Sihanoukville

After the exertion of Siem Reap we felt as though some generally laziness would be appropriate. Sihanoukville is a great place for this as it is on a headland in the South of Cambodia. The bus trip there was an all day affair with a 6am "pick up" which really means you need to be ready at 6am and they'll pick you up anywhere between 6 and 7 to take you to the actual bus.

The bus trip went smoothly but we asked a few questions when it left us and a couple of other tourists behind at a rest stop. We found out that the bus driver had only gone to change a tyre but it is a little bit concerning when you aren't told this and you see the bus driving off in the distance with your bags.

When we arrived the sun was setting and without having a good look at the beaches we were already suitably impressed.

Sihanoukville has several beaches close at hand, most of which you'd think were named by an American for they include: Freedom, Independence, Victory and Serendipity. Tragic names aside, the beaches are great and the water is just as good. The hawkers, beggars and touts that roam some of the beaches are a little less relaxing but if you give them the "cold face" they get the message soon enough.

After the first night we decided to move accommodation to somewhere cheaper. We quickly found the infamous 'Chiva Shack' and we knew that our search was at an end. Chiva Shack specialises in budget accommodation and offers you your very own small room/cell for the tiny sum of $2 US per night.

Chiva Shack has a good atmosphere and was a great place to hang out during the day and into the evening. We made friends with a couple of young lads (Tropic and Thunder) from Christchurch who had both lived in the UK and had recently visited India. They gave us the low down on both places which should prove useful, although we thought some of it such as "watch out for chuckers if you're playing cricket in India" was common knowledge.

Photo above from left to right: Clint, Dan, Thunder and Tropic.

After three nights at Chiva Shack it was time to move accommodation again. Dan had a rather nasty encounter with what we think was a spider and Clint was a magnet to invisible creatures that like to bite. Anti-histamines, tiger balm and a lime (donated by an old Cambodian gentleman) saw us both right within a couple of days.

Above is a rather impressive statue in the middle of a roundabout or traffic circle as the locals like to call it.

Random Fact: The national beer "Angkor Draught" is brewed in Sihanoukville but it's not any cheaper.

Highlights

- Being abused by NZ'ers for not going on a Booze Cruise with them. The early morning wake up insults included "Get up, your not here for the culture!" and "John Key wants you to burn your passport, you're a disgrace to the country!".

- Sunday roast dinner. The first one since leaving home, very good but best described as quality rather than quantity.

Lessons Learned

- Insect repellent is ineffective against invisible creatures that bite.

- If you buy 20 shots of Absinthe (a highly potent alcoholic drink) at Chiva Shack you get a free t-shirt. Info courtesy of Tropic.

- Not all twins are as evenly matched as we are. Info courtesy of Thunder and his twin brother.