Seaside Sihanoukville
Our last stop in Southeast Asia was the port city of Sihanoukville. This sleepy oceanside resort town is home to the only deep water harbor in Cambodia. Because of this, it became an area of military importance during the Vietnam War era, when it was used as a transit hub for weapons aiding both sides of the conflict. In fact, Sihanoukville was the site of the last official battle of the Vietnam War; the Mayaguez Incident. In retaliation for the capture of the container ship, US forces heavily bombed the port and areas around the city.
Eventually foreign tourists started trickling back in, although two highly publicized incidents of kidnapping and murders (one a group of three backpackers, another a group of three expats) restrained things somewhat until the Khmer Rouge fell in 1997 and the area was finally declared safe.
Today, Sihanoukville is an almost-but-not-quite there yet beach paradise, what the islands in Thailand must have been like before the advent of rampant tourism. It feels a bit Wild West, a bit unsettled, a bit unsure of its own identity.
We stayed on Serendipity Beach, which, for all intents and purposes, was a sliding scale: on one end, there were clumps of Westerners, openly smoking weed and lounging about in the hot sun.
By the end of the long shoreline, the population was all Asian, dressed mainly in damp jeans and tees, snacking on fruit and seafood and exploring the many beached remains of boats.
The center was a neutral zone, the cafes and restaurants less populated, fewer people splashing in the water, less lively than either end.
It was an interesting place, historically interesting and unabashedly hedonistic. So, needless to say, after a week of good meals and good books, I felt very tired.
