After the hustle and and crowds of Bangkok, population 14 million, the Cambodian port of Sihanoukville, population 89,000, was a nice change of pace. Sihanoukville is known for its port, its beaches, and the mangrove jungles and rivers of Ream National Park. We meandered upriver through the park in long boats, docked, and walked about 3 kilometers to a beach with a little Tiki-bar.
Took a swim at the beach but didn’t really cool off because the water temperature was in the 90s; the sun was cooking the water between the beach and a sand bar. Did cool off with a local beer at the Tiki Bar.
At the dock we could see jellyfish suspended just an inch or two below the surface of the water:
This water buffalo belongs to one of the 100 or so families that live on farms inside the Park, grand-fathered when it was created. Like everyone else, they are poor. Cambodia was ravaged and has not recovered from the Pol Pot Khmer Rouge regime and the genocide and civil war that killed 2 million. It wiped out an entire generation.
Our guide, Dara, said he was born in 1975 and had to join one of the factions when he was fifteen. Shown how to fire an AK-47, he fought in the jungles for four years before the war ended.
He said life expectancy in Cambodia remains below 60 years due to a variety of issues including high infant mortality, water-borne parasites, malnutrition, and a lack of medical care. Affluent people go to Thailand or Vietnam for medical care.
Took a swim at the beach but didn’t really cool off because the water temperature was in the 90s; the sun was cooking the water between the beach and a sand bar. Did cool off with a local beer at the Tiki Bar.
It seems the most popular
local beers are branded with name of the most famous local landmarks:
Kilimanjaro Beer in Tanzania and Angkor Beer in Cambodia.
Joani emailed that she
arrived in Siem Reap with no problems; that they are staying in a great hotel; that
they were entertained with a fantastic cultural show during dinner, and she is
looking forward to Angkor Wat tomorrow.
p.s. Forgot to give credit
to our great tour guide in Bangkok, Pudtipong Nawasornyuttana (he goes by “Jean”). Here
he is saying good bye to us and Drew and Tanya at the cruise terminal after
great Saturday afternoon shopping at Bangkok’s famous Weekend Market. Tanya
bought a beautiful 9-inch porcelain soup tureen that she had seen at the
restaurant Friday night; Jean knew exactly in which of the 30,000 stalls to
find it.
Above, at the Issaya Siamese Club for dinner Friday night. When we opened the menu, Tanya said, “I know the chef!” Turns out Ian Kittichai has appeared on a TV
cooking show and is in fact Thailand’s “Iron Chef” on that show. The meal was great.
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