Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville

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After very little sleep we arose at 6.30 and got ourselves downstairs to get onto a bus headed for sihanoukville. Feeling that this was too early Ollie was not happy. After a quick breakfast we hopped onto a local bus for the four hour journey.

Arriving in Sihanoukville we found it very strange that almost all the touts were English. We hopped onto the back of two moto taxis and headed for the hotel with free beer when you checked in. Monkey Republic turned out to be a good choice with its bar, amazing food and decent rooms. In the afternoon we headed out for a wander along the beach and then sat in one of the beach bars to read, relax and nap. We then headed back to home to watch a film in the TV room before showering and heading out. We made the most of happy hour in our hotel and amazingly two girls who Mark knew from home wandered in and we ended up having a great night out with them.

meanwhile in Cu Chi.....

I was delighted, I managed to have a quiet bus journey. Joe (the croyden lad) was either to hungover from the beers we drank the night before, or got on a different bus. Either way, my body appreciated silence. We had arrived early to the tunnels, because apparently they can get very very busy. It was a good plan, still busy though.

The tunnels were so interesting, and the amount of negative commentary toward the americans was very funny. Made funnier by the fact we had 4 very outspoken americans in our little group; although they were only like twenty, they seemed to think they knew alot more about what happened in Cu Chi than the residents. I befriended a aussy/english girl named Zoe and we found this amusing. Well, at least I did anyway.

Halfway through the tour came the moment i had been waiting for.... the shooting range. Anyone was allowed to fire pretty much any gun ever made. The had pistols, rifles, machine guns the lot. There was a little man in a booth selling bullets like candy; he plonked five AK-47 rounds in my hand (my weapon of choice and Zoe's for that matter) and we went off to the firing range, very surreal. Now as you were walking round the tunnels, you can hear the guns going off. But the sound when you are down there, it is deafening and you are only allowed the ear protects when your firing (something about budget constraints?). I fired four, got the gun jammed twice and finally fired the fifth. Great fun!

The bus arrived back in Saigon around 2pm, and like clockwork it was the 2 oclock shower in saigon. So Zoe and I darted into a cafe for well deserved food and beer. We met up again later that evening as well, with her very wierd french roommate, and ate at our favourite restaurant on my recommendation. The night ended early for the roommate, but we went to 'le pub' for a 'few drinks'. Actually we were there until we were booted out, but it was a good evening!

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Photos

Moto Taxi
A very careful ride to the hotel