Victory Hill in Sihanoukville

Cambodia, Sihanoukville,
13-02-2010.

Some sort of weird contraption hold against my brow, a new piece of technology checking your temperature and setting me back twenty Thai baht for the apperent obligatory health check, some bloke wanting 100 Thai Baht for filling in the Cambodian emigration papers, changing Thai baht into Cambodian riel, a whole pile of tatty notes that look like faded monopoly money and nobody wants anyway prefering the American greenback instead...maybe I can pay the toll bridge fee - yet another hundert Thai baht...I resign hoping this carzy money grabbing cr*p will soon be over and me on the five hour bus trip to Sihanoukville..

Victory Hill is my choise of accomodation, though still full with French owned girly bars and motorbike taxistas offering me ganja green addiction problems at reduced prices, unpaved streets lit up at night not by street lights but by the illumination of the numerous bars and questionable other establishments...Yeah, if I remember well from three years ago, this place was supposed to be the new Pattaya heaven for those doing their regular visa runs, make sure these crazy p*nters will lack nothing while away from "home"...

Still, in comparison with three years ago Victory Hill has calmed down considerably though I guess it will be another couple of years before returning to its former beach resort status where families with little kids would come from far away europe on a tranquil and relaxed two/three weeks sun and beach holiday...or maybe the wh*re-mongering fatsos on their regular three month visa runs will have their way in the end, no caring much about the great beaches - though these might come in handy during the day time to nurse away Anchor beer induced hang-overs - but surely in love boozing away in the numerous girly bars bragging about the incredible amount of Thai Hot Mommas they have bedded down....

Like three years ago I leave these places alone finding myself back in the Mojo Bar, french owned though but no bar girls to tell me how s*xy I am and secretly hoping for a lady's drink and maybe a bar fee check on top of my bill...instead a few drags from a cambodian weed joint that goes around free of charge and hand-rolled by the sympathetic owner himself. A different way of keeping your clientele happy I guess...