The next day Kathryn’s condition got worse and she unfortunately had to spend the day in bed. Sarah and I went on a boat tour of the surrounding islands. We went snorkeling and kayaking at a few different beaches. The highlight was without a doubt our stop at Maya Bay, where The Beach is set. It is a stunning sight to see. The clear turquoise waters, tree-covered cliffs and the vivid colours of the fish paired with a refreshing rainfall left us with big grins as we floated around in the warm water. Upon return, Sarah and I braved the increasingly powerful rain from the front of the ship, letting it pour down on us. By the time we made it back to our hostel, the streets were completely flooded. I can’t remember ever feeling more soaked to my core, yet it was an invigorating experience.
Another Phi Phi highlight was the discovery of coconut donuts. Basically shredded coconut surrounded by a bit of dough, they are a true dream. I’ve been on a search to find them again as I can’t stop thinking about the one I had. Our last night in Thailand was spent in Phuket at an airport guesthouse so we could catch our early flight to Cambodia. I felt sad to leave the country, but also excited to keep moving on with our travels.
The staring we have become accustomed to started on our plane to Cambodia. The people around us spent much of their time looking our way. There are far fewer tourists here, so we get paid much more attention. I have found that the people here smile more and are very attentive, but they stare and laugh at us more, too.
We spent three nights in Phnom Penh. The city is very dusty and polluted. On the tuk tuk ride out to the Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge regime we could hardly breathe because of all the dirt and exhaust around us. The Killing Fields were incredibly sad. Each visitor gets a headset that explains what happened in the county and happened in each area. The stupa erected in memory of the victims houses hundreds of skulls. It was a chilling sight to see. We also went to the museum S 21, an old school turned into a headquarters/ prison for the Khmer Rouge. They kept documentation of the prisoners, with pictures of each victim. These photos now line the walls of the museum. Some faces showed despair, defiance, or anger, but there were also many smiles. Pol Pot ruled for the second half of the 1970s, so it’s hard to take in that it all happened not very long ago.
Back at our hostel, we saw a giant beetle-like creature in the street. I know this is coming from a girl that freaks out around maple bugs, but you’ll have to trust me that this bug was in a league of its own. A group of locals also joined us in checking it out on the street. A five -year-old wearing flip flops wearing flops flops twice as big as her feet fearlessly stomped on it, though it kept crawling. The three of us huddled together watching, until a woman picked it up and threw it at us. We screamed, and bolted into our hostel causing quite the scene. Once the hostel workers found out the bug scared us, they loved to tease too. We all joked about it later and had a great laugh, but it was scarring.
The next day we went for a meal on the riverfront. As the sun set, a group of about 30 people were doing aerobics along the quay. I paid my dollar and joined in while Sarah an Kathryn laughed at me and took photos. I looked entirely ridiculous but had a great time.
We only have 3 days left in Cambodia and then we’re off to Vietnam.
I hope all is well at home!
Much love,
Brig xo
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