Welcome to the jungle! - Koh Rong Samloem

23/10 - 26/10

Near Sihanoukville there are a few islands that can be reach easily with a Speed Ferry and where you can enjoy more seclusion. We chose Koh Rong Samloem, as this island is supposed to be quieter and more natural compared to the slightly larger Koh Rong. On the island itself there is hardly any infrastructure and the main means of transportation is by boat. Apart from a few footpaths through the jungle, you can only change your location by fishing boat.

When we arrived in Koh Rong Samloem with the Speed Ferry, a wooden boat from the hostel was already waiting for us and some other new visitors. I was especially fascinated by the captain of our boat, who was almost unbeatably cool. A small, well-built Cambodian man with a fully tattooed upper body, a gold chain around his neck, a discolored front tooth, shaved hair, and a look that one can hardly dare to look at. He skillfully started the two engines, poured some more cooling water into them, and off we went. When I looked over to him again, he was already leisurely sipping from his beer can and lighting a cigarette.

The hostel itself is more like a small village of wooden huts directly between the sea and the jungle. The audience there were mainly backpackers aged between 20 and 30 years old. There was also no internet, so the motto was: No wifi - make friends!





When we moved into our hut, we were immediately warned not to bring any food into the bungalow - after all, we were in the jungle. Food attracts rats and, subsequently, snakes. We searched the hut and found beer cans left behind by the previous occupants under the bed. In addition, there were old lemons, which we immediately disposed of (however, we later learned that the lemons actually have a purpose: snakes do not like lemons and are supposed to be kept away by them). A short time later, I discovered that a complete snake skin was hanging down from the roof of our terrace. Emi then inspected the entire bungalow and finally discovered some kind of animal in a dark corner, which stared at us with shiny eyes. The stay couldn't have started better for a person with a slight fear of snakes...



Later, it turned out that our roommate was just a large gecko. You definitely want to have such a gecko in your hut, as it catches mosquitoes, spiders, and sometimes even snakes. The only thing that bothered us about it were its droppings, which were scattered everywhere and which we had to walk around in a zigzag style (there was of course no daily cleaning service).



The mix of about 70 backpackers, no WiFi, and a certain fear of being awakened by a snake in the middle of the night inevitably led to us getting drunk.

On the first night, thanks to a few beers, we were able to sleep surprisingly well, which allowed us to reduce our fear a bit. However, on the second day, the weather was so bad that there was hardly anything to do in our hostel. Consequently, we started drinking early again. We also got to know two Welsh couples, with whom we signed up for the evening Olympic (drinking) games. There were disciplines like human wheelbarrow races followed by drinking a can of beer or limbo dancing. Surprisingly, we were good, very good even - we took first place! As a reward...of course, free cocktails! :)



After that, Emi announced that it was her birthday and the evening became even more eventful. Several birthday vodka shots later, it was unfortunately too much and we had to leave the party early.

The next morning, we could tell that the evening had apparently lasted even longer for the Welsh people. I was amused by the story of a slightly embarrassed Emily, who told how her boyfriend Jimmy wanted to take a late-night walk on the beach to get some acid. Brits...

Unfortunately, Emi suffered from the consequences of the birthday night on this day. However, for some reason, we thought it was a good idea to go on a boat trip. But that's not a good idea with a hangover and resulting seasickness! She fought with nausea and a queasy stomach throughout the whole trip...

The rest of the day went on as usual...hanging out, playing cards, drinking, and a lot (!) of small talk.

Conclusion:

After three days of hut life, we were really looking forward to a warm shower and an air-conditioned room. In addition, three days of alcohol were slowly starting to take their toll.

That's it for Southeast Asia: it was different, it was exciting, it was beautiful! However, it's time for a change of continent now...

Hasta pronto

E&L

>> Next stop: New Zealand <<