It is a 5 hour drive from Phnom Penh to Sihanouk Ville through villages, towns and countryside. The road can be quite dangerous because there are big trucks taking things to and from the shipping port of Sihanouk Ville to the capital city of Phnom Penh. Also traveling on the same two lane road are motorcycles, tuk tuks, tractors, open buses transporting garment workers to and from factories as well as the occasional cow or water buffalo crossing the road. We passed by many markets, restaurants, and stalls selling various things from food to shoes and clothing. At one point I saw a fairly large rack with multiple rows of men's dress shoes being sold out in the open in the middle of a field beside the highway, I wonder where these shoes came from? Were they made in a nearby factory and "fell off a truck" or were they "seconds"? They were there on the way out and on the way back but we went by them so fast that I couldn't get a picture.
Scenes from the car on the way to Sihanouk Ville
Sihanouk Ville
Sihanouk Ville is known for its beautiful beaches and cheap accommodations. There are numerous back packer type places and beach shacks that rent for really low prices. However, the town is in need of some investment to make it more of a travel destination. The potential is there and I can only imagine what it will be like after investors start to move in and build hotels along the beach. Sadly, one Russian investor started building a big complex with a high rise and villas but then he was caught doing some illegal activities. The development site which looked like it was fairly close to completion, now sits there decaying as it is with the courts to decide what to do with it. I believe the Russian is in jail.
Independence Hotel Resort & private beach
While I was in Sihanouk Ville, I wanted to see Girann, one of our CLEW graduates who lives there. She and her mother came to visit us at the resort one afternoon. We had a drink on the outdoor terrace while they explained that their family has had a really tough time this year. A couple of months ago, Girann's 25 year old brother was killed in a motorcycle accident. His mother had scrimped & saved to send him to university. He had finished one degree and was working on his masters when this happened. Girann is there trying to help her family but jobs are not easy to come by in this town. She is selling coffee for now but is looking for something better. It is so tragic for them.
On a happier note, the second night there was a duo playing at the hotel bar with a woman singing and a guy playing guitar. They actually weren't bad and were taking requests. So, I started requesting dance tunes from the 60s & 70s. "I will survive" got me up on the floor with Bandol and some other people. That got things going so we had a lot of fun. Dararith said afterwards that he had never seen this type of dancing or heard this type of music before.