Tuesday 25th March
We got up slightly earlier than the day before, and got to the beach about 10.00. It was nice to look forward to a full day of lounging, swimming and a spot of reading (I had started a book on the history of Cambodia, and the fact that I was learning something made me feel just a little less guilty for my beach bum existence!). The walk is a pleasant enough one, although the guys on motorbikes and tuk-tuks offering lifts that you aren't looking for can be irritating (and reminded me of the hassle you get in India).
The sun finally showed its face and it helped bring out the best in this beautiful beach. One thing that does spoil it is the rubbish that gets washed up on the shore and doesn't seem to be cleared up, but it's not too bad. We were also careful to stay out of the powerful sun, but it was just about right temperature-wise.
Sokha Beach is dominated by the Sokha Beach Resort, and a nice restaurant overlooks the sea and sand, providing an excellent setting for lunch. Maria very kindly treated this poor traveller to a delicious meal. For a starter, we ordered a basket of deep-fried fish and Maria was surprised to see that they came out whole: head, tail, the lot! I expected that they might come like this and got stuck in, but Maria was a bit squeamish, especially when see saw what appeared to be eggs coming out of the fish as I bit in! I guessed that they were stuffed, but this didn't convince Maria, who nonetheless gave it a go. She picked up a small fish nervously, and bit in, her face contorting like she was eating a bee wrapped in a nettle, as she tried not to gag at the thought of eating the cooked fish guts – it was hilarious! She bravely put away two or three of the things, but only with the help of large gulps of water and some serious will-power on her part. I managed to polish off most of them but they weren't a favourite. Maria enjoyed the barramundi and chinese cabbage dish a lot more, and my seabass was also very good, and hardly what I had become accustomed to on this trip, so it was a very nice treat. It was a great location, very relaxing and we had a good chat over a few hours. The staff were also very nice, all smiles and the usual pleasant, polite service. It had been a very enjoyable surprise!
We hung out on the beach until about 17.30. The afternoon sun was beautiful and the temperature was perfect. We went back to the hotel, had some dinner and checked our emails and caught up on the news back home. We booked seats in a shared taxi that would take us to our next destination of Kampot, a town two hours drive east of Sihanoukville. The manager of our guesthouse explained to me that it is standard practice for these taxis to squeeze four people into the back (with two in the front passengers seat), and he assured me that there shouldn't be any real concerns over our safety, that it was all perfectly fine. Comfort takes a backseat – excuse the pun – to profit, so we booked three seats in the back to give Maria and me additional space. Cambodia can be a strange country, but I guess it's just better go along with it and enjoy the ride!
