is bathtub temperature, but unlike Galveston, the water was clear. After a long afternoon at the beach, we returned to our guesthouse to get ready for dinner out in the big city.

We discovered there wasn't much to the city center; however, we did eat at a wonderful restaurant. I got a side salad and baked potato with vegetarian chili and it was fabulous. We went to the oddest bookstore. (All the books were arranged so it was nigh impossible to read the titles and authors.)

That evening the sky split open and a deluge spilled forth, complete with a spectacular display of lightning and earth-shaking thunder. This would be all good...but, Jon and I were due to take a tour of National Park in the morning. The next morning it was still raining, but we were optimistic. It would clear by 10 a.m.; it must clear by 10 a.m; therefore, it shall be clear by 10 a.m. Unfortunately, my optimism did not pay off. We were picked up for the tour at 8 in the morning, we had our 'included' breakfast, it began to thunder down rain, we were subsequently returned to our hotel. The trip was rescheduled for the next day. So, what does one do when it rains at the beach? I allocated my time to important duties: namely sleeping and reading.

The next day it was still raining. The trip was officially off, which was a bummer. We got a full, hassle-free refund, which was exciting. It was almost like earning money. Well, sort of. We decided to head back to Phnom Penh, where we could travel to Vietnam.

It was an interesting ride to the bus station. It was raining. I wore a (borrowed) poncho, with my backpack and my daybag tucked underneath the poncho. With my bag strapped to my belly, I looked like I was at least nine months along...with triplets. As we drove, the rain soaked my face and the wind tore at my poncho and hair. To put it bluntly, I was a sight. Of course, I thought it was great fun and couldn't stop giggling all the way to the bus station.