Today should be a relatively easy day. Another travel day. From the city to the beach. Phnom Penh to Sihanoukeville. I could use some beach time. Phnom Penh has been pretty intense. Aside from the two dark, heavy places we went to yesterday, the poverty here in Phnom Penh is bad. Seems to be everywhere.
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| Working young. |
Apparently for some people and families, poverty is a career. Our Canadian hotel manager pointed out a group of kids that hoof it up and down the main street in front of the restaurants hawking bracelets, books, clothes and any other kind of souvenir they can get their hands on. All of the kids are related. Most of them are brothers and sisters. Their mother continues to have kids and as soon as the kid can walk and hold souvenirs, the mother sends the child out to sell on the streets. Two-years-old and they are already working.
The mother hangs out on the street, off to the side to monitor the kids. Occasionally, the kids will break their sad façade and start to smile and play around like normal kids. The mom quickly corrects them and puts them back to work. It’s no way for a kid to grow up.
The city itself was pretty empty as a result of the Khmer New Year. We expected it to be packed, but turns out it is the exact opposite. Apparently, everyone in the cities go out to the country where they are from or take a big family vacation somewhere to celebrate the New Year. Our Canadian friend has told us to expect the beach to be crowded for the first day or two we are in Sihanoukeville. At this point, I don’t care. I just want to be near the water.
This morning is status quo for the three amigos. Mom and dad are ready to roll, early. I am not. Patton is already pacing. So much pacing that it is making the Phnom Penh heat even hotter. But, it is effective. Cause when Patton starts pacing, Pyle starts packing. I know, I shouldn’t wait to the last minute, but it is what it is.
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| Phnom Penh bus station. |
A quick tuk-tuk ride to the bus station, a short wait and we are on the bus and ready to hit the road. Straight shot to the beach. Should be easy and hopefully uneventful.
This kid sits in the seat next me. I guess he isn’t that much of a kid considering he is married and has a kid of his own. He shows me his little girl. She’s a cutie and grabs my finger and shakes it. I guess that makes us all family now. And as family, I am now her dad’s pillow to sleep on for ride down to Sihanoukeville. Greeeat.
Not too long into the drive he starts doing the head-bob/shoulder lean routine. His head falls forwards, bounces up, lays to the side on my shoulder, slumber. The bus hits a bump. He barely wakes up. Looks around. Then…his head falls forwards, bounces up, lays to the side on my shoulder, slumber. Over and over and over. Plus, despite being smaller than I am, he is doing the wide leg spread, taking up way too much room. At least this bus ride is only four to five hours.
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| View from the hotel. |
Once we get to Sihanoukville, we are let out on the side of the road. Seems odd, but there are taxis and tuk-tuks waiting for us. I guess it is pretty common. We grab a tuk-tuk and head down to the beach area. I post the kids up at a restaurant and after a quick lunch I head out to find a place to stay.
Technically, the Khmer New Year is over. But, not really. Today is Saturday, tomorrow everyone heads back to the city. As a result the prices for hotels are double for tonight and drop back to the normal rate tomorrow. I hit up a couple places and they are all full for tonight. I find one hotel that is the nicest on the beach. Nicer than any of the others we have stayed at on this trip. It is only a month or two old. Still not even completed. But the rooms are nice and the hotel is close to the water. Plus, it is the only one with rooms still available. Sold.
I grab the kids and we check in.
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| Happy New Year!! |
Mom is tired tonight and doesn’t feel like heading out for dinner. Plus, she is still fully stocked on her Weight Watchers snacks. Just about every time she pulls one of those snacks out, she flaunts it in front of my face with an I-told-you-so look of satisfaction.
Dad and I heard the seafood on the beach is phenomenal. We head out to verify for ourselves. As we stroll up and down the beach, every 50 feet or so we are hit up by another restaurant/bar asking if we want to eat there. The food does look good and pretty fresh, but it all looks the same. We settle on a place, head to a table in the sand by the water, I kick my flip-flops off and we enjoy some freshly grilled Cambodian bar-b-cued seafood as the sun sets.
This place has a great vibe. I’m gonna dig chilling here for a few days.
Shoulder pillowly yours,
The Family Man
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Hard to even begin imagining Bristyn and Billy working at this point.
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