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So Cambodia, talk about a country of contrasts. Just as we'd seen the barely recovering and burgeoning capital, followed by a humbling view of life in rural areas we get to Sihanoukville. Imagine an oasis of a holiday seaside resort coming in to view. This place has it all - a beautiful sandy beach, crystal clear waters, a 5 star resort….whose pool we were allowed to use for a small fee…the internet, bars, restaurants, restaurants on the beach, clubs….whoa! What a shock to find yourself in this place after so much cultural exploration…..it didn't take too long to adjust and myself, Sharan and the rest of the group dove straight in to things.

Highlights include:

Dinner on the beach, lovely bbq fish, watching fire dancers and fireworks.

Relaxing around the pool/on the beach - in December, with Christmas decorations everywhere. First thing I did when I got their was dive in and order a beer from the pool bar…in the pool - Sweet!

Cinema - Sharan and I went to watch Wanted at the local 'cinema' - an air-conditioned, room with tiered seating, the seats being wicker loungers with footstools and tables, blankets if you got chilly, cushions, a fridge to help yourself to drinks (beer!) and snacks. There was even an upstairs loft area where you could watch the film lying down! It sat about 30 people max but at this time there was about 6. So comfortable, big projected image, good surround sound….and not a bad flick, crazy comic book-based action. Fun!

Clubbing - went to the local 24hr club, did a bit of pole dancing and such. One girl had to go home to change after the black light lit up her underwear through her clothes - tee hee.

Lowlight - a bag snatching left one of our party injured - the thieves were on a scooter but the bag didn't break or come loose so this poor girl got dragged along the tarmac before managing to release herself. Luckily this occurred near the resort with an onsite doctor. Boo! This was the only real trouble of the entire trip. The girl and her distraught friend who witnessed the attack rallied round in a day or two - everyone was extra nice of course. Our guide said this was not that uncommon - thanks for the warning there, fella!

All in all, with one of the longest breaks in the itinerary and for such a relaxing and fun time, we were loathe to say goodbye. But more adventures lay around the corner.