Puppies and Pizza

San Sok, Koh Rong, Cambodia -- Day 2

It's a bit of a mystery to me why this little beach side community is not completely overrun with dogs. Right now, there are easily two dozen of the cutest little puppies within just a hundred yards of our rooms. Animals are not "fixed," so I figure after a few years there should easily be hundreds of dogs around. In any event, at every available opportunity, the kids are cuddling or playing with one of the cute little guys.

This morning, we also noticed a couple water buffalo tied up just across the waterway. They wandered into town around 8:30. When on the beach, Dex and Kylie love to find the little sand crabs that run around and dig down into the sand. Dex was "happy as a clam" when he caught a bigger guy with half a coconut shell. Meg and I told him today that with his love and fascination of animal life, he should think about being a biologist. He and the others have searched the area just outside the rooms where the little fresh water lagoon empties into the ocean. Their impressive collection of shells is lined up on the deck railing.

Abandoned house just across the water way

Naturally, the day was once again spent playing in the water. We've grown comfortable sitting at the nearby open air restaurant just off the beach on one of the wooden piers. The owner seems happy to see us each day. We can dive right into the water from the table, order food when ever we want, and otherwise relax in the shade. Not too shabby, I must say.

Fun in the sand, slightly disturbing...

For New Year's Eve we decided to skip the party boat excursions to Koh Touch Beach, which promise to return by 2 a.m. Instead, we reserved a table at the Italian restaurant run by a few actual Italian guys. They offer authentic pizza and pasta and have the only expresso machine in town, which would normally make it the hands-down choice for breakfast. However, the guys running the place sleep in rooms right next to the dining area upstairs. Breakfast (and coffee) are available in the morning... whenever they happen to wake up. Sadly, this is generally an hour or two after we and the kids have already eaten.

Eat, Pray, Love.  Italian food.

In any event, the pizza and pasta this evening were excellent. Dex had gnocchi and Kylie, Meg and I had pizzas with thin, crispy crusts. A nice bottle of Italian red wine shared amongst the adults helped wash it all down and ring in the new year. Not to get too crazy, we were all safely in bed by 10 p.m., long before the party boat and younger crowd was back in town

The New Digs

To Sok San Beach, Koh Rong, Cambodia -- Day 1

Today, after a relaxing week at the Inn, we were off to Sok San Beach on the southwest side of the island. Our stay was very relaxing in the village, though our interaction with the towns people was fairly limited. Sarah’s husband, a wiry and happy Cambodian, and a couple of the woman that helped her, were often at the guesthouse; the local kids we’re frequently by to play pool, tag or just see what was happening; and we almost always passed someone at the well. Still, what we didn't see much of was the main activity of the village -- fishing. This was probably due to the guesthouse being set back from the water and the fact that there was little reason for us to walk up the road into the main part of town. It still seems odd to me that most of the noodle, rice or curry dishes are served with chicken, pork or beef, not fish.

Mathilde with baby Kiel

Meg and beautiful baby Kiel

The kids taking their turn at the well

A little after 10:00, our ride arrived. Since I had yet to see a four wheeled vehicle on the island, I was curious what it would be. Behind the guesthouse was a  blue, heavy duty, Kia flat bed truck. With a high shallow bed and no tail gate, I now understood why the guy at the lodge was so confident we would all fit. I'm pretty sure we could have fit three times as many in a pinch. Though the suspension was rock hard, the dirt roads were reasonably smooth. Everyone was excited for the short journey and a chance to see more of the island.

Soon enough, the ride was over and we all hoisted our bags for the 10 minute walk to our new accommodations. Sok San or Long Beach stretches for 7 kilometers on this side of the island, fronted by beautiful aqua blue water.  A few kilometers away, there are a dozen cement bungalows under construction. However, most everything else, a couple dozen bungalows, a few open air restaurants and a half dozen rickety, wooden piers, is crowded along the north end of the beach. A single cement path extends parallel to the beach with the bungalows, restaurants and food stands scattered on each side. We wondered out loud what this place might look like in ten years. For my tastes, the current level of development is awfully nice. Just enough activities and infrastructure to be comfortable without the crowds and congestion of a large scale, modern resort. If we could just get rid of the plastic….

When we arrived, everyone seemed pleased with the new digs, four simple rooms with a small deck out front sitting just over the water way leading to the sea. Though basic, they are, in fact, a small step up from the fishing village featuring running cold water, a fan, and electricity for a full 12 hours each night.

Home sweet home

View from the "deck" looking out to sea

For the rest of the day, we hung out at the beach. This time, however, we could lounge around until almost dark knowing there was no hill to climb to get home. Mathilde was disappointed that the Italian restaurant, Eat, Pray, Love, was already full.

Two cuties

Puppies, puppies everywhere in Sok San

It was a beautiful evening, with a light breeze and for the first time in weeks we could clearly see the stars. Apparently, dinner at eight was too late for Matilde, Kylie and Arno who were all ready to sleep before the food was served. Long, lazy days in the sun are leading to early nights for our crew.

The Weakest Link

Songkat Village, Koh Rong, Cambodia -- December 28-29 -- Day 6-7

The last couple days have passed by quickly.  Our schedule continues to be incredibly relaxed -- wake whenever (though the insane roosters crowing at 5:00 makes sleeping late fairly difficult); sit around for a while; order breakfast; coax the kids into doing some homework; talk about leaving for the beach for thirty or forty minutes before actually doing so; hike over the small hill; swim; dive; snorkel; order lunch; relax; eat; and repeat. After the sun sets, wander back over the hill, take a bucket shower, and sit around playing games or checking email until ordering dinner.

We’ve enjoyed watching the tiny geckos on the walls and roof of the eating area and bungalows. Their bigger red spotted cousins, however, do not seem to have the same magical adhesive force to hang upside down and, in fact, sometimes do not even manage to stick to the sides of the ceiling joists. One nearly gave poor Mathilde a heart attach when, after falling from the ceiling, it jumped out from behind the railing and scampered over her foot!

The food at the guesthouse has been basic but good --  penne pasta, potato curry, chicken lemon grass soup. Dex and Kylie's favorite by far, however, has been the ham and cheese sandwich.  I'm surprised there’s any ham and cheese left on the island. At lunch, though, the kids have latched on to the tasty Lok Lak -- rice, fried egg, and barbecued beef, pork or chicken.

Somehow we're still managing to find things to do on the beach.  Building sand castles or damming up the small stream that flows on to the beach often keeps the kids busy, especially Dex.  Sometimes a couple of the local kids come out, often swimming in the small stream.

Etienne sporting a new hair do

Goof balls, standing on coconuts

It has been extra neat to have our very own furry companions accompany us each day to and from the beach. Stanley, a big black Labrador/Great Dane and Indy, the short haired, hound dog adopted us on the first day we arrived. Since we Hoornaert’s have started sleeping with our bungalow door open, hoping to coax a breeze into the hut, one or the other have joined us inside. At least, I hope the animal I stumbled over while feeling for the bathroom was one of them.

Annoyingly, I have yet again proven to be the weakest link of the family. On Wednesday night, I woke to a series of cold sweats and spent the next forty minutes ridding my stomach and bowels of their contents. Since the meal portions at the guesthouse and at Coconut Beach have been on the small side, I was determined to make up for the calorie deficit. The evening before, I helped myself to the left overs on at least four other plates. I've decided it's often a dad's responsibilty to finish off the kid's plates. Not a good decision in hindsight. Hmm, possibly a case of shooting myself in the foot... er, stomach.