A day at the beach...
I have arrived to Sihanoukville in the south of Cambodia yesterday and today was officially the first day at the beach. Needless to say it was not your usual day on the beach. Yes the scenery is beautiful and the atmosphere very relaxing until you get ambushed. Well ambushed by the Fruit Shake Gang!
Yes after many years I have received my first death threat:
"YOU BUY FRUITSHAKE OR I KILL YOU" - said a 12 year old girl after I refused buying a good old fruit shake from her. Well, what do you say to that? We laughed enormously at the threats until her friend came by and after not being able to sell me more fruit (I bought some from another girl before), she also yelled out:
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T BUY MY FRUIT". Two girls were walking around with sticks in their hand as to suggest a beating if you do not purchase their fruit. We decided to nickname them The Fruit Shake Gang. I think I received another death threat later on when somebody else was trying to sell me five products which I didn't need.
There are also many amputees on the beach as well, it is really a very disturbing sight at times and I try to give them some money once a while. Along with them there are virtually dozens of merchant women selling anything from grilled crab, lobster, squid and of course fruit. Other services include a massage, manicure or pedicure.
But all in all it is quite an amazing place and the hassles that come with it have little impact on your day. One thing for sure, in Sihanoukville the poverty is quite visible and sometimes not being accustomed to these sights one steps back a little and tries to see the greater picture. As anywhere in SEA as well other parts of the world, people will do anything to get by. It is here that I realized how many things we take for granted in NA and how simple things as food and maybe shelter are an everyday struggle for many people. The gap between rich and poor seems to be quite vast and yes labour exploitation by foreigners exists in many places. For example: a Cambodian boy working in a bar from 6 am to 2 am gets paid about $1USD a day.
We're gearing up to start riding again and head north east into Laos. We still have to arrange our visa but both of us are anxious to get back on bicycles. Cambodia surely is a blast and sometimes things that unfold before your eyes seem unreal.
Funny story from Thailand courtesy of Mark from Ottawa:
In Ko Samui Mark was out one day taking a stroll. Along the way he saw a heart inspiring site, a monkey was cleaning ticks or lice from a dog. It was all fine and dandy as people gathered around to see this unusual act of caring between two different species, but what happened later was a shock. The monkey got on top of the dog and it started shagging it! A monkey screwing a dog! Please say it isn't so, Mark had a camera in his hands but since he was laughing hysterically down to his tears he was unable to take a photo.
Yes after many years I have received my first death threat:
"YOU BUY FRUITSHAKE OR I KILL YOU" - said a 12 year old girl after I refused buying a good old fruit shake from her. Well, what do you say to that? We laughed enormously at the threats until her friend came by and after not being able to sell me more fruit (I bought some from another girl before), she also yelled out:
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T BUY MY FRUIT". Two girls were walking around with sticks in their hand as to suggest a beating if you do not purchase their fruit. We decided to nickname them The Fruit Shake Gang. I think I received another death threat later on when somebody else was trying to sell me five products which I didn't need.
There are also many amputees on the beach as well, it is really a very disturbing sight at times and I try to give them some money once a while. Along with them there are virtually dozens of merchant women selling anything from grilled crab, lobster, squid and of course fruit. Other services include a massage, manicure or pedicure.
But all in all it is quite an amazing place and the hassles that come with it have little impact on your day. One thing for sure, in Sihanoukville the poverty is quite visible and sometimes not being accustomed to these sights one steps back a little and tries to see the greater picture. As anywhere in SEA as well other parts of the world, people will do anything to get by. It is here that I realized how many things we take for granted in NA and how simple things as food and maybe shelter are an everyday struggle for many people. The gap between rich and poor seems to be quite vast and yes labour exploitation by foreigners exists in many places. For example: a Cambodian boy working in a bar from 6 am to 2 am gets paid about $1USD a day.
We're gearing up to start riding again and head north east into Laos. We still have to arrange our visa but both of us are anxious to get back on bicycles. Cambodia surely is a blast and sometimes things that unfold before your eyes seem unreal.
Funny story from Thailand courtesy of Mark from Ottawa:
In Ko Samui Mark was out one day taking a stroll. Along the way he saw a heart inspiring site, a monkey was cleaning ticks or lice from a dog. It was all fine and dandy as people gathered around to see this unusual act of caring between two different species, but what happened later was a shock. The monkey got on top of the dog and it started shagging it! A monkey screwing a dog! Please say it isn't so, Mark had a camera in his hands but since he was laughing hysterically down to his tears he was unable to take a photo.
posted by Rob at 5:27 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home