Whats up beaches?

Now on a lighter note. I had about a week to kill before heading back to Phnom Penh so I decided to head down to the beaches of Sihanoukville. My original plan was to try and get my open water scuba certification while in Thailand but since I had some time on my hands I went ahead and signed up for a class in Cambodia. Not only would this give me a chance to do some full on diving in the Simlian Island next month but my certification was around 100 bucks cheaper over here. Its true that the visibility and the fish life aren't as good as you find in Thailand but there is quite a bit of beautiful coral despite the dynamite fishing that occurred in the past. Funny story (skip the rest of this paragraph if you get grossed out easily): The dive company takes you to a remote island where there's just a few rustic villages. Well something I ate in Phnom Penh gave me a funny feeling in my tummy and I still felt the effects. So when they served lunch I only made it halfway through before I had to go. Well long story short, I finally pooped in a hole (they have nothing else, but I did bring my own TP). Actually it was a pit I found near the base of a tree but on the bright side I had an awesome seaside view.

Sihanoukville itself is really not all that glamorous. You can tell that there's a lot of money being pumped in and one day could be another Pattaya but thats about it. Everything is priced higher, there are frequent electrical blackouts, and there was bit of seediness that I felt when I was here. I'm still not sure why there's so many men in speedos and I'm even less sure of why there are old larger men in speedos. On the weekends the places book up fast because of all the Cambodians on holiday from Phnom Penh. But on the bright side some of the seafood here is just fantastic. I had a seafood barbecue with barracuda, squid, and prawns. It was to die for. I'm so surprised on how good barracuda is. It like tuna but without the smell and better taste so I had to go back for more the next day. Also there are lots of guesthouses and restaurants here that are literally right on the beach. So if you make it down here give the place a shot but don't expect too much.

Tomorrow I take the speed boat Koh Kong to meet up with a friend before heading off to Bangkok to start my tour which lasts 3 weeks. So it might be a while before I get another post up. Until then...

And by the way there's a commercial on the Animal Planet channel about an elephant rehabilitation center in Thailand that looks like the one I'll be at. If you happen to catch it let me know. I'll be at the Elephant Nature Park run by a woman named Lek. I think its supposed to air Feb 3rd.