On Our Own Again

To Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Cambodia -- January 5-6

Well, we’re on our own again. After almost two weeks, we left the island of Koh Rong this morning at 8:30. They couldn't seem to get the boat engine started, but after lugging out no fewer than three different batteries, the engine finally turned over and sputtered to life. The water was relatively calm so we all enjoyed the slow, three hour boat ride back to Sihanoukville... well, most of us did. Louis was a little sea sick after playing a game on the phone with Dex, Kylie and Arno, so he spent most of the ride afterwards sitting quietly and looking at the horizon. The rest of us took turns sitting up by the bow, legs hanging over the sides. Even with the calm seas it was a bit of a roller coaster ride on the bigger waves; you'd rise up and suddenly rush down as the water crashed up over your legs.

We said our farewells, promising to keep in touch and hopefully meet in Australia in a month or so. A tuk-tuk into town, lunch, and then another long minibus ride got us to Phnom Penh by dark. We settled into the surprisingly nice Eighty8 Backpacker Hostel, one of the nicest I've seen -- restaurant, bar, and mini swimming pool.

The next morning, Meg and the kids went out to a bookstore in search of Australia and New Zealand guidebooks. We struck out with the guidebooks, but Dex and Kylie scored with a cool kid’s book about space and the universe and a mystery about a boy who can talk to cats. Having only a few hours in Phnom Penh, we did the only sensible thing and went out to eat. We capitalized on an excellent Indian restaurant before catching our 11:00 a.m. bus to Siem Reap, the jumping off point for tours to Angkor Wat.

The River Village Manor is quite impressive with its small private driveway, wood paneled ceilings, and granite tiles. We wasted little time testing out the pool before heading out to explore the town. The Thai market we wandered into by the river was bright, crowded and obnoxiously loud with different booths trying to out play the other. I congratulated myself on yet another savvy watch purchase. For seven bucks, I got a back light and functional alarm. If it lasts till next week, I’ll consider it a huge success. The beggars however were unexpected and disturbing -- one man without eyes sat cross legged in the aisle way. Two others with missing limbs, lay face down in the crowded walkway, pushing a donation basket ahead of them. It's hard to ignore a sight like that and we all left with a mixture of emotions -- horror, pity, guilt and thankfulness. It is a good reminder just how fortunate we really are.