A day at the beach

Hi Mom! I know it’s been a while since we provided a substantial update – it’s been a bit of a whirlwind, and we’ve finally found some down-time to catch up here in Sihanoukville. After Thanksgiving in Hong Kong (thank you, Marni), we flew to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, where we spent three nights with Amy’s cousin Melissa (thank you, Missy), who lives there. Really not a lot to report, in all honesty, as we spent the first day doing much-needed laundry, slept in a few days, and saw a few sights like the Reunification Palace and War Remnants Museum. It was a pretty quiet couple of days, but we’ll be going back to HCMC at the end of our SE Asia loop. Looking forward to spending some more time there and seeing it more in-depth.

From Ho Chi Minh, we took an eight-hour bus ride across the border to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This was really meant to be a quick two-night stopover before heading here to Sihanoukville, and then on to Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, but we enjoyed it enough that we extended a night. We had a great inexpensive hotel, food and drinks were cheap, and the pace of the city was relaxed. Which brings us here to Sihanoukville.

After another lengthy bus ride a few days ago, we arrived in this beach town on the Gulf of Thailand. There are several beach areas here – one that caters to young backpackers out to party, another area that’s more of a relaxed party atmosphere, and then our beach, Otres II, which is meant to be nothing but peace and tranquility. For the most part it is, and we found a beachfront bungalow at Castaways Beach Bungalows and Bar.

Castaways is run by Mr. Ouk (aka “Ox”), who with his Khmer family, operates the kitchen and bar, cleans the rooms, and maintains the facilities. The facilities, I must admit, are minimal. We have a bed, a toilet and shower, and a roof over our head. And that’s about it – see Amy’s last post if needed. But for $15 a night, who’s complaining? I’m quite glad we’re staying here, actually, because it’s the one place in the area that’s owned and run by locals, and not some French or Russian ex-pats, or a Japanese conglomerate. We’re basically living (in our own bungalow, mind you) with Ox and his family in their outdoor living room and kitchen area. It’s great, and you feel like part of the family. Here’s a flavor of what it’s like:

5:00am – A distant rooster starts crowing.

5:30am – A nearby goose starts honking in a cartoony manner, relentlessly.

6:00am – A very nearby set of Mr. Ox’s children start running around and being generally goofy, but entertaining kids. A mother starts cursing loudly in the Khmer language shortly thereafter.

7:30am – The hammering and circular saw start up at the Japanese hotel construction site next door. This will continue for the entire day.

8:00am – I guess by now we have no choice but to get up. It’s already 85 degrees and cloudless.

8:30am – While eating breakfast, a naked six year-old Ox child stomps through the grounds, soaking wet, singing “B-I-N-G-O! B-I-N-G-O! B-I-N-G-O!…” I guess that song is universal.

8:45am – First hawker of the day. This one is a 7-8 year old kid who will play Rock-Paper-Scissors for a string bracelet. I lose, I buy; he loses, he gives it to me for free. I say repeatedly – “No, thank you. No, thank you.” He’s like an Arab rug trader, at 8 years old. But you can’t support it, it only keeps the kids from going to school, and it’s probably some syndicate anyway. Think Oliver Twist.

9:00am – First dip of the day. Avoid the hundreds of white jellyfish only 10 feet offshore, a slight inconvenience.

9:05am – See an incredible navy blue jellyfish. Get the camera from the bungalow.

9:10am – Run back into the bungalow, quickly find the laptop, and google “how to dry wet camera lens.” Take battery out of camera, dip lens in a bowl of rice, turn on fan,…pray.

9:30am – The first of twenty times in a day I will sweep sand out of the bungalow, only to have Amy come in with wet, sandy feet. “HEY! HEY! – I JUST SWEPT THIS OUT!!” (Sound familiar, Mom? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree…)

10:00am – The local Khmer hawker women are out in full force on the beach. They want to sell you a manicure, a pedicure, leg threading, a massage, or a bracelet. One will come by every 10 minutes. They are an unstoppable army. Others sell fruit or “fresh” lobster, which a nice Belgian guy in a Speedo will tell you (in no uncertain terms) gave him “diary” for a week – with descriptive hand motions to indicate the ferocity of his “diary.” Avoid the lobster.

10:30am – Amy: “I haven’t brushed my teeth yet today.” Me: “Me either.”

11:00am – 2nd dip of the day. The jellyfish are now 30 feet offshore, which is only knee high.

11:30am – The three-year old Ox child comes up, points at me, laughs, and runs away. This is not the first time this has happened to me. See: High School, Girls.

11:45am – Amy has brushed her teeth by now.

12:05pm – Amy: “Is it too early to get a beer?” IS it too early to get a beer? It’s like 90 degrees out and I’m sunburned. It is NOT too early to get a beer. Hell, they’re only $1. Please get me a nice cold ANGKOR in a can. Tagline: “My Country My Beer.”

12:30pm – The bronzed, Brazilian, hairy-chested, ponytail guy in the Speedo goes for a swim and ruins my lunch.

1:00pm – TEETH BRUSHED!

1:30pm – A manicure lady comes by. Get another beer. Sun for a few minutes. Cool off in water. Dry off. Ox’s pregnant mutt shifts from sleeping under my beach lounger to sleeping under Amy’s beach lounger. The sound of reggae drifts over from the resort next door. Repeat all afternoon.

2:30pm – A boat full of coconuts floats by and unloads next door.

3:00pm – A fishing boat pulls up in front of the bungalows and starts taking in its nets. A paltry catch, but this is subsistence living, I guess.

3:30pm – For some unknown reason, all the local beach dogs start howling in unison. It’s 3:30…what the hell is going on?!

4:00pm – The jellyfish have all disappeared. Where did they go? I mean it, if you have the answer, please let me know. There were hundreds along this beach this morning, and every morning. Did they just drift out to sea?

4:30pm – The three Ox children are fascinated by the pictures on Amy’s laptop. The laptop isn’t a big deal though – that’s how they watch “BEN-TEN” every afternoon at the bar, in English or Spanish.

5:00pm – Sun is starting to lower in the sky, which is pink, orange, and gold. We decide to take a walk down the beach and see the sights.

5:30pm – FIRST THIS:

6:00pm – THEN THIS!

7:00pm – Mrs. Ox grills fresh squid served with rice. Delicious.

8:00pm – We check on the camera. As the photos here suggest, things are in working order. Crisis averted.

8:30pm – This is in the night sky.

9:30pm – We walk along the star-lit beach for a while. Come back to our little bungalow. Get ready for bed. Find this in the bathroom! As big as a small fist. Amy names him Hermie.

10:00pm – Fall asleep to the sound of the waves lapping against the shore.

3:00am – We are awakened by the sounds of a goose in major distress. This could be dinner tomorrow night. Only time will tell…

Additional notes: We sleep under a mosquito net. I have not washed my hair in three days. I’ve worn the same clothes to dinner for three days. Amy normally has fantastic dental hygiene. The Belgian guy in the Speedo left us saying he “had to go to work.” In his Speedo. Amy got her legs threaded for $10. And the greatest of mysteries: As I write this post this morning, there were no jellyfish. None.

PPS – Amy wants you to know photos on the photo page have been updated through Hong Kong. Enjoy.