Yes. If you say so...

Sihanoukville was just what I was looking for - beach, relaxation, and company before I finally make my way to China where I'm starting to fear that I will either need to learn Chinese very quickly or face potential loneliness. But who knows what it will bring! My lesson for the week is positivity and openness! YES. I am even reading Yes Man (loving Danny Wallace) and have tasked myself to say yes to everything while in Sihanoukville. With obvious exceptions of tuktuks, street sellers/vendors, and proposals (you wouldn't have thought the last one necessary but the last two days had presented me with an offer each.)

As I started this task as I read on my way to pnom penh, I spent a very interesting day in transit - and I thought I'd have nothing to blog about! The 6 hour bus ride sitting over the wheel with no leg room and a sleeping man slouched against me had seemed bad, but the company decided to refund me as the second bus, pnom penh to sihanoukville, was suddenly full. They suggested trying the other bus depots around the central market. So bright eyed and bushytailed with my backpack and purse I met moto-duk driver Han... Han and his bold faced lies.
Not that seeing the sites on the back of a bike with my backpack and clutching my purse wasn't enjoyable but Han had agreed to tAke me to the central market and I am quite confident I never made it there. Although he was very talkative He was also very persistent, after he brought me by another bus depot where I took his word that they were also full, he ignored my pleas to continue on to the central market because I'd reLlg prefer a bus. But he insisted that a taxi was the cheaper (triple the price) and faster (twice the time) with the Added bonus that I had absolutely no idea what was going on. He dropped me on the side of he road leaving the city where I van with 20 people already in it pulled over and somewhere mysteriously tucked my bag away inside, so it was either stand on the side of the road luggageless or follow my bag. Despite everyone in the van shaking their heads And smiling at me when I said sihanoukville I got in, and for the next two hours provided them with endless entertainment as if every time they saw me sharing the seat with five others they'd forgotten I was there. In the beginning we drove with the door open so that we wouldn't have to stop when we payed off all the policemen we passed, after that we stopped periodically along the route to let people on or off. And finally we arrived. In a town I still don't know the name of, and everyone piled out and my bag reappeared and I was ushered into a new an where I got to share the front seat with a sullen man. A least for this half of the journey there was no pointing and laughing, I was even entrusted with a baby for a short while. And from my new view at the front I could watch for road signs that confirmed I was headed in the right direction. I could also see now that the speculated was broken, along with the windows and doors and lights. Also fun was discerning the general patterns of Cambodian traffic - yellow lines and oncoming traffic be damned, overtaking is always allowed, ne, encouraged, and if you feel like holding down the horn the entire time so much the better. Needless to say I arrived in Sihanoukville over 12 hours after leaving Siem Reap. Said yes to the first room I was offered despite it being available for one night only and invitations to parties at two separate beachside bars.
And relax, everything from here on out will go wondefully. I'm meeting lots of people, seeing fire throwing shows and regaining my sense of adventure. YES

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