Cambodia. Damn these mosquito bites ! Oh, they're not mosquito bites, they're my nipples ! Damn these nipples ! Phnom Penh - capital city of Cambodia. This is a bit different. After a 6 hour drive from Siem Reap (mostly by road) we arrived at our hotel on the river front, right next to Wat Ounalom. Wat Ounalom? That Ounalom. Hotel is nice (prounounce "nice" starting high pitched, then going low, then back up to middle) apart from the all-pervading old-people's home smell. (I hope that doesn't mean they'll be round at 8:00pm every night to change our diapers. I hate that). Room is spacious, colonial-style (wood floors) with a balcony overlooking Wat Ounalom (that Ounalom). So, had quick wander round the local vicinity, a delicious lunch of Dim Sum (apart from the cockerel combs which ... read more

Cambodia. Damn these flies ! Oh, they're not flies, someone's knocked over a box of currants (mmm currants). Damn these currants ! Well, after a four hour flight from Kathmandu to Bangkok, quick overnight stop in Bangkok (so nothing really to report as all we saw was the airport, which was massive, and the inside of a hotel room, which was quite small by comparison), then, next morning, an hour's flight from Bangkok to Siem Reap (in a cartoon plane!), and here we are in Cambodia. And it's hot. Very hot. I hear it's a bit cold (snigger) in the UK at the moment (guffaw). I'm sorry. Sorry. No, it's not you. Sorry. It's just so warm and sunny here. Nepal seems like a distant dream already, and Cambodia appears to be a different kettle of ... read more

Aaaargh !! The idlis are following us !!! I thought we'd left them behind in India, but oh no. They only had to go and turn up here in Kathmandu didn't they ? OK, OK, I get the message. I'm going to have to give them a proper go. You're supposed to have them with Sambar ( mixed vegetable cooked with yellow lentil flavoured with tamarind and Indian spices ). Not my first choice for breakfast but only fair I supppose. So, what are they ? I've told you once, breast implants. No, really. Um, OK, steamed rice flour dumplings. And what do they taste like ? I've told you once, breast implants. No, really. Yes, really. Stop it. Um, OK, I find I am forced to admit, they're actually quite nice. Rather like dumplings. The ... read more

First - Time Zones: Nepal is actually 15 minutes ahead of Delhi, which means that it is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of London ! How does that work then ? I always thought that time zones were multiples of an hour ahead or behind ? It got me to thinking about timezones generally. Ignoring political boundaries for a minute, scientifically, if we consider the Earth as a sphere with a circumference of roughly 24,000 miles at the equator (24,901.55 actually), then dividing this by 24 (hours in a day) means that every 1000 miles represents an hour forward or backward ( depending which way round you go ). Now then, again ignoring policial boundaries, if every time zone was divided up equally (rather like the segments of an orange), then as you move up or ... read more

For more exciting and innovative ideas to do with your Idlis, please see attached. (Just present this coupon at your local Idli store and for every Idli you buy, we'll give you one absolutely free. You can't say diddly to that!).... read more