It was a beautiful two weeks in Cambodia, with the most beautiful experience of staying on Monkey Island in Cambodia, and I can honestly say I was sad to leave.
Our hostel, Monkey Republic, in Sihanoukville was one of those hostels where when you’re sitting there during happy hour or eating breakfast in the morning, you look around and realize you’re a backpacker. It’s just such a relaxed atmosphere, with people lounging around on the benches, falling asleep in the big, comfortable chairs, watching movies or sharing stories about the chaos that unfolded the night before.
We definitely made the most of our time in Sihanoukville. We ate seafood barbeque on the beach for 3 dollars while watching the sunset and awaiting our delicious and well-worth every penny kebobs.
One of the nights while we were eating dinner, three little girls who were supposed to be selling roses (the only downside is all of the peddlars bothering you every minute) decided they wanted to be kids for 20 minutes or so. They put the roses down on our table and just played in the sand, falling off the dunes onto one another, doing cartwheels, taking pictures with us and of one other with our camera. It sort of melted my heart in both a good and bad way; it’s like, do they ever really get to do this and just be kids?
One of the little girls had enough, and as I dozed off in my chair, she crawled in beside me and took a nap with me. She couldn’t have been any older than 7, and all the jumping around knocked her out. She found herself a little nook, moved around here and there, but for the most part she fell asleep nestled in my arms for a good 15 minutes. She was so precious, and she had on this huge T-shirt that said, “Kiss me Plese”. Downside to having a random little kid take a nap against you: Her hair smelled like it hadn’t been washed in ages; however, that almost made me like her all the more. All I hear about myself from my family when I was little is that I would scream if anyone came close to trying to put a brush through my hair, so in a way, the little girl and I were “same same but different” as they say here in Asia.
Our last day was probably spent in a way that I could never truly put into words. We four girls and our Kiwi friend, Murray, decided to take a boat to an island off Cambodia for the night, which was by far the best decision we’ve made this entire trip.
“Monkey Island in Cambodia |
We docked to turquoise waters, a white, sandy beach dotted with ramshackle houses of all blues, pinks, purples and yellows, and a peace and quiet you can only find in a place that’s undiscovered. The five of us rented a bungalow right on the water for 20 bucks with a hammock on our deck and stepped off it onto the softest sand my feet have ever touched.
We trekked up a waterfall practically upon our arrival, swimming in the different pools and climbing over jagged rocks, slippery rocks, small rocks and boulders that my legs had a hard time reaching over. Our ‘local’ guide, Shay, a guide from the UK who found himself on the island and ended up not leaving, could have flown up and down the rocks with his eyes closed if he wanted, but he paced himself for us. We climbed and climbed and climbed some more but didn’t even come close to the top. We wanted to make sure we made it down safely and unscathed before the sun went down.
We went for a swim in the ocean before dinner, sat around playing cards with a French girls and two Aussie kids, then went for a night swim which was unlike any experience I’ve ever had. We swam in Phosphorscent algae, and the water lights up in the darks. We kicked around our legs, swooshed around our feet and swirled around our hands and watched the colors dart out and dance in front of us. It was beyond words incredible. It felt like we were creating life with our every touch.
The night was beyond comprehension brilliant in every sense of the word. We had a blanket of stars and the lull of the ocean to help us drift off to sleep and awake to an amazing sunrise.
Sunrise over Monkey Island in Cambodia |
It was definitely a place I didn’t want to leave. All I could think of was how I wished my dad could see what I was seeiing, and how my trip took me to an island off the coast of Cambodia where life is so still that it almost feels brand new. I really have so many moments throughout the day when I just stop and take in all that’s going on around me, like time stops and all I can think of is how lucky I am and how happy I will be when I look back on my life years from now.
But sadly we had to say good bye to Cambodia, a place I have absolutely fallen in love with. It was rough around the edges but had a heart that was so soft, we felt right at home.
We arrived in Saigon, Vietnam early this morning and the only way to describe it as a beautiful mess. More to come throughout my journey through Nam.