The ultimate bonding experience

On Wednesday morning we set out on an overnight boat trip off the coast. It was a pretty small boat for the 12 of us, our 2 guides, and 3 crew members. Downstairs was the galley, a small kitchen, a table and two benches, a little daybed, the bathroom, and an area to get geared up for diving or snorkeling. Upstairs was the sleeping and lounging area. It sounds like a lot of stuff, but they really make the best use of a small space. For example, the bathroom was no larger than a closet but had a toilet, a tank of water to scoop in order to flush, and a shower head to rinse off after getting out of the ocean. All of that in a space so small that you can't extend your arms fully without touching the sides (which isn't a bad thing when the boat gets to rocking around.)

I think my favorite part of the trip was Thursday morning before anyone else was awake - as the sky slowly became lighter, the world woke up. The birds began serenading me a song only I got to hear.  As the water gently lapped against the side of the boat, I thought about my young daughter sleeping back home listening to a sound machine of these very sounds. Someday I'll be tell her about hearing them in Cambodia for myself.