Calamari Lady

 

The beaches of Sihanoukville in Cambodia are known for two things: Captivating beauty and hawkers. It is easy to forget that you are situated in paradise when hundreds of Khmer people, both young and old, approach you begging and pleading you to purchase whatever item they are selling. Harassment on the main beach of Serendipity has gotten so bad that people are beginning to avoid it all together, forgetting that these individuals are just trying to make a living.

 

Just 20 minutes away on the lesser developed beach of Otres the vibe is completely different. The hawkers smile and joke with you, rarely pursuing a sale any further if you give a courteous ‘no thank you”. It is easy to spend the entire day laying on the sand, and conveniently there is no need to move away from the water’s edge – not even to eat.

 

This lady walks up and down the beach with a welcoming grin permanently etched on her face. She sells fresh calamari. For $3 she will barbecue 10 delectable pieces right there on the sand and season them with lime, salt and pepper. Ignoring any hygiene concerns, we could not help but become her number one customers during our two weeks there. South East Asia is famous for its street food, but here on Otres Beach, we fell more in love with the beach food.

 

 

NOMADasaurusLesh and Jazza from NOMADasaurus are backpacking overland from Thailand to South Africa without using any air transport. Experienced adventure travellers that focus on sustainable long-term travel they aim to inspire others to pursue their dreams by sharing their own incredible journeys and travel advice.