I Got Mugged On A Booze Cruise

I haven't posted here for a while, maybe because I've gotten used to all the crazy shit Cambodia has thrown at me and I no longer find things overtly blogable. For example, the other day I walked right past a cow on the side of the road and didn't even blink. I mean, I did live with a cow for 22 years but this is a bit different (shout out to my sister Jess, love ya babe). Even if I am becoming a bit desensitised to all the Cambodian Crazy, I have still been getting up to some stuff. 

Last weekend I went back to Sihanoukville for Round Two of beachside debauchery and it did not disappoint. This time around, we booze cruised. And I'm not just being cute, it was actually advertised as a 'Booze Cruise' and it was amazing. The ship was a dodgy little boat with a bar, two stripper poles, a sun deck, water slides, and zero safety precautions. When I first scanned the boat I was a bit like Rose from Titanic when she is walking the decks with the architect and realises that there aren't enough lifeboats. I didn't see any lifejackets, but 90% of the people on the boat weren't even wearing a shirt, let alone a lifejacket, so water-safety didn't really seem like a priority. Also, the boat was flying a pirate flag, which had me a little concerned that some Somalians were going to attack us and this guy from Captain Phillips would commandeer the ship:

I am the Captain now!

However, there were no Somalian pirates, only guys with too much testosterone and girls with too little self-respect. The only downside to the Booze Cruise was that I was mugged, here's how it went down: Connor and I had decided to go for a swim while we were docked near some island. I handed Jen my hat with my wallet and phone inside it for her to mind while we swam. While we were swimming, Jen set the hat down for a second to take a few photos of us in the water. When I got back on to the boat (which was a struggle because we didn't find the ladder) she told me that my hat was missing. Yes, my amazing floral snapback was missing. Somebody had stolen it. Bizarrely, they left the wallet and phone and just took the hat. I mean, it was a great hat, I don't blame them for wanting it. I assumed I would see someone wearing it and I would just snatch it back, but I never saw it again. Someone in their jealousy had either stolen it and stuffed it in their bag or hatefully thrown it overboard. I may have been a bit dramatic in my insistence at the time that it was a hate crime. 

The last ever photo of my favourite hat, may it rest in peace. 

So I suppose I didn't really get 'mugged' in the traditional sense, but it was a very emotionally traumatic experience. I would have been distraught for the rest of the weekend if it weren't for the natural beauty of Koh Rong island and my constant state of inebriation. Koh Rong is an amazing island off the coast of Cambodia on the Gulf of Thailand. It has a beautiful beach lined with tree-houses and bungalows. The power turns off at 11pm and there are no ATMs, so there is a real disconnected feel that sets Koh Rong apart from other tourist experiences. 

'All natural' on Koh Rong 

Nothing says 'island living' quite like being woken up in the middle of the night by a monkey in our bungalow rummaging through our bags for food. I shit you not. Gabriel, in his infinite wisdom, thought it would be a good idea to bring some imitation Pringles and a cup of instant noodles into our bungalow, despite the warning signs that said food would attract unwanted wildlife. You can't even get hot water on the island, so the noodles really perplexed us. There we were, in our beds, in the dark with no power, and only a mosquito net to protect us from a potentially vicious monkey. After some nervous discussion, we decided to just wait it out and sleep through the attack. The mosquito nets successfully ensured we didn't get raped by the monkey in our sleep, and when we woke up the monkey had gone. I knew there would be some monkey business in Sihanoukville, but this was not what I had expected.  

For my next weekend trip away, I decided to go to a place with a little bit more culture: Siem Reap. My definition of culture, however, is standing in front of really old temples and posing for a camera - and boy did I do that. I apologise to everyone who follows my Instagram for the flood of gratuitous model poses, but also, whatever, get over it, I'm cute. In fact, I will just post a couple of my Angkor Wat photos here to remind you:

"And my ego is THIS big"

The Tomb Raider Temple

Just a spot of quiet meditation 

We started our tour of the temples at 6am and it was a long day of climbing, walking and sweating, so we didn't plan on having a massive night. But then Pub Street happened and I had one of the best nights out in Cambodia so far. Pub Street is a street lined with pubs - go figure! - and it is amazing. There is a god and it is 50 cent draft beers.

Now I'm back in PP for my final few days volunteering before I head to Japan. It's going to be so sad to leave and say goodbye to some amazing new friends. Having said that, I'm kind of ready for a hot shower and a clean toilet - call me a princess!