Ok, just one more day here

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Hi all,

Am definately going to Phenom Penh tomorrow, have bought my boat ticket. Anyway the clock's ticking as I fly to Sydney on the 6th. It's so easy to just fall into their rythym, take it easy and watch the world go by.

I met Doug and John, (Canadians again!) at Angkor Wat the other day, and tripped over them in the local internet cafe yesterday, so we went for a late lunch and later to watch a display of local cambodian dancing. I really enjoyed it, mostly because John was there to explain just what was going on! It's a very precise dance, slow graceful movements, deliberate footfalls. The costumes are fantastic and I'm assured very authentic. The restaurant where we went to watch it, however, was a buffet style eating hall, it was soon packed with japanese tourists, all happily stuffing their faces and snapping away with their cameras. By the end of the performance the guests were invited up on stage to have their photos taken with the dancers. Within about 30 seconds the place was empty again - eerie!

To round the day off we went for a massage, me just settling for a foot massage, john a full body and Doug for a "four hand" massage - he came out with a very serene look on his face! It really is big business over here, there are probably more straight massage places than bars around here, but from the amount of building work going on, it won't stay that way for long. The Cambodian people do really seem to have an innocence about them, you get sharks and hawkers in every country and yes, here is no different, but from the generosity and "spirit" I have seen, the street hawkers are really a minor inconvenience.

There are local charities set up to help street beggars, they even advise you not to give them money, it just makes them more dependant on begging as a way of suppporting themselves, it sounds harsh but I understand the logic. Give them a trade and a bone fide way of earning money, it takes them off the streets. But that's my view of the situation, so please allow for personal opinion.

Hope you are all well and happy, take care

anna
xx

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