After an interesting bus journey from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville I was thinking I had made the wrong choice. I went to Otres Beach which is the quieter of the beaches in Sihanoukville and supposed to be the most beautiful but it was pouring with rain and wouldn't stop raining for the first two days of me being here.

The hostel though...now here's a hidden gem. Only 7 months old and built and owned by an American called Chris. Moonlight Rock, across the road from the beach and completely made of wood. Staying in the dorm it costs $5 for 3 nights so really the only thing I need to worry about is not running up a massive tab whilst I am here!

Everyone seems friendly here and it really is the quieter of the beaches down in Sihanoukville. The last couple days almost seem to have blurred into one mass with the main question of...what have I actually been doing?? Unfortunately my earlier quips to Sarah about not being burnt on my trip seem to have failed. The one time I went to the beach I was careful enough to put on lots of sun cream but then fell asleep on the beach for a couple hours and now have bright red and painful parts on my chest! I will never learn from Mexico!

Tonight was Siobhan's 21st birthday and in style we celebrated it by watching the sunset on the beach with a bottle of Mekong (really cheap whiskey at $1 per bottle) and had a small birthday party for her in the bar of Moonlight Rock. It was good to meet so many new people and the Tequila flowed as it was her favourite drink. It get me reminiscing on what I did on my 21st...oh so long ago now *smile*.

Looking at moving on to Kampot tomorrow and possibly down to Kep. Little bit annoyed that I got here just in time for the islands to be closed due to low season but there is always Rabbit Island near to Kep!

The photo is of the sunset on Otres beach.