In the interests of keeping your interest, let’s just say that all that slow, long-haul travel went reasonably well. Just a couple of small hitches. While we managed to pack 150kg into our 6 checked in bags (including 90kg of tools), K’s concrete drill went into carry on. It’s a power drill, totally battery-less, however it was taken from us at the first airport security check – although as the security guy said, “What’s he going to do with it, it’s not like he can plug it in!?!”. Thankfully Mum and Dad had waited and were able to rescue it for us. It’s the only thing we lost until we got to Phnom Penh, some 18.5 hours later to discover that two of K’s bags tools had been left in Singapore.
This meant that instead of getting straight on the road to Sihanoukville, a further 6-8 hour trip, depending on traffic, we detoured to the Bible Education Centre (BEC) for a quick shower and then out to lunch. We retrieved K’s bags some 3 or so hours later and headed south, to our new home.
These photos show our new house, the view up, down, and across the street, the entrance into the “living room” (currently strewn with our stuff), the kitchen, and our bedroom. There is another bedroom in the house the same size as ours and I think there is a couple moving into it in a couple of weeks.
K was straight into work the following day. Here’s the job site – I can’t say I envy him! The gravel truck got itself nicely stuck but a bit of Khmer ingenuity and they were quickly back into business.
While K was working I took the time to load the kids into a tuk tuk and we made our way to Otres Beach, an old haunting ground of mine when we lived here 7 years ago. Alas, much has changed in that time. The beach shacks we used to haunt are now rubble or gone altogether, with just a few remaining. There is construction everywhere – giant buildings that look like they’ll be hotels and shopping centres/restaurant hubs. It’s in a huge state of transition and, like the rest of Sihanoukville, is pretty filthy.
K and I have had trouble reconnecting with this city, despite having lived here for 6 months previously. The traffic is too heavy for the roads (so many trucks due to all the construction) and the roads are broken, pot holed beyond belief (30cm drop offs are the norm), extremely dusty, with rubbish strewn everywhere. Due to this the traffic moves slowly and weaves from one side of the road to the other more than usual, in order to find a way through. I know we will get used to it in time and again, I know that this city is in a huge state of transition, but it is hard not to feel sad for the beautiful, peaceful place it used to be.
The Chann Family: Capers in Cambodia 
I’m sure the kids will be all able to drive a moto by the time you leave!!
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