I arrived in this little beach town with no accommodation in mind. First stop was Utopia bar which has a free dorm (which is basically in the bar) and a $2 dorm which isnt a whole lot better. So the moto driver who took me here suggests going down the road to another place where i got my own bed with ensuite and a tv for $5. It then proceeded to thunder down for the night which left me trapped in the place for the night. This was fine since there was a nice restaurant attached so i got a decent meal and watched some movies on my tv. It had been a while since id had one and it even had english channels which was a real novelty. I woke up relatively early the following day and went for a wander into the town proper. Im a little bit outside it near the beaches but within walking distance. Of course not for asian people who dont like walking so i was hassled most of the way by moto taxis while im walking. Soon the rain rolls back in again and i duck into a conveniently placed cafe and have some lunch. I spotted something weird and unusual on the menu which i had to try: ginger, lime and garlic tea. Yes garlic in tea, i know. It was quite nice actually, the garlic wasnt too strong so it didnt overpower the other flavours. One the rain had ended (paused more like) i hit the road again and found the town's market. Here i went searching for the Cambodian football shirt. I had been looking in Phnom Penh but had no luck. So far i had the national jerseys for Thailand, Laos and Vietnam so i needed to add Cambodia to that collection. Pretty soon my wanderings were cut short by the rain again, only this time it was settled in for the long haul. I was in an Aussie bar talking to an English guy looking for a new life and an Irish guy who had managed to get himself banned from thailand for 100 years. It was an interesting way to spend an afternoon i can tell you.
Later that evening i went wandering in search of company and found it in a beach bar where they were having a "full moon party". I reckon whatever tourists were in the town ended up at that bar that night so it was the place to be for one night. I met a Polish war correspondent on holiday from work in Afghanistan and some English 'Gap Yah' students(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKFjWR7X5dU). A few drinks, some free shots and a bit of banter is a good way to spend a night! One of the guys i met was called Markus and bore a striking resemblance to my brother, Paul (didnt get a pic sorry). It turned out he was staying in the same place as me as well so we arranged to meet up the next day and do something. That something was to rent motorbikes and go on our own tour of the town and beaches. This was my first time driving a bike since my accident back in Thailand so i wasnt very confident getting back behind the wheel (?). The roads were quiet and the scenery nice though so i managed fine. I was also a bit preoccupied by my helmet which turned into a lump on my neck trying to choke me any time i got up to speed. It didnt fit very well. We drove around for a while and eventually ended up at a place called Otres Beach. It was an interesting drive to the beach as it meant going over sand and rocks, not the best terrain for a moped. Once on the beach i took a dip in the sea and we relaxed with some smoothies. Sunset soon approached so we had to make tracks as this terrain is not the kind you want to tackle in the dark, especially when i discovered my bike didnt have any lights!
Anyway the next day i was off to Siem Reap early so i had a low key night. We bumped into a few familiar faces from the night before and i tried my hand at pool again. Im getting a bit of practice so starting to get good again. Sihanoukville was a good laugh, pity about the weather but i made the most of it anyway. Next up on my travels is the world renowned temples of Angkor, cant wait!
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