Aug 13, 2009Meghan Nay
Martlet (Canada)
It was five months into my trip that I found myself in the last place I ever thought I’d wind up in my travels — in a relationship. Turns out, one of the friends I left with was more than just a friend. By the time our group arrived in Cambodia, Luke and I were inseparable and even decided to spend an extra week in Sinoukville all by ourselves. We stayed at an amazing hostel right on the beach. Okay, so the rooms weren’t exactly the best (the walls were paper-thin and there was that time a rat crawled over my face), but other than that, we were in heaven.
I remember one particularly rowdy and romantic night we decided to go skinny-dipping. Normally, I’m shy about this sort of thing; normally, I’d say no, but that night, on the beach, under the stars, it was just so friggin’ beautiful I could have written a poem about it.
And the alcohol didn’t hurt either.
For hours we splashed about in the calm, warm water. I felt daring and free. It wasn’t until we were mid smooch that I noticed — out of the corner of my eye — a group of people walking towards our clothes. I detached myself from Luke and motioned for him to look.
“Hey — those people are going for our clothes,” I cried.
“Oh shit,” he quickly looked. “It’s a group of kids.”
Now, anybody who has ever been to Cambodia knows a few things about the children there.
As an extremely poor country and one that attracts a lot of tourists, the local kids are often expected to bring money in for the family — usually by selling bracelets, begging and often by stealing.
And that’s exactly what they were doing. But what could we do? Clearly my yelling and screaming wasn’t working, and Luke only got up to his, well, bellybutton before he lost his nerve. Seems that I wasn’t prepared to run naked after them and neither was he. So we watched as they walked away with our clothes, our shoes and what little money we had left.
After about an hour, time was starting to pass very fast and the water was getting cold. The romance had definitely died off and I was ready to be dry and clothed. Luke figured since it was late we could probably make it back to our bungalow without anybody noticing. I was freezing, and too tired to argue. Before I knew it, we were walking naked to the shore and doing our very best to cover everything we could with our hands, arms and a seashell or two. It wasn’t really working. But as we crept towards the light of our hostel I thought we might just be in luck. The main lawn chairs were empty, and I couldn’t make anything else out in the dark.
Wrong.
As we got closer, we were startled to find out it was movie night at our hostel. There was everyone, huddled around the TV by the stairs. Twenty heads looked up at us. Twenty mouths dropped open. It was horrifying. I didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh or to sit down and start watching Legally Blonde with the rest of them. Luke stood next to me, equally stunned.
Finally, I grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs to our bungalow as fast as I could. Mortified, we collapsed on our inch-thick mat on the floor laughing hysterically, the sounds of Legally Blonde, and “oh-my-gods” echoing up from below.
Even the rat was smirking.
I remember one particularly rowdy and romantic night we decided to go skinny-dipping. Normally, I’m shy about this sort of thing; normally, I’d say no, but that night, on the beach, under the stars, it was just so friggin’ beautiful I could have written a poem about it.
And the alcohol didn’t hurt either.
For hours we splashed about in the calm, warm water. I felt daring and free. It wasn’t until we were mid smooch that I noticed — out of the corner of my eye — a group of people walking towards our clothes. I detached myself from Luke and motioned for him to look.
“Hey — those people are going for our clothes,” I cried.
“Oh shit,” he quickly looked. “It’s a group of kids.”
Now, anybody who has ever been to Cambodia knows a few things about the children there.
As an extremely poor country and one that attracts a lot of tourists, the local kids are often expected to bring money in for the family — usually by selling bracelets, begging and often by stealing.
And that’s exactly what they were doing. But what could we do? Clearly my yelling and screaming wasn’t working, and Luke only got up to his, well, bellybutton before he lost his nerve. Seems that I wasn’t prepared to run naked after them and neither was he. So we watched as they walked away with our clothes, our shoes and what little money we had left.
After about an hour, time was starting to pass very fast and the water was getting cold. The romance had definitely died off and I was ready to be dry and clothed. Luke figured since it was late we could probably make it back to our bungalow without anybody noticing. I was freezing, and too tired to argue. Before I knew it, we were walking naked to the shore and doing our very best to cover everything we could with our hands, arms and a seashell or two. It wasn’t really working. But as we crept towards the light of our hostel I thought we might just be in luck. The main lawn chairs were empty, and I couldn’t make anything else out in the dark.
Wrong.
As we got closer, we were startled to find out it was movie night at our hostel. There was everyone, huddled around the TV by the stairs. Twenty heads looked up at us. Twenty mouths dropped open. It was horrifying. I didn’t know whether to cry or to laugh or to sit down and start watching Legally Blonde with the rest of them. Luke stood next to me, equally stunned.
Finally, I grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs to our bungalow as fast as I could. Mortified, we collapsed on our inch-thick mat on the floor laughing hysterically, the sounds of Legally Blonde, and “oh-my-gods” echoing up from below.
Even the rat was smirking.
16 comments:
to make you both feel better, someone had caught both of you on hand camera. I HAVE ALREADY SEEN IT. THIS INDIVIDUAL THAT HAD HIS CAMERA ON YOU, WERE WILLING TO PUT ON YOUTUBE!
This picture like alike Mu Sochua and her white man at the beach in USA. After spent lots of energy to promote her stunt in gighting with PM Hun Sen, now it is time for her to enjoy a break with her man who has little brother bigger and longer than Asian's guy. Please have fun and screaming as much as you like on the bed.
no no no look like your mother. 12:54pm
12:54PM,
Don't disturb Mu Sochua with her white man. At a moment, she look like a wounded dog.
While most Khmer MPs are helping people in Cambodia, Mu Sochua is enjoying her holiday in USA. This is a pattern of opposition MPs from overseas.
Khmer in Phnom Penh
Hi guys,
Please stop harass my wife. Let her a break and quiet for a while. Since she has a legal battle with Hun Sen, we have never enjoyed in our life, particular on the bed. She look like a death fish. So, please leave her alone and let us enjoy our holiday.
Scott. L
1:45 PM
Really? Mu Sochua has a white man lover? What a fucking whore. Maybe that is why her thinking is so in line with them. Sell out bitch.
Why our country people have to steal for a living?
Welcome to Cambodia!
Just from the top of my head, roughly 40% of kid population are still living under the poverty line. You may need to hire a young person from the hostel to keep your clothes next time when you will go to the beach. Sometime this unfortunate situation may happen on the beach in the west too.
I too dream of the day when our country will be full of good citizens with rectitude.
Best wishes to both of for your next skinny-dipping!
This snippet is fictitious with stereo typing of a developing country by a couple backpackers. do you know what gave away the fabrication? A bunch of kids walking on the beach trying to sell bracelets and souvenir nick nacks late in the night? Highly and unlikely for that to happen. Just before sun down they all go home. They don't loiter around. Was there. Kinda funny story though.
Hun Kwak supporters: 12:54PM,1:45PM, Scott L.,and 1:53PM
(All of the above people are Hanoi Vietcong agents and male prostitutes)
Thank you for harassing the Khmer hero woman. You're one of the Hanoi Viet Cong embedded in Khmer society. We will find and eliminate all of you, scums, when we're free one day. Your master won't live very long along with his family. I bet one day he will fall from power. At that time Khmer will revenge whoever tries to hurt Khmer people.
Go to fuck with your mama, Viet girls. Don't trash good people, your more-on. You're a very low class and Youn Vietcong. We, Khmer, will step and poop on your head, fuck off. Loser....
Your parent doesn't teach you to respect people and your parents don't teach you to see right or wrong or black or white. You must have a low class uneducated parents.
Fuck yourself.
That's all I can say. Don't spend time to response idiot, I won't read this article anymore, stupid.
Ah kwack steal for living too!
in cambodia, people used to tell their kids not to skinny dip without clothe on because "kampot" or a certain kind of fish will chop or bite away your private part. i think it meant for a sense of humor, anyway, kids get scared and belief in it, well at least until they grow up.
funny if they got leaches.
the OMG's were because khmer have such small dick compare to white people LOL!
yes, big or small body parts, it makes no difference to the leaches, and leaches do not discriminate; they will enter your private parts, if you don't over them up. have a sense of humor, would you! that's all!
SUNSHINE and SUNSET of HUN XEN
That's Hun Xen and his wife focuses on buying our biggest island Kah Tral (Phuc Qouang) owned by ah Yuon, because ah Yuon wouldn't give it up.
So, Hun Xen decided to save every penny he have to buy that biggest Khmer island. I bet you that his biggest dream today when he's retiring with his generation on that island.
For example, if he owned that island today, he will have ton of guard there and we won't be able to approach at all.
He will build everything such as air runway, golf course, driving range, shooting range, bowling alley, basketball court, sand volleyball court, horses ranch, alligator ranch, biggest villa, range rovers, hummer, and biggest villa with swimming pool on beach front.
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