While it has been a good 4 months since my trip to Cambodia last year, I certainly have not forgotten the experience during our time there, especially in Sihanoukville. It could be the nature of how our brain works, that humans are more inclined to remember the start and end of experiences (especially true in the context of presentations and important events in our lives). False memories could even surface when time distorts and messes with one's subconsciousness. But thanks to the photos taken, I could take a walk down memory lane once more...
So what am I trying to preach here? Don't underestimate the power of photo-whoring. ^^
Getting back to the main gist of this post, we left Phnom Penh early that morning and had to change a couple of mini-buses, which ferried tourists from different hotels/hostels, before taking the actual coach bus en route to Sihanoukville. Just as a refresher, simply put, Sihanoukville is a beach town in Cambodia. If you've been to Taiwan's Kenting, it's similar to that, a main city centre with many beaches lined along the coast within "slower vehicles" (such as Tuk Tuks in Cambodia and electronic motorbikes in Taiwan with speeds capped at 40klick/hr) distance.
Fyi, we booked our coach ride from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville at our hotel.
But brace yourself, because the journey there, the dirt road which we traveled on (which I believe was the only route linking Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville) was one HELL of a bumpy ride. The road was narrow and traffic was tight, leaving me "fond" memories of constant jerking back and forth, bobbling up and down, and an almost perpetual "honking" soundtrack accompanied with Cambodian vocals (we were seated in front and the male and female coordinator kept talking amongst themselves together with the bus driver).
There were also many pickups along the way, which till this very day, beats me as to whether they were even "official" cos many didn't have tickets and I think it's all about "networking". If you know the coordinator or the bus driver, you get a free ride, if not, good luck to you baking in the hot sun, breathing in dirt and waiting for the who-knows-when-the-next-bus will come.
It was an estimated 7-8 hour-long ride including the jam and my dear wasn't feeling too well because of the Swenson's we took the previous night at Phnom Penh. That also goes without saying that it's just one of the factors we believed was the cause because due to the bus ride, we hardly filled our stomachs with solid food.
When we finally reached Sihanoukville, we were swarmed (what's new?) by loads of money-leeching Tuk Tuk drivers. Many demanded a "high" rate to ferry us to our accommodation, Reef Resort. There's really no "market rate" there. Those buggers jack up the fee like crazy and even "packages" their transport differently... Motorbikes and Tuk Tuks have different rates, the former being cheaper. However, we felt it was unsafe because only 1 individual was allowed on the bike so we settled for getting a Tuk Tuk in the end. There were lots of "bargaining" but it all boils down to who's more "desperate" under those circumstances. That goes without saying, we won.
Be prepared to walk all the way to the beach area from the bus station if you want to stand your ground, a good 10-15km away I think... I didn't even the slightest clue on how to get there or how far it was only after getting the "deal" and travelling over to the beach area where our resort was. Still, somehow, with conviction and a firm tone, you can convince them that you're actually able to do it and they'll give in eventually.
I think I only slashed the fee by a good $1-2 but considering Tuk Tuk rides over in Cambodia, that's about as good a deal as one's gonna get. We paid about $6-8 for our ride to our resort.
Reef Resort is a more "atas" resort in Sihanoukville, something which I wasn't too aware of only until I got there. Coolabah Hotel, the other more pricey accom was just a stone throw's away from each other. Both of which were about 300 metres away from the "main" beach, Serendipity Beach. We paid about $40 a night, and found these 2 accoms highly recommended on TripAdvisor but if you don't mind, you can get a Bungalow room for as low as $6 a night (dorm beds for $3/night), w/o hot water, and w/o air-con. Lotsa tourists go there for scuba diving and sea sports, so if you're those who spend the entire day out at sea just to come back to your hostel to sleep for the night, then hostels such as The Big Easy (just beside Reef Resort) will save you a good deal of $$$.
Anyways, the service and rooms at Reef Resort were fantastic, which didn't inject too much remorse in me for paying that amount per night. They even had their own electric generator, an important factor you wanna consider during your stay in Sihanoukville if you're looking for comfort because on the second night, the common generator ran dead at around 8pm (till afternoon the next day) and there were no lights for almost 80% of the accommodation over there. Imagine having to bathe in the dark, in cold water... scary...
I side-tracked a little too much with all the details but getting back when we first arrived, we booked a one day tour to Koh Rong Samlem (Saracen Bay) with the resort and got directions to also book our bus ride back to Siem Reap (travel agency just across the road) as well as change for more cash (USD) at a nearby Western Union bank (at the cross junction of the Golden Lion Traffic Circle - basically a golden lion statue erected in the middle of a roundabout, a roundabout nearest to the main beaches).
In other words, Sihanoukville was pretty much self-contained, most of the amenities and important services were all within walking distance, all but one... the pharmacy. Speaking of that, perhaps I should give a quick overview of the area.
The Golden Lion Traffic Circle is near to the main beach area, which links to the Serendipity Beach and Ochheuteal Beach (2 of the more popular/touristy beaches). It is over there where our resort was, and where many others were. The Golden Lion roundabout also links to the city area, which is about 1-2 km away from the beach area. It's within walking distance, and along the way, one would pass by Lucky Supermarket (a fairy new local supermarket). 2 pharmacies are located at the city centre, both of which very "traditionally" style... like those TCM stalls.
Out of the 4 roads leading to the Golden Lion roundabout, one leads to the beach, one leads to the city centre, another to a Casino and the forth a night local makan place. We didn't explore much of the other 2 roads.
We grabbed a bite here and there from the food stalls, from French breads, to hot dogs to fish and chips (none too fantastic) before heading down to check out Serendipity Beach/Ochheuteal Beach. Both are essential the same beach, just different parts of it, no idea why they had to even have 2 different names for it.
The beach area was lined with pubs and cafes selling chilled beer and seafood platters, and for the entire stretch of beach, it was like a "cut and paste" scene - a good 2km distance. We were spoilt for choices.
We bought along our picnic mat which we brought from Daiso back in Singapore but was difficult finding an "empty" spot because most parts of the shoreline were "reserved" by the cafes. It was there where we sun bathed a little, carved words in the moist semi-hard sand, soaked our feets in seawater, and where we chill-laxed till the sun set. Actually it didn't end there, we had our dinner there, seafood platter, as well... though there were many beggars and child labors who would "harass" you during your meals.
It was at Serendipity Beach that I experienced one of the most beautiful sunsets in my life. While it would not awe me as much knowing that each sunset is different, a part of me was skeptical about how beautiful sunsets could get... I mean, afterall, it's just the color-changing skies and the "moment" which would last only about 15 minutes. The sunset and sunrise experience at Siem Reap was nothing fantastic. Even other sunrises/sunsets in Singapore were all... different but ordinary.
I'm not sure if we were lucky that day, cos the next day we too went to check out the sunset but didn't experience anything as beautiful as on the first day, or that we weren't as lucky on our 2nd day... but regardless, it's no use debating because I'll never know the answer... the only thing I was certain, is that there was a "cutting edge", defining moment of the sunset which took my breath away. Perhaps what added to its beauty was that the crescent moon was also nicely "framed" in the background.
We spent the night chilling out at one of the seafood stalls along the coast, living the good life like kings and queens. But of course, even kings and queens cannot escape the ever relentless pestering of beggars. I have nothing against beggars, it's not that I look down on them or anything but they're like flies who break the peace of the moment. I know I should show more compassion, but it really gets on my nerves when someone, be it beggars, noisy kids or even my parents, "ka chiaoz" me when I need some alone time, especially with my dear to enjoy and sink into the moment...
On a more objective note, the kids and beggars there were really quite pitiful. They walked the coastline many times, either selling fireworks or begging for money with their grubby looking kids.
The "setting" on the table was quite romantic (candles stuck in sand in a cut up plastic bottle), we were less than 5 metres away from the waters and the portion of the seafood platter was humongous. I was extremely contented with the serving, together with the chilled beer, that easily made one of the best meals I had in Cambodia.
When we returned to our resort, my dear was feeling much worse. That was when I gathered hidden strength and courage to walk the treacherous streets of Sihanoukville to hunt for medicine. I exaggerated. I wasn't that shagged and walking the dark streets of Sihanoukville wasn't that treacherous, slightly intimidating though because of the unfamiliarity to the place. But, because I was so dressed down with shorts, a t-shirt and slippers, no Tuk Tuk drivers pestered me and in the dark, I probably looked like a local to most others. The side walking pavements weren't well laid, but walkable, and the distance from our resort to the pharmacy which was located near the city centre, was quite a walk.
I got directions from the resort staff and she did warn me, but acting all heroic... and stingy, I said "nooo problem..." only to return perspiring and panting. Like I mentioned, I thought I was directed to a Watson-like pharmacy, only to come face to face with 2 pharmacies side by side, one looking more rundown and dubious than the other. Both had this old, rundown TCM feel (disclaimer: not that I don't trust TCM, just the feel) kinda outlook and in the end I chose the lesser of both evils...
I asked the pharmacist for medicine on indigestion, which I suspected my dear to have (bloatedness being one of the symptoms), and she gave me a dubious looking strip of tablets. I asked for the instructions and she looked at me like I was robbing her - wide-eyed and probably thinking to herself in Cambodian, "What the heck?!". I spent a good 5 minutes reading the instructions thoroughly, something I have never done in my life because I was paranoid on getting a tablet which might aggravate my dear's condition due to negligence and credibility. She then said the tablets were from India, and wasn't until I asked for other medicines, did she show me another tube from Germany, which cost 2-3 times higher.
Guess which I bought? Bet it's tough for you to figure... Regardless, I spend another 5 minutes reading the instructions of the tablets from Germany. Then she showed another strip of tablets, from some other 3rd world country and "recommended" the one from Germany (a true salesgirl, now then introduce the one from Germany after asking and displaying such paranoia and scrutiny... tsk*).
Went back to the hotel, my dear took a tablet that night and the day after but turned out to be less effective than I thought. Guess what she really needed was a good night's rest, lotsa water and self-induced happiness, cos the next day's event somehow suppressed her virus/bacteria, either that or her immune system went into overdrive. One of the most enjoyable days in Cambodia was coming up!!
