Dalama Adventures Tale of two corporate types ditching their jobs and traveling the world for 14 months... check out all photos, blogs & interesting tid bits at http://www.dalama.net

Landlocked for far too long, we are in need of a strong dose of salt water and sand.  Sihanoukville delivers the goods.  On the southern coast of Cambodia, we are rewarded with crystal clear emerald water and white sand beaches.  We have plopped ourselves down on a small beach called Serendipity is a rocky headland with lots of little beach bungalows perched on the hillside and beach bars lining the white sand beach.  It reminds us a bit of the beaches in Brazil - with the abundance of sun-chairs, umbrellas, beach bars and anything you want to eat or drink, right here at our fingertips.  When the skies are clear, the water is translucent aqua marine, exposing the rocks and white sand below.  The water is tropically warm, no need for wetsuits or springsuits here.  The coastline lies within the Gulf of Thailand, so the waters are calm- unfortunate for surfing.  We had met a couple during our travels in Laos who had been dive instructors here, and they strongly dissuaded us from going out on a dive, however.  Apparently once you are further out from the beach, the visibility is not that good, given the strong currents.  Unlike the sister islands a bit further south in Thailand where the diving is supposed to be phenomenal.  So we've decided to just kick back and enjoy the beach life.  The beaches are alive with the backpacker and local Cambodian vacationer scene.  It swarms with children, women and amputees selling their wares on the beach.  They are persistent but friendly, and have a big desire to learn and practice their English language skills.  They have a general inquisitive nature about them, wanting to understand these strange "western tourists" and they sit with us for hours chatting, while we buy unnecessary "friendship bracelets" and pedicures to pay for their dinner.  

Our days are spent lounging and eating,  The weather is dreadfully rainy, but after all, it is the rainy season.  While I try to bodysurf, Darrin chills out over cold beers at a beach bar that proudly displays the enticing advertisement: “Come Kill Your Liver Cheaply with Us!”  We employ a couple of local boys to motor us around to see the different beaches, and most were pretty deserted compared to where we are staying.  One beach proudly displays an old fighter plane, perched meters above the sand.  Despite the constant rain, we are loving the dose of beach we've been missing for some time now.