Day 18 : So right? Or Koh Rong?

09:00
I wake up :

1) having slept for nearly 9 hours, with (I think) no wake ups, and definitely no dashes to the dunny, and
2) feeling much better. I mean MUCH better.

Suddenly, today’s 6 hour journey to Koh Rong Sanloem doesn’t feel intimidating. 3 hours in a minivan, then 45 minutes on a ferry. BRING IT ON. The reward at the end will be more than worth it. Koh Rong Sanloem is one of two smaller Koh Rong islands off the South coast of Cambodia. I’ve read reports that is starting to undergo some fairly extensive development. Hardly surprising, but it sounds like now is the time to visit to have a chance to see the unspoilt and peaceful island I’ve read about. There are no roads on the island. None. Any transport is by boat, or on foot. At a push, you might be able to get around by bike, but it’s definitely off-road. I don’t think there’s an ATM. The next 4 days are a proper RnR (rest and relaxation, not rock’n’roll…) opportunity.

17:00
Stage 1 is straightforward enough. The 3 hour bus journey passes quickly. I’m a little alarmed that our 13 seater minivan turns out to seat 18. There are a couple of Cambodian families travelling with kids. The kids do not get a seat. Nor do they get a seatbelt. Hold tight folks…

We drive through some torrential rainstorms. The driver slows down a little for these. Felix sleeps through them. Arriving into Sihanoukville is a bit of an eye-opener. There’s been a LOT of Chinese investment here over the past 10-15 years, and there are countless high rise buildings under construction - some will be hotels, others will be apartment blocks to house the staff working in those hotels. There are a number of glitzy, ritzy looking casinos. As recently as 2010, Sihanoukville was a relatively sleepy town - a handy place to spend a night before hitting the island trail. Now, I can’t wait to get out.

We arrive at the port with about 20 mins to spare. There’s some confusion when we’re directed to pier 4, and there are no numbers on the piers. Some helpful guidance points us in the right direction. The boat’s not huge. Certainly smaller than any boat trip Vicki and I took in Thailand earlier this year. Seats maybe 15 at a push? The boat ride is bumpy. Not crazy rough, but enough to throw us around a bit. I start to feel a little jaded and feverish.

Our boat arrives at Paradise Pier on time at 15:45. We’ve been told someone from our guesthouse is going to be waiting for us. We approach anyone - literally anyone, asking if they’re waiting for us, but no. Ten minutes later, a small boat appears at the horizon. I’m kidding - it’s not that far, but it kinda feels like it. He motions us into the water. He’s pulled up about 25 metres out. We must look a little sheepish, as he jumps out to show us it’s only a couple of feet deep. We wade out, nearly come a cropper when climbing into the ultra slippery boat, and head off. Eden Beach resort is at the far end of the Saracen Beach - maybe 750m away. It takes us about 10 minutes. Speedy travel, this is not. The water is similarly shallow at this end of the beach, so we jump out, and walk up the beach to our accommodation.

The rooms are great. Set in a plush garden, perhaps 15 metres back from the beach. Someone’s been thoughtful enough to get the A/C running ahead of our arrival. Only, I’m starting to get shivery again. Fucksticks. I turn the A/C down, and crawl into bed to try and warm up. It’s a little counterintuitive - I can feel that my skin is properly hot the touch, but I also feel very cold. I let Felix know that I’m gonna try and have a snooze, and will ping him later to catch up.

21:05
Did not sleep. Turns out - not sleepy tired, but just illness knackered. I rest up for a couple of hours, and ping Felix to check his location. ‘Just down the beach’ he replies, and I set off to find him. Now - there’s no cell coverage here. None. Not even in our resort. Decent WiFi, but no cell signal. As soon as I leave our resort, I realise that I don’t know which way ‘down’ the beach is. head back to Eden Beach to use Google Maps to check the bar location, and set off again. I get maybe 200m down the beach, when I realise I’ve forgotten my vape. I trudge back, becoming disheartened. I push through though - brave little soldier that I am.

I arrive to ‘Sara’ bar, and find Felix deep in conversation with Ronan and Niamh, a couple we very briefly met on the ferry over earlier. They’re staying here, and Felix grabbed them for a beer (Soda water). They’re bang in the middle of a long-assed trip around SE Asia and the Far East, coming most recently from Vietnam. We share a couple of travelling war stories, some tips and recommendations. They’re very easy to spend time with. Through my illness (brave little soldier etc etc) I manage a couple of beers, and feel a little better. At least, I manage to convince myself I’m feeling a little better. I’m wiped out though, and decide to head back to the resort. Felix comes with me, largely in search of food. I repair to my hut, in the hope of big sleep, and after a day of eating basically fuck all, a big breakfast.

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