Snorkelling, Seafood and Cambodian Transvestites
We have spent much longer in Sihanoukville than we had planned.. we will have been here ten nights after tonight!!! I can hardly believe it. I am figuring that the first four days don't count though since we were rained out...
The weather cleared up for our snorkelling trip which was great. It was a perfect day. We got picked up from our guesthouse at 8am by a man on a motorbike.. just one man, just one bike.. The trip was only a block and a half so we could have walked it but it seemed a little rude to tell the man to leave so we climbed on the bike. Me in the middle and Luke on the back.. It actually wasnt as uncomfortable as it looks which was handy but even so I was glad when we got off.. My uncovered knees were terrified of falling off and getting all scraped.
We had breakfast at the travel agent/guesthouse/restaurant and then wandered down to the beach to climb aboard our boat. There were 11 other tourists on the cruise, four Cambodian men to be our guides/captains/cooks and three Cambodian children.. all boys. We boated for about an hour before docking beside a small island for our first snorkelling stop. I was expecting to pull up on the beach and go out from there but instead we just had to jump off the boat with our gear and swim around. I decided not to go (such a party pooper) but Luke went in for a little while, he wasn't very impressed though which made me feel better about not getting in.
We had planned to stay there for an hour but everyone was back in the boat after 15 minutes so we continued on our way. It was another hour before our next stop, I was sitting at the front of the boat in the sun with a small cambodian child on either side leaning up against me.. I am surprised that I dont have kid shaped tan lines. The didnt speak english so they didnt talk to me they just lay there using me as a pillow as they chattered away to each other. Luke spent the hour talking to one of the guides but mostly the man wanted to talk about how bad he thought his english was. Luke said many times that it was good and he could understand but I am not so sure!!!
At the next island we docked up on the beach. The island consisted of a restaurant and about five thatch bungalows. We all pulled up lounge chairs and spent the next four hours lounging around in the shade and swimming in the sea. It was lovely and relaxing. I hadnt quite realised how exhausting the kids at the beach are until I spent an afternoon relaxing without them! We had some lunch (bbq barramundi on fresh french rolls) and Luke played volleyball while I chatted with some girls about our travels so far.
At about three we all climbed back on the boat and headed off to our next island but by now we were all pretty sleepy from lying around in the sun and eating too much and we all just sat around dozing. Neither Luke or I got out this time for the snorkelling and the guys who did were pretty disappointed with the 'coral'. We got back to Sihanoukville around 4:30 and made our way to a cafe for some post tour drinks with the girls we had met on the island Sinead and ... oh I forget the other girls name!!! damn!!! We sat with them for a couple of hours and had a couple of drinks and chatted until they had to leave to meet some people. Luke and I found ourselves a restaurant with chairs on the sand and we ordered a BBQ seafood plate each. It was DELICIOUS but by the end of our meal we had a cat, four children and an amputee begging for food. The cat was first in line and had gotten quite a bit from me before the kids arrived (which I felt kind of bad about lol) for the kids I divided up my remaining fish into four not so equal parts (there was one kid who was so skinny you could see each knob in his spine so he got more) then, by the time the amputee arrived we only had salad left so he got that. We bought two bottles of water when we left, one to give to the kids and one to take home but in the confusion we forgot our bottle. Hopefully someone got use out of it!
The next day we went to the other side of the beach than where we have been hanging out, hoping to get away from the kids who know us well (I figured it would be easier to say no if the kids didnt know us) in the end it wasnt easier and we bought, two bags of fruit, a fruit shake one bracelet, a leg hair removal torture thing and a one dollar lobster from an older lady with a gold tooth and a great smile. (this is much better than average!) We were doing ok and quite enjoying sitting on the beach until one of the kids who knows us came and saw that I was getting my leg hair removal torture thing from someone else. Well, that didnt go down well at all (incidently I had told her she could do it) I told her that I had tried to find her (that was a lie) and when I couldnt I let this lady do it. She was pretty upset and when I wouldnt by anything else from her she got really mean!!!! Eventually she left but she must have gone back to her end of the beach and snitched on us to the other kids because before long hayley and one of the other girls came up (hayley was crying) and told me off for buying things from the other kids when I said I would buy fruit from them. AAAAHHHHHHHHH
I felt really bad about it all and tried to make amends by feeding all the kids in sight with mangoes bought from a smiley lady who carried them on her head.. but (of course) once we got started on feeding everyone kids started coming from all over the place and we couldnt afford to feed EVERYONE so then we were in the bad books again!!!! In total since we arrived we have bought nine bracelets, two necklaces, eight cotton shrimp, two fruit shakes, two bags of fruit, one painful leg hair removal, two sarongs and nine mangoes.. (not to mention various food items we have handed over to the kids while we are eating) and STILL they are not happy... I GIVE UP!!!
We traded our kids for two Cambodian transvestites who were still trying to get us to buy things but who were much more fun and didnt cry when we said no.. all they wanted was for us to say they were pretty and go dancing with them.. besides, they called me sexy girl which always makes me happy! We were supposed to meet up with them later in the night to go clubbing with them but after our day at the beach I was emotionally exhausted and couldnt face the world so we stood them up (see? we really ARE horrible people!)
Since that day we havent been to the beach until well after sunset when all the kids are in bed. I just can't face it anymore!! But once the sun goes down we usually sneak out for some cocktails and seafood feasts before sneaking back along the beach to come home.. its really quite ridiculous!
Tomorrow we are heading back to Phnom Penh for a couple of days then onto Saigon! Before Saigon though I am going to practise my saying no technique in the mirror, apparently it isnt working very well and it needs some work!!!
The weather cleared up for our snorkelling trip which was great. It was a perfect day. We got picked up from our guesthouse at 8am by a man on a motorbike.. just one man, just one bike.. The trip was only a block and a half so we could have walked it but it seemed a little rude to tell the man to leave so we climbed on the bike. Me in the middle and Luke on the back.. It actually wasnt as uncomfortable as it looks which was handy but even so I was glad when we got off.. My uncovered knees were terrified of falling off and getting all scraped.
We had breakfast at the travel agent/guesthouse/restaurant and then wandered down to the beach to climb aboard our boat. There were 11 other tourists on the cruise, four Cambodian men to be our guides/captains/cooks and three Cambodian children.. all boys. We boated for about an hour before docking beside a small island for our first snorkelling stop. I was expecting to pull up on the beach and go out from there but instead we just had to jump off the boat with our gear and swim around. I decided not to go (such a party pooper) but Luke went in for a little while, he wasn't very impressed though which made me feel better about not getting in.
We had planned to stay there for an hour but everyone was back in the boat after 15 minutes so we continued on our way. It was another hour before our next stop, I was sitting at the front of the boat in the sun with a small cambodian child on either side leaning up against me.. I am surprised that I dont have kid shaped tan lines. The didnt speak english so they didnt talk to me they just lay there using me as a pillow as they chattered away to each other. Luke spent the hour talking to one of the guides but mostly the man wanted to talk about how bad he thought his english was. Luke said many times that it was good and he could understand but I am not so sure!!!
At the next island we docked up on the beach. The island consisted of a restaurant and about five thatch bungalows. We all pulled up lounge chairs and spent the next four hours lounging around in the shade and swimming in the sea. It was lovely and relaxing. I hadnt quite realised how exhausting the kids at the beach are until I spent an afternoon relaxing without them! We had some lunch (bbq barramundi on fresh french rolls) and Luke played volleyball while I chatted with some girls about our travels so far.
At about three we all climbed back on the boat and headed off to our next island but by now we were all pretty sleepy from lying around in the sun and eating too much and we all just sat around dozing. Neither Luke or I got out this time for the snorkelling and the guys who did were pretty disappointed with the 'coral'. We got back to Sihanoukville around 4:30 and made our way to a cafe for some post tour drinks with the girls we had met on the island Sinead and ... oh I forget the other girls name!!! damn!!! We sat with them for a couple of hours and had a couple of drinks and chatted until they had to leave to meet some people. Luke and I found ourselves a restaurant with chairs on the sand and we ordered a BBQ seafood plate each. It was DELICIOUS but by the end of our meal we had a cat, four children and an amputee begging for food. The cat was first in line and had gotten quite a bit from me before the kids arrived (which I felt kind of bad about lol) for the kids I divided up my remaining fish into four not so equal parts (there was one kid who was so skinny you could see each knob in his spine so he got more) then, by the time the amputee arrived we only had salad left so he got that. We bought two bottles of water when we left, one to give to the kids and one to take home but in the confusion we forgot our bottle. Hopefully someone got use out of it!
The next day we went to the other side of the beach than where we have been hanging out, hoping to get away from the kids who know us well (I figured it would be easier to say no if the kids didnt know us) in the end it wasnt easier and we bought, two bags of fruit, a fruit shake one bracelet, a leg hair removal torture thing and a one dollar lobster from an older lady with a gold tooth and a great smile. (this is much better than average!) We were doing ok and quite enjoying sitting on the beach until one of the kids who knows us came and saw that I was getting my leg hair removal torture thing from someone else. Well, that didnt go down well at all (incidently I had told her she could do it) I told her that I had tried to find her (that was a lie) and when I couldnt I let this lady do it. She was pretty upset and when I wouldnt by anything else from her she got really mean!!!! Eventually she left but she must have gone back to her end of the beach and snitched on us to the other kids because before long hayley and one of the other girls came up (hayley was crying) and told me off for buying things from the other kids when I said I would buy fruit from them. AAAAHHHHHHHHH
I felt really bad about it all and tried to make amends by feeding all the kids in sight with mangoes bought from a smiley lady who carried them on her head.. but (of course) once we got started on feeding everyone kids started coming from all over the place and we couldnt afford to feed EVERYONE so then we were in the bad books again!!!! In total since we arrived we have bought nine bracelets, two necklaces, eight cotton shrimp, two fruit shakes, two bags of fruit, one painful leg hair removal, two sarongs and nine mangoes.. (not to mention various food items we have handed over to the kids while we are eating) and STILL they are not happy... I GIVE UP!!!
We traded our kids for two Cambodian transvestites who were still trying to get us to buy things but who were much more fun and didnt cry when we said no.. all they wanted was for us to say they were pretty and go dancing with them.. besides, they called me sexy girl which always makes me happy! We were supposed to meet up with them later in the night to go clubbing with them but after our day at the beach I was emotionally exhausted and couldnt face the world so we stood them up (see? we really ARE horrible people!)
Since that day we havent been to the beach until well after sunset when all the kids are in bed. I just can't face it anymore!! But once the sun goes down we usually sneak out for some cocktails and seafood feasts before sneaking back along the beach to come home.. its really quite ridiculous!
Tomorrow we are heading back to Phnom Penh for a couple of days then onto Saigon! Before Saigon though I am going to practise my saying no technique in the mirror, apparently it isnt working very well and it needs some work!!!