12/25/13 - 01/01/14

Christmas in Cambodia was unlike any Christmas I have ever had before. Mostly, because it just never felt like Christmas at all, despite all the weird signs with Santa, snow and reindeers all over the place. Cambodia is a Buddhist country, yet there were Christmas signs everywhere. I know they were up, so as to make the tourist feel more at home, but to me, it just felt weird. So, because of the strangeness of it all and the fact that I wasn't in the Christmas spirit, I didn't really celebrate. I spent Christmas on a Cambodian bus.

Maxine and I had decided that we were going to spend New Years on the beach in Sihanoukville. We had the hardest time finding accommodations, however, as everyone else had the same idea. But, we did find a place for a few days before, as so we booked it and figured we could find something else while we were in Sihanoukville. But, before we were to go to Sihanoukville, we were going to stop off along the way to see some floating villages along the Tonle Sap Lake. And that is how we found ourselves on a bus on Christmas day.

Originally, we were going to stop off in Kampong Chhnang to see the floating villages and then spend the night there. However, when we got the bus, we found a closer village and decided to go there instead. We had nothing booked and were just going by what we had heard or read in our guidebooks. The bus dropped us off in this little village called Pursat. There was a little restaurant right at the bus stop, so we went to get something to eat and to figure out where we were. We decided at this point, that we might as well just see the floating village and then continue on to Phnom Penh and stay there for the night. So, we booked another bus ticket and found a tuk-tuk driver to take us to the floating village.

Once we got there, however, there was a booth that was charging an exorbitant fee to ride in a boat around the village. The fee was double what we expected and so we tried to haggle the price down, but the attendants wouldn't budge on the price. So, we opted not to see the floating village and just had our tuk-tuk driver drive us further into the land-based part of the village. Here we saw tiny shacks made out of corrugated metal and wood, haphazardly placed together, strewn along a dirt path. There were people lazing about in hammocks and little kids playing in the dirt. It was obvious that this was a pretty poor area, yet I was completely blown away by how friendly the people were. We rode by with our SLR cameras and backpacks, taking pictures, and all they did was smile and wave happily at us. They seemed very interested in us and despite the conditions they seemed very happy. All the children would run up and smile and wave at us as we rode by and the adults would smile back as well. It was a very unique experience.

We continued on to Phnom Penh and after running through the gauntlet of tuk-tuk drivers, we walked to a hostel and hoped that there were some available beds. There was, so we had dinner and some drinks at the hostel bar and settled in for the night. The next day we would be taking the bus to Sihanoukville and the beach!

Maxine and I had talked about spending New Years on the beach back in Siem Reap. At first, I thought it was just talk and things would end up differently. However, the idea kept coming up until we finally booked the bungalow. But, before we booked it, I had to talk her out of returning to Siem Reap.

Back in Siem Reap, at a Yoga retreat, she met a Frenchman name Sylvain. I had only met him briefly, when he came to visit her at the hostel, so I didn't know much about him. She was having second thoughts about going to Sihanoukville, because she wanted to go back to Siem Reap to see him again. I'd like to think that I had her best interests in mind, but I think a part of me just didn't want to lose my travel buddy so quickly, so I persuaded her that it would be best if she continued on with her vacation and go to the beach. I told her that she should ask Sylvain to come to Sihanoukville, instead of going to him and that would be better for both of them. So, that is what she did. I honestly think it worked out for the best, because he did come and in the end, we would enjoy a very relaxing time at the beach.

Sihanoukville

Sihanoukville is in the south of Cambodia is known for its beach resorts. It has several beaches and a few close by islands. The city itself is nothing to write home about, as there really isn't anything there to see, but the beaches are very nice. I stayed at Otres Beach, which is not the party beach, but has more of a relaxed atmosphere and is very beautiful, as well. And because of the holidays most of the accommodations were pretty well booked up. Luckily, we had booked for our first three nights, however we ended up not staying at where we had booked!

We finally got to Sihanoukville at around 5pm. We arrived at our guesthouse and walked in and the very first thing I noticed was the distinct smell of marijuana. I walked up to the bartender, who would also be the receptionist for the guest house, and inquired about my bungalow. The guy, who was obviously high, had no idea what I was talking about. Maxine had the booking on her phone, so we showed it to him, and he seemed confused and told us that our bungalow wasn't ready yet. Considering that it was already 5pm, this seemed very odd, but it was obvious that he meant that he would have to kick some people out of the bungalow and move them somewhere else! Truth be told, the places wasn't very nice and the smell of drugs certainly turned us both off of the place, so we decided to walk around and see if we could find any other options.

We got very lucky, because just a few places down the beach, we found the perfect place! They had one open bungalow that two French girls were looking at. It was $25 a night, so practically a steal for Maxine and I, but it was a little pricey for them, so they were a little indecisive about taking it. Maxine and I jumped in and took it before they could! Then, we had to find a place for Sylvain, since Maxine was able to talk him into coming and would be there that evening. Luckily, this same place had one more bungalow available! It was bigger and had an attached bathroom for $35 a night. We immediately took it and decided that Sylvain and Maxine would take the bigger one, while I got the smaller one. And to top it all off, we could basically keep the bungalows for as long as we wanted, which was right through New Years! I don't know how or why it happens, but things just seemed to work out perfectly sometimes! Of course, the only bad thing was that I wasn't able to cancel the booking for the other places, so I was out of some money for that, but oh well, I got my bungalow on the beach!!

And the bungalow was right on the beach, too, only about 15 feet from the water! I would go to sleep listening to the surf every night for the next six days! I spent the time between Christmas and New Years lying on the beach, eating good food and drinking fruit shakes. And at night, Sylvain, Maxine and I would play pool and hang out. I got massages and walked up and down the beach and swam in the crystal-clear water. One night, we all took a night swim. The water was pitch dark, but the further we swam out, the better the night sky looked. I loved just floating on my back and gazing up at the stars. The other cool thing about the night swims was the plankton. With every movement of mine, the plankton would glow iridescently. It was an amazing experience swimming through a sea of plankton, with them glowing all around me. It was just beautiful!

As the days went by, and I was probably more relaxed then I have ever been, things started to heat up between Maxine and Sylvain. They were really connecting and have a good time together. I was very happy for them, but at the same time, it also made me feel lonely. It wasn't because they ignored me or anything, they were actually very conscious about including me. I hung out with each of them one-on-one on many occasions. I walked on the beach and went into town with Maxine and Sylvain and I has some very meaningful conversations over beers a few nights. The reason for my loneliness was because seeing them together and interacting with each other, was a constant reminder of just how alone I was. I was relaxed and happy, but I did wish I had that special person to share this experience with or at least a good friend. Because of this, I may have grown a little distant from them, which would later cause a little tension between Maxine and I, but I didn't mean for it to happen. It just did and, right or wrong, I was dealing with my loneliness the way I always have, by being introspective. This, unfortunately, may give others the impression that I am pulling away or being distant, but I'm really not. I just need my time alone sometimes, that's all.

Anyway, after several relaxing days, laying on the beach, playing pool, swimming in the surf and watching the sunsets, New Years came. It had been an amazingly relaxing week and I really didn't want it it end, but 'alas all good things must come to an end.' We got a couple of bottles of wine and watched the festivities around us. Fireworks were being shot off and lanterns were being launched into the sky. People were drinking and having a merry good time, while fire dancer were spinning their fire sticks. I ended 2013 sitting on the beach watching the dark surf, while all of this was going on around and reflecting on the past year. It had been a good year, the end of an era for me and the beginning of a new journey. What was 2014 going to bring for me? I really didn't know, other than a continuation of my current travel, but I do hope it will bring many good things!