Cambodia

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hello everyone long time no speak - my fault just been a tad lazy informing you with whats been going on! Right as it is now december the 15th we have covered much ground; so i will take you back to where i last left you...heading into Cambodia (this is now testing my memory). We left Saigon to travel to Phnom Penh, an ok 8 hour journey, just the crossing ofthe cambodian/vietnam border was slow and tiresom - but $35 later and we had our visa. We arrived in phnom penh late eve and quickly booked our bu for next morning to siem riep. As part of this booking office took us to a hotel for the night - while cheap was in middle of a god awful part of town - the walk into main street was like passing through a skip yard (smell was just revoulting). We sat down for diner soon realising that the resturant we had chosen was also a brothel (oops!); well they took a shine to ben and suffice to say we moved on pretty quick. The next morning we were supposed to get picked up and takn to bus station but oh wait o they didnt turn up. After some frantic phone calls we got told we werent picked up because blokes car was full - yes you heard me right, his car was full so obviously making two 5 minute trips is impossible to these ppl. Anyway after much swearing we got tickets for a local bus and some money back. By time we arrived in siem riep we were on time and tere was a man waiting to collect us wth a sign reading "Mr Paul Ivans" - brilliant. From here we checked into our pre booked hotel - was really good actually (cant remember the name) and we prepared ourself for the 6am start the following day. 6am and off we went to Angkor bright eyed and bushy tailed i assure you! On arrival you pull up to angkor wat and it is fairly impressive, i cant describe the magnitude of the place, it just strethes for miles. The whole angkor site is just massive. We spent the whole day being driven from temple to temple by our hired tuk tuk driver and we finished just as the heavens opened. The temples were not as ore inpisiring as i might have thought but were impressive none the less and definately worth the visit. That night we went off into the centre of siem riep with an american guy we had met and met his mates and had few drinks - siem riep is a ood place for bars ashas a closed off road for eating and drinking - its actually bit like a mini soho. Th next day we chilled before moving off onto bangkok. We decided to bus this aswell and what can i say this was fun!! A mini bus that was falling apart turned up and we assumed this was just taking us to the proper bus - oh no no no, this was the bus to take us 6 hours to the thai border. And then the raod, well i say road! The road between siem riep and thai border was relaid 3 years ago so is effectievly a new road - new except its not tarmac, its not even and its got no bridges. Yes 6 hours in a falling apart bus, crammed in like sardines on the worlds most spine shattering road - have to say really enjoyed it (honestly). Thn the thai border crossing was slow and painful but once over normal quality bus took us to bangkok - we had made Full Circle. We stayed in same hotel as our first visit to bangkok however this time i loved bangkok. It just felt completly different and so much more comfortable. We spent two nights here before our flight down to Phuket - on one of the worlds worst airlines but that is for the next blog!

until we speak again i wish you fairwell

Paul xx

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