The morning brought about new sense of calm.   Away from the bustle of Phnom Penh where it had seemed as though everyone was in a damned hurry to get somewhere;  here was much different.   A half dozen resort employees work dilegently to clean the beach loungers, rake the sand,  sweep the floors, and prepare the breakfast buffet.  High pitched beeping of horns in the city were replaced by the soft whir of pineapple and watermelon being juiced behind the bar.

Breakfast was typical of what could be found at most beach resorts:  fresh local fruits, bread for toasting, various jams, omelette station.  Fried rice and Asian salad were also an option.

Easing into the day,  it seemed necessary to slip into the warm waters of the Pacific.  Clear, salty, and soothing,  I felt as though I could spend all day out there.   The floor was soft sand that had a gentle wavy texture.   The gradual slope required you to walk out a couple hundred feet in order to get your hair wet.

Relaxing on the beach has always been easy for me… ha! maybe for about ten minutes.  Beth, being a little better at it, has always suggested that I read a book.  Uh, no.  I can’t sit still long enough to become engrossed in a book.  I did, however, find that writing was a little more entertaining for me; at least for a while.

Strolling up and down the beaches were an array of local people selling there wares.  Kids sold bracelets and other trinkets.  Young men sold sunglasses and boat tour packages.  And middle aged women sold a variety of goods and services.  “Massage for you?”  “Maybe pedicure?”  And my particular favorite that 2 different women approached Beth regarding, “Maybe I take care of the hair on your legs?”  Although it wasn’t terribly apparent to my eyes, two days without a razor (missing luggage) and I was married to a Sasquatch!

Around lunch time:  fresh fruit, prawns, and other more unusual things.

Since nothing being toted by seemed to suit our fancy, we opted for the restaurant at the Secret Garden Resort… again.  At this point, it is probably our favorite in the Otres 2 area.

View from our porch.

It is difficult to express how cool it is to have an outside bathroom.  Although completely private, using the toilet took a little getting used to.  To shower out there was an amazing experience that felt totally natural.  Beth is thinking on how this can be duplicated and yet be more acclimated to Michigan weather.

A trip into SV in the Ochheuteal Beach region took us to the Monkey Republic.  As many restaurants and bars were quite empty, we chose this place simply by the number of patrons.

Monkey Republic was a total backpacker hangout.  A crowd that consists of mostly young Australians and some Europeans sitting around drinking Angkor Beer, smoking Marlboro Reds and socializing with others.  It was difficult to not be too envious of their free spirits.

As I often do, I ordered way too much food.  Brought out to outside table one dish at a time in an “auction style” manner, we had gotten the Chicken Amok, Sweet and Sticky Ribs, and of the fried spring rolls.  Spring rolls can be found at nearly every Cambodian restaurant and are offered 2 ways:  fresh or fried.  We’ve learned that fried is definitely the way to go.