Cambodia: Day 10

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Porch at our Bungalow in Sihanouk Ville

7:21 AM

I woke up yesterday to low rumbles of thunder. It was sprinkling as I walked out to the porch with my laptop in hand. The air was cooler than normal and set the stage for a great day of weather.

After breakfast we hopped on two tuk-tuks and made our way to a waterfall. Nestled in a nearby national park, it took us about thirty or forty minutes to get there. The scenery was beautiful as I watched the open countryside turn into dense forest. The tuk-tuks pulled into a clearing made of red dirt, a few small fruit and souvenir stands set off to the side.

All except for the trash and debris, the waterfall was beautiful. It was about three tiers high and had plenty of room for us to walk around. I was a little hesitant to get in at first because of the murkiness of the water and the amount of trash that was pooled around the sides at the bottom. We all gave in, though.

We swam around for a while and then made our way back to the top. There was an area near the waterfall with wood platforms where we could lay down and swing in hammocks, so we took full advantage of it. I read and eventually slept in one of the hammocks until our lunch came.

The small oasis gave the impression of being run by the locals who live within its borders, void of government control that pervades national parks in the United States. Would it be better if it were more strictly watched over by those at the national level? Sure, it might become a little more clean, but there's always that lingering fear of westernization. Culture would be lost, traditions would vanish. For me, I can take a little trash in exchange for the preservation of a way of life.

The waterfall conquered, we decided we wanted and needed more beach time. I was nervous to go back to the beach because I was afraid of getting jumped by the child entrepreneurs, but I decided the risk was worth it. The tuk-tuk pulled up to the beach, and no more than thirty seconds passed before the brigades came surging around the corner, calling my name. How in the heck did they know I was here? I don't want to go through this again! I put my game face on. I was NOT going to give them any more of my money, that was dang sure.

Yung-Yung appeared and made her move. She grabbed my hand, asking if I wanted a manicure or a massage. "No, Yung-Yung. Not today." She gave me the pouty face, but I stood my ground. I shied away from her as the group made their way back to the bungalow. "Three mo' dollars!" Yung-Yung cried as I turned back. She hadn't forgotten that I owed her money.

I was determined to stay away from the part of the beach being watched by the old women and children, so we decided to stay on the rockier portion near the hotel. We went for a swim, Mike and I going far out into the ocean until he got stung or bit by something on his neck. We turned back and, once on the beach, made the decision to head to the sandier part of the beach, into enemy territory.

I strategically set my stuff down on a chair, sure that one of the people in my group was watching it, and ran into the water. They can't bug me if I'm in here. I waded around, talking to Spencer, Tuni, and Lauren, all of whom had the same exit strategy as me. I laughed to myself as Kaitlin and Mike were surrounded by Cambodians. I finally got up the courage to go sit down and read in my disk chair. I checked the scene. When Yung-Yung was out of sight, I made my move. I grabbed my towel, sat down in the chair, and put my sunglasses on. When some women came up to me, I pretended I was asleep. It worked for the most part. I felt bad, but not as bad as having to tell them no over and over again. Yung-Yung found me; it was inevitable. I gave her the three dollars I owed her. She started to massage my back. "You can do it for free if you want; I’m not going to pay you anything," I said delicately.

"Ok," she responded. "I do massage fo' free, then you tip me ten dollars."

I laughed. "No, Yung-Yung. Not today." Somehow I finally got her to go away and all was well.

We ate dinner on the beach that night, then headed back to our hotel. I got my computer from the bungalow and Skyped my parents at the bar while the rest of the gang did some night swimming. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day.