"Kactus"

Wednesday and Thursday, the treatments are uneventful - we feel like we have settled in well at Mini Molars. Extractions and fillings are on the agenda. The general dental condition of both adults and children is repeatedly alarming. For example, a 14-year-old patient whose insufficient filling, spanning two front teeth, is only held in place by sticky food residues on the tooth. The caries has almost destroyed the entire tooth, so a root canal treatment should be the inevitable consequence. However, since the patient does not want it, we can only hope that she remains pain-free and can keep the tooth with the renewed filling for as long as possible.

On Friday, we take a day off and drive directly to Sihanoukville after the end of treatment on Thursday. On the bus ride, we already have our first culinary adventure: after one of the numerous stops, a large part of the passengers are equipped with grilled eggs. There is a strong smell of sulfur and we cautiously try to find out what delicacy it exactly is by peeking into the neighboring row: 1000-year-old egg or rather balut? We are not completely convinced, as we cannot recognize a chick. But it is not as black as a 1000-year-old egg. The inside of the eggs has a muddy color and the yolk is no longer visible. We will ask Sina and Rii on Monday.

We spend one night together with Mara and Moni in an accommodation on the beach to take the boat to Koh Ta Kiev on Friday morning. "Kactus" is the absolute insider tip! The owner also owns the beach where the "hidden treehouse" is located, which makes this place a haven of peace. You can feel the familiar atmosphere as soon as you arrive, the team is international and super attentive and friendly. Before lunch, we settle into our quarters. The guests are also open people with whom you quickly get into conversation. This is how we meet Vera from Lisbon and Theresa from Mainz. The six of us enjoy a fantastic lunch on the terrace with a sea view. A small walk on the beach to aid digestion and a swim in the cool sea make us forget about time and place. Dinner is served at 7 p.m. At Kactus, all guests eat together and there are always two dishes to choose from. The owner is a French chef and you can tell, because every meal is a true delight for the palate. All senses are challenged here, as there is also a breathtaking sunset to admire. Tired and happy, we find our way to our bungalow. It's a good thing we have our headlamps with us, because without them, we would be quite lost trying to find our way through the jungle-like terrain. Unfamiliar animal sounds and the sound of the ocean prevent us city kids from getting a peaceful sleep, so we are already back on the terrace for breakfast at 7 a.m. There is homemade French baguette with still warm mango jam - we are in heaven! We refresh ourselves in the sea and then join a group to hike to "Elephant Cliff". A small, well-trodden path leads through the jungle to another beach. Unfortunately, there is not much sand to be seen due to all the garbage washed up by the sea. The sight is shocking and dampens the overall mood of our small group. There are syringes, shoes, bicycle helmets, plastic bottles, light bulbs, cosmetics, cans, packaging material, nets and many other objects that do not belong in the sea, scattered in the sand. In between, there is still space for beach towels, whose owners do not seem to mind at all. We leave this place as quickly as possible and continue on our way to the cliff. As soon as we arrive, the first ones jump from the approximately 6-meter high cliff into the blue sea. Lilly also does the same, while Cathy and Moni hold the fort. Because we want to avoid the beach at all costs, we choose a different path back that leads across the island. Unfortunately, there is not as much shade there, it is even more sweaty than on the way there and we suffer in the midday heat. No one knows the way, but thanks to our outstanding sense of direction (a little joke on the side), we become the leaders of the group and miraculously find our way home. The current has also brought a lot of garbage to our beach. The Kactus team diligently tries to cope with the wave of trash and manages to remove bags of it from the beach.

Sunday morning is checkout at 8:30 a.m., the boat leaves at 9, so we are at breakfast again at 7 and enjoy a particularly delicious pancake with banana and chocolate. Suddenly, a heavy downpour starts. Everyone quickly seeks refuge at the bar, but we, on the other hand, expect a very wet return journey, as the boat is being prepared despite the adverse circumstances. We are not made of sugar and it is still warm, so we fearlessly climb onto the boat. Fortunately, the clouds disappear as quickly as they came, and we arrive relatively dry in Sihanoukville. Since we still have some time before our bus departs, we decide to visit "Wat Leu". The pagoda is located on a nearby hill in Sihanoukville and promises a great view of the city. However, the numerous monkeys turn out to be much more interesting than the view of the city, which is surrounded by Chinese casinos and high-rises. These monkeys show no sign of fear of humans and quickly climb down from their palms to us. They are probably expecting snacks.

It is Lennart and Moritz's last evening in Phnom Penh, so we are meeting up in the evening to celebrate their farewell.