.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
It’s certainly been a ping-pong of an experience, going from beautiful to ugly and back to beautiful. Yesterday we saw the ornate palace and museum, then the gloomy genocidal sites, and now we’re off to the exotic town of Sihanoukville, right by the ocean.
En route, we stop off at Kirirom National Park, and I am excited because our itinerary boasts of this 40-meter waterfall that drops from a mountain and flows into a river; street posters back in Phnom Penh confirmed this beautiful sight. I can hardly wait to see it! As the car rounds the mountain, I get a sense for the height of the water. On arriving, however, I learn that the water doesn’t flow til July. Sulking begins… We walk among the huge rocks on the dry bottom of the river. Ma’s brother Uncle Leng is with us; he makes me laugh (as he usually does) and I smile for a picture, ready to head out again.
We finally arrive in Sihanoukville. Driving through, we see shop after shop selling bikinis and bright floral pattern shorts, confirming it’s a beach town. Our hotel, Sokha Resort & Spa, is modern yet appropriately decorated with traditional Cambodian roof trimmings. The hotel has an inviting pool outback, surrounded by grass; then a few steps take you down into this soft, silky pearl coloured sand. (I wonder if the beach is naturally this beautiful, until I see local labour the next morning sifting the sand to remove debris). We enjoy the beach nonetheless.
On arriving at the hotel, we whip on our bathing suit and dash into the water. The ocean is warm and salty. "Uncle Leng, did you pee?” Uncle Leng smiles mischievously, and we laugh knowing he’s joking or better be. After splashing around, we enjoy dinner with our driver, Vath.
Next morning, I’m excited about the “free breakfast with hotel stay”. It’s a time to fill up before I am subjected to roadside or picnic vendors for lunch. They’re our only options on long drives; bringing food is tough, will explain back home. Anyway, it’s tough to stomach street food knowing hand soap and toilet paper are hardly found in bathrooms here. And guess which bathroom the chef uses!?
Today’s lunch is a boxed one. We have a 1.5 hour boat trip to an island in the ocean. The island is essentially a mountain with silky sand along parts of its base and giant rocks along other parts. We sit on the rocks for lunch. Afterwards, we walk through the forest that ascends with the height of the mountain. We hike from one side of the mountain to the other, stopping by a tiny community of 30 families who live in huts and subsist on the land and water around them. With the exception of our group and the natives, I feel isolated from the world, until I see a larger group of tourist catch up to us.
We board the boat back, and meet up with my friend Lindsay (from Canada) and her husband Simon (from the UK) for dinner. Although we were born in Cambodia, Lindsay and Simon are now current residents here. Over Cambodian-Japanese-German food, we have a blast teaching each other about the country; we share our experiences of the past while they inform us of the present. It was fun. We head out for Phnom Penh the next day.
En route, we stop off at Kirirom National Park, and I am excited because our itinerary boasts of this 40-meter waterfall that drops from a mountain and flows into a river; street posters back in Phnom Penh confirmed this beautiful sight. I can hardly wait to see it! As the car rounds the mountain, I get a sense for the height of the water. On arriving, however, I learn that the water doesn’t flow til July. Sulking begins… We walk among the huge rocks on the dry bottom of the river. Ma’s brother Uncle Leng is with us; he makes me laugh (as he usually does) and I smile for a picture, ready to head out again.
We finally arrive in Sihanoukville. Driving through, we see shop after shop selling bikinis and bright floral pattern shorts, confirming it’s a beach town. Our hotel, Sokha Resort & Spa, is modern yet appropriately decorated with traditional Cambodian roof trimmings. The hotel has an inviting pool outback, surrounded by grass; then a few steps take you down into this soft, silky pearl coloured sand. (I wonder if the beach is naturally this beautiful, until I see local labour the next morning sifting the sand to remove debris). We enjoy the beach nonetheless.
On arriving at the hotel, we whip on our bathing suit and dash into the water. The ocean is warm and salty. "Uncle Leng, did you pee?” Uncle Leng smiles mischievously, and we laugh knowing he’s joking or better be. After splashing around, we enjoy dinner with our driver, Vath.
Next morning, I’m excited about the “free breakfast with hotel stay”. It’s a time to fill up before I am subjected to roadside or picnic vendors for lunch. They’re our only options on long drives; bringing food is tough, will explain back home. Anyway, it’s tough to stomach street food knowing hand soap and toilet paper are hardly found in bathrooms here. And guess which bathroom the chef uses!?
Today’s lunch is a boxed one. We have a 1.5 hour boat trip to an island in the ocean. The island is essentially a mountain with silky sand along parts of its base and giant rocks along other parts. We sit on the rocks for lunch. Afterwards, we walk through the forest that ascends with the height of the mountain. We hike from one side of the mountain to the other, stopping by a tiny community of 30 families who live in huts and subsist on the land and water around them. With the exception of our group and the natives, I feel isolated from the world, until I see a larger group of tourist catch up to us.
We board the boat back, and meet up with my friend Lindsay (from Canada) and her husband Simon (from the UK) for dinner. Although we were born in Cambodia, Lindsay and Simon are now current residents here. Over Cambodian-Japanese-German food, we have a blast teaching each other about the country; we share our experiences of the past while they inform us of the present. It was fun. We head out for Phnom Penh the next day.
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}
No comments:
Post a Comment