What could Koh Rong?!
I remember after a day and a half of taking ferries flights and buses from the islands of Thailand I had caught the last possible boat to Koh Rong; an island off the south coast of Cambodia. It was the last departing boat - a supply boat with a bunch of locals that didn’t speak English. I remember saying fuck it and hopped on. I arrived hours later at a Cambodian village and was sure I wasn’t at the right spot. I got off and kids came running at me attaching themselves to my legs and hugging me. I played with them for a bit and soon realized I needed to find my hostel before it got dark. I paid a Cambodian boy to take me somewhere, not a clue where we were going. We hopped on his motorbike and sped off until his bike broke down in the middle of no where. I eventually helped him fix it but by this time it was getting dark. A dog noticed us mobbing down the dirt road and started barking chasing after us. The bike wasn’t doing so well at this point and this dog was literally running right next to us trying to nip at us. So now I’m hanging on to this poor guy for dear life with my feet up in the air 😂 We eventually made it away and still don’t have a clue where we’re going. I’ve always had a pretty good sense of direction and managed to get us through the jungle to the west side of the island. It was starting to look a little more hopeful but at this point it had gotten dark so I parted ways with my new Cambodian friend and set off with my pack. I found another village on the beach with a bonfire and sat my exhausted ass down. I had almost lost hope when I see a white guy jogging down the long strip of beach. I mustered up some energy and chased him down. I nearly cried when he started speaking English. I still thought I was on the wrong island but I felt my best bet was to go wherever he was going. We walked for miles and at some points was up to my waist in the ocean. In the distance I saw lights and was so happy. He told me this was where the strip of bars and hostels were and sure enough when we got closer I saw my people. Flow arts and fire spinners of all kinds lighting up the sky. I reached the welcome booth and was instantly given a hoop to flow with. I had finally made it. I was home.
