Beachy Atmosphere

21 March 2015 


We took the bus to Sihanoukville, a long 5 hour drive.  It isn't too bad a bus, though we were on the mini-bus.  But they have pre-selected seats, as on an airplane, so it saves some confusion and time.

The bus also picks people up at their hotels, and we were the first pickup.  We had a great little tour around Phnom Penh, complete with fabulous views of the big temple near the imperial palace.  I'm also intrigued by the statue and shrine shops that we passed.  You can buy a life-sized lion statue, somehow always in pairs.  Or elephants.  I even saw a tyrannosaurus rex statue.  I'm not sure if these are carved or molded concrete, or carved from stone, or what.  But they are huge, and most of them are pretty nicely done!

We also passed a temple along our way - they obviously selected elephants to guard the entrance gate.

The area south of Phnom Penh is greener than up north, between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.  Maybe more rivers, definitely more hills.  It was pretty scenery, and I kept looking for monkeys in the trees.  Didn't see any, though the driver periodically pointed at something - I have no idea what, he didn't speak English.

The only "wildlife" we saw were cows.  Or oxen.  Or Brahmin cows.  A few times we had to stop for the cows crossing the road.  Sounds like a joke, doesn't it?

And then we arrived in Sihanoukville.  We're in a hotel about 5 minutes from Serendipity Beach, which apparently is the party beach.  The quieter beach is Otres, and we'll probably visit there later in the week.  We also can take trips to the various islands in the bay, snorkel, dive, that kind of stuff.

That's about it.  Weather is a little overcast, not as hot as Phnom Penh (which hit 99 F the other day - 36 C I believe).  

And of course we're enjoying the beachy atmosphere.  

How can you not like a town with golden lions in the middle of the main roundabout????