"Maybe Later?"-- Sihanoukville, Cambodia

Sihanoukville is a beach town complete with restaurants and bars all along the beach.  Days are spent lounging on the beach, drinking and eating the food ordered and served to you right on the sand, and laughing at the fun mis-translations on the menus and signs (my favorite being the Chicken CONDOM blue).  Only time you have to move is to use the toilette.  The only complaint some people had was the constant stream of vendors approaching you all day and night.  Children selling bracelets, men with sunglasses and tour packages, and women with fruit.  The kids are smart and befriend you with a free bracelet.  When you say you don’t want to buy one, they ask you if you will “maybe later.”  When “later” comes around and you still say no, they sometimes get angry and call you a liar.  Didn’t happen to me but I witnessed it. 

$5 beach massage

my lil bracelet charmer

Other vendors included women selling $1 lobsters (they peel it fresh for you when ordered), and nails and massages.  I tried all of these and they were fabulous! For a few dollars, I had a good hour massage (so good, I had one two days in a row), mani and pedi…on the beach! I got to know the woman, Lynn, and met her cousin-in-law, DANI! They were both half Vietnamese, half Cambodian and really sweet women to meet.  I’ve come to justify these self-indulgent spa splurges on account of the fact that they afford me authentic local and cultural interactions.  Who says beauty can’t help spread world understanding?!

Some of my days started with morning runs, but every day started with breakfast with Jay at a beach café where we quickly became regulars and made friends with the staff.  Again, my self-indulgent eating ways affording me local interactions. The guys here were really friendly, especially with Jay—sorry for abandoning you that day J

Nights in Sihanoukville were spent watching sunsets and eating cheap, delicious food.  Our favorites were a fancy restaurant that offered two course meals for $5 and the beach bbqs.  For $3 you had your pick of seafood accompanied by garlic bread, fries or potatoes and salad.  I chose grilled barracuda each time and LOVED it! After dinner, we would all meet up at whichever bar had handed us flyers that day for free drinks.  Usually ended up at JJs and Dolphin bar where we could watch fire dancers and Jay’s infamous tractor dance, my favorite. 

$1 lobster and (terrible) sunset mojitos

The beach area is small enough that we ran into several friends without even trying and it was nice to catch up with everyone.  Most of our days were in Serendipity beach (the backpackers area) but one day we took a tuk tuk to Otres beach (stopping at the Canadian ATM first, of course).   It was much more relaxing there--fewer restaurants and vendors.  Enjoyed an afternoon there with Hilde, Jorien, and Jay playing paddle ball, eating, and doing what we enjoy most…nothing!