From Kampot we got a good nights sleep and the next morning we were on a long tail boat to Rabbit Island. Cambodia is a country I’d never associate with islands so the fact I was visiting a second island during my stay was quite shocking to me. Coco informed us in his own way, lots of roundabouts and repetitions, that Rabbit Island itself isn’t the most beautiful island but is secluded, and as natural as any island you’re likely to find in modern times yet can stay on in relative comfortability.
We stayed at a guesthouse on the island but it wasn’t a guesthouse per se. There were about twelve beach huts spread out along the grass verge above the sand of the beach, we stayed in one of these. Our day there wasn’t spent doing much. We explored as far up the beach as we thought we could, read books, and listened to music on the beach while watching the waves. Then I chilled out in a hammock while Christina went snorkelling.
At the centre of the beach huts was the main building, a beach hut bigger than the rest. We all surretipiously met outside the entrance late in the evening, as we congregated one by one to order food or drink beer. In my case you can substitute beer with Jim Beam. I’d ordered Jim Beam and coke but what I actually got was the reverse of what you’d expect, a large glass of Jim Beam with a shot of coke. I was definitely feeling it after.
We met Phil and Mim, an english couple who are just as cool as they sound. We spent the night chatting away with them, drinking, and eating barbecued fish. I was disappointed in myself that they were so much more experienced at eating their fish than me. They could have gotten twice as much fish off mine as I did. We exchanged hilarious stories and in the end it was a really great night. During said night I laid awake without electricity, in the dark, sweating, listening to the dogs barking and howling just wishing beyond everything I could sleep, charge my kindle, or jump into a bath of cool water.
After managing to sleep at around 5am, we were up at 6.30 getting breakfast before we left to Pnomh Penh. It was this morning that I had one of my favourite memories of travelling so far. Waking up in a hut on the beach, opening the door to an amazing view of the mainland framed by the harbour, I ran out into the sea, arms stretched wide in victory as well as to embrace the openness of the experience. I swam out until my feet couldn’t touch the bottom and floated, allowing myself to spin and drift, soaking in the views and the freedom I felt. Sadly that freedom only lasted so long as we did have a boat to catch.
The Searcher 