Shared taxi to Sihanoukville

The bus to the beach town of Sihanoukville in southern Cambodia didn’t leave until noon, so we decided to head down to the bus station and grab a taxi instead. We shared it with a French guy, paying $20 for the back seat while he forked out $15 for the front. The ride took about three hours. If you want to experience "the Cambodian way," you’ll find nine people crammed into a car. Every inch of space is utilized when transporting anything to keep costs down—this includes people, animals, furniture, and more. We’ve bumped into an older Swedish gentleman a couple of times in Phnom Penh. He’s traveling with a younger woman from Thailand. There are quite a few of these couples in both Thailand and Cambodia. We’ve gotten to know them a bit, which led to some conversations about their relationship. This couple seems genuinely happy together. They met several years ago in Thailand. He doesn’t live there permanently but travels back and forth to see her. She mentioned that it’s tough for her because many Thais and Cambodians look down on her when she walks around with her Swedish boyfriend, which makes her sad. We also find it a bit strange that older foreigners come here to be with much younger girls... We also met a pair of Cambodian sisters who are in a bit of a dilemma. Several foreigners have asked if they would marry them, but that would mean leaving their country and family behind. Still, they said that if their family ever needed money, they would marry right away to secure a decent living standard for their parents, grandparents, and siblings. There are so many poor people here, and everyone is just trying to survive. We’ve talked to several people about the risk of getting malaria, and no one is taking malaria medication. Lonely Planet also mentions that it’s not necessary except up near Siem Reap. The chance of experiencing side effects from the medication is greater than the risk of actually getting malaria. So, we’ve decided to take a break from it for a while—plus, it saves us some money. As we were almost reaching Sihanoukville, we encountered a traffic accident. People drive like maniacs here. They honk and overtake without checking if the road is clear. Motorcycles weave in and out between cars. One motorcycle had been hit by a car. In the ditch lay a shocked man holding his bleeding wife in his arms. The car that hit them called for help but then just drove off. Thankfully, we weren’t far from a town, so hopefully, an ambulance would arrive soon. Our driver said there was nothing we could do. If a car gets damaged in an accident, there’s no roadside assistance to move it. It just stays there until someone decides to move it—or it might never be moved at all. Sihanoukville is Cambodia’s beach town. It’s a cozy little spot that could be so much nicer if it weren’t for the piles of trash ruining the scenery. Hotels and restaurants have been built right down on the beach. Quite charming, really. We sat under the stars, enjoying BBQ for dinner with candlelight on the table while the waves lapped at our feet. The restaurants are built so close to the water’s edge. One more little thing that could improve this little paradise: wastewater is being dumped directly into the sea. I can’t say exactly where it’s coming from, but there’s a pipe running out from each restaurant and hotel that ends right in the middle of the beach.