We knew it was going to be a long day, but didn't anticipate it being quite as bad as it was. After waiting for the bus to pick us up at 7.15 we eventually left Sihanoukville at about 8.30. The bus took us north then west between the coast and the Cardamon Mountains, heading for the narrow strip of Thailand that pokes into Cambodia. All good so far. However, at the top of a hill there was a bang and a jolt that sounded suspiciously like a tyre going pop. Sure enough, the driver and his helper got out some tools and started trying to change the tyres (they were doubled on the back axle so they needed to remove the outer to get at the damaged inner). These tools included a wrench and a large ... read more

In an effort to save myself further sunburn I spent the morning and early afternoon in our hostel, making use of the balcony to read a book while Sammy headed down to the beach again. When the sun was on its way down I decided to join her as the risk from burning was much lower. After careful and thoughtful consideration of various offers for a tuk-tuk, motorbike and/or a cold drink I completed the 200 yard walk to the beach. I found Sammy lounging half way along the row of water front cafes finishing off the book I had leant her. I finished off the book she had leant me - a highly amusing detective novel about Laos which I wish I had read when I was there - and we watched the sun go ... read more

We checked into a new hostel in the morning and then spent the rest of the day on the beach reading or swimming and (in my case) getting rather nastily sunburnt. Not much else to say - an interesting way to spend a Sunday in February!... read more

Our reason for coming to Phnom Penh was to see the S-21 facility and the Cheung Ek killing fields. We started with the former, a school which had been converted into a prison and interrogation facility for Pol Pot’s regime. Some class rooms had been turned into cell blocks with crude brick walls built on top of the tiled floors, some of which still seemed to have blood stains. Other class rooms simply had a single bed in the middle and a picture on the wall showing how the Vietnamese found the room when they liberated thec ity - usually featuring a heavily mutilated body chained to the springs. Some rooms had been converted back to serve as a teaching facility, with galleries of the victims, all of whom were photographed when they arrived, several cases ... read more

We had an early start to watch the sunrise at Ankor Wat. Like all things around here, it was crowded and we were perhaps lucky to find somewhere to sit outside the temple precinct itself. While we sat waiting bus loads of tourists arrived and trooped across the causeway and by the time we decided it was time to follow the whole of the complex seemed to be full. They disappeared pretty quickly once the sun came up and we had much of the place to ourselves. I think Sammy would have been keen to do the whole thing over again, but I had no intention of wasting time and by subtle body language (i.e walking the opposite direction!) persuaded her that we should go and have breakfast. She talked me into one of the scruffy ... read more