Friday 9th October
The Secret Garden, Otres Beach. What can I say??? Little short of perfect! Probably the best hotel yet this year! It’s on the beach 5 miles outside of Sihanoukville, and is just bloody brilliant for a few days of rest (we’ve been very busy, ok????!!!!) The service is impeccable, the food amazing, the rooms great, and the beach just perfect! It’s slightly dearer than most places, but comparatively is still cheap. The food in the restaurant on the beach is just some of the best we’ve had this year, a really nice combination of western and Asian cuisine. And being in a pricey place, it’s still only $6-8 for a huge main course! All the guests are more in our age group, so no up-your-arse young backpackers! It’s all I can do to lift myself off my sun lounger! Mind you, I did manage a very pathetic 3 mile run along the beach yesterday. The heat nearly killed me! Not good boding for our proposed 95 mile run next year!! Even jumping in the sea after didn’t help as it’s warmer than any bath I’ve ever had!
Everything we eat/drink (and cigarettes!) are going on the room bill! One of the bar maids is fascinated with my capacity for beer, and just brings me a fresh one every time I finish my glass (0.75 cents for 300ml!) Needless to say, this is very dangerous. I’ve just confused her by moving on to Gin and Tonic! But, I think we are coping……
Today we hired a moped and had a few hours zooming around. Absolutely brilliant fun! And I even managed with the chaotic traffic in the nearby town! Never again will I feel the need to stop at a junction, it just isn’t necessary! I even ran over a snake at one point! The town, Sihanoukville, is one of their main coast resorts, but it’s not very pretty. Need I only say that it’s Gary Glitter’s old haunt…… And there’s many other similar potential candidates around….. But here at Otres Beach, it’s paradise. There’s a group of lovely ladies offering massages and beauty treatments. Charlotte succumbed to 90 minutes of leg threading (to be fair, I was on the point of calling in the Forestry Commission to deal with it…..) and I had a nice massage today. Purely in the interest of research, obviously.
Highly recommended for anyone who just wants to rest, sunbathe, eat, drink and chill for a week without moving!!

I like it here!!

My running track yesterday!

Shouldn’t you be doing something?????

The ladies plucked enough hair to make 34 mohair jumpers…..

Life’s a struggle at times….

Jolly nice grub!!!!

A terrible view from my sun lounger

The sun? Or Saturn??

Barry Sheene rides again!!

Massage while sporting my “Buster Bloodvessel” belly!!!