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Published: November 29th 2010
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Hello!
Sorry we have not updated the blog for so long. We have been plagued with slow internet cafes, expensive internet cafes or both! But we are now in the islands of Thailand and the access seems to be better apart from not being able to upload photos! Promise we will upload some soon.
I think the last time we updated we were in Laos heading for 4000 islands. Sadly this was a really long journey and turned out not to be the paradise we expected. Instead it was more like a load of islands on the river Severn! Very muddy with unfriendly people and no beach. Surprisingly we did not stay here long but long enough to cycle around the island - no I didn't crash into the river for those who know my cycling ability, sleep in a shed with just a bed for a pound a night and eat some questionable garlic bread (baguette filled with cloves of garlic - no vampires were going to visit us after that!)
After that it was off to Cambodia and another long journey to Phnom Penh. The border crossing was surprisingly easy apart from numerous dollars being asked
for here and there including a dollar just to have our temperature taken! In total the journey took about 13 hours and we arrived in Phnom Penh the nation's capital very tired and weary looking for somewhere to stay at around 9 in the evening. We ended up in a room over some kitchens so our room smelt of fish most of the time - yummy! Phnom Penh was an interesting experience - the city of cars is how I will remember it. The pavements were used as parking spaces and nobody seemed to walk anywhere. You could see why when it came to crossing the road, we gave up in the end and just got in a Tuk Tuk. There do not seem to be sides of the road here and people will just drive in any direction wherever there was a space. Lets just say you have to have eyes and ears everywhere! We didn't spend much time there as it was just so busy and chaotic. We did however go to S21, which was where prisoners of the Khmer Rouge were taken and tortured and to the Killing Fields. The Killing Field that we went to was
the biggest in Cambodia, there is thought to be 140 mass graves there containing over 4000 people. The Killing Field we went to is just one out of about 20,000 covering the whole of Cambodia. This was a somber and harrowing experience but something that we are both glad we did. When you see what they all went through just 30 years years ago it makes you admire the human spirit and how much it can cope with and still carry on. One of the most shocking parts were how many people were just taking photos of the human remains that are all over the Killing fields along with pieces of their clothing still coming up out of the ground. It seemed to us disrespectful and that they did not fully understand what had happened in that place.
After we spent the day there we randomly bumped into some people that we had been trekking with in Chiang Mai, it was really nice to hear about where they had been since we had last seen each other. We then ended up reminiscing about trekking and the slow boat and having a few beers. We then all went our separate
ways - them to Singapore and us to Siem Reap.
So once again it was back on the bus for 8 hours to go and see the ruins of Angkor Wat. It was a pretty good journey and we stayed in a really nice guesthouse. In fact it was so nice that we ended up staying in Siem Reap for over a week. One of the days we got up for 5 to go and see Angkor Wat and the other temples of the Angkor Kingdom. They really were very impressive and so big! We even went to see the temple that was used in the Tomb Raider films. You really could imagine her running through there in her tight shorts with boulders rolling after her. All of the temples were stunning but after a 4.30 wake up call we were ready to head back for a relaxing afternoon at lunchtime. We did treat ourselves one day by paying to spend a day in a 5 star hotel - thank you Steve! Where we spent a day in the swimming pool and drinking cocktails - it was great! We didn't leave till it got dark! Siem Reap had loads
of great market stalls, a beautiful river and even a restaurant that was in the middle of a butterfly enclosure - yes mum we went for you and took photos! One of the days we were approached by a guy who was raising money for a school for orphans and children from the local slums. So we bought a t-shirt each and offered to go and volunteer. That was where we spent the next 2 days. It was brilliant and very rewarding. The school was literally just bamboo huts with a whiteboard in each room. The children were from 7 to 17 with varying levels of English it was very eye opening to see how little they had especially as it only costs 3p a day to send children to school in Cambodia but these children and their families couldn't even afford that. The school was very well run and I think both of us would like to go back and see what more we could do to help. In some ways I think it was lucky that we had Spidey coming out on the 20th Nov otherwise we would probably still be there!
Sadly our time in Siem
Reap came to an end and we headed back to Bangkok to meet up with Spidey. A journey that should have only taken 6 hours ended up taking 11 hours with the worst border crossing of them all (even though it should have been the easiest!) We spent at least 3 hours just standing in a queue with all our rucksacks in the hot sun. Very inefficient and would not recommend it! Eventually we arrived in Bangkok and it was quite nice to see some familiar sites. Since we were sick the last time we were in Bangkok we made the most of it this time by going to China Town, going on the Sky train, trying to visit the palace and actually eating off the street. Oh and we may also have squeezed in a visit to the cinema to watch Harry Potter hehe!
Once Spidey arrived we got on a train (needed a change of transport!) and headed to the islands, which is where we currently are. Lapping up the sunshine/rain in Koh Tao! So far we have laid on the beach and just chilled out, had plenty of cocktails and read lots. We also arranged to
go on a snorkeling trip around the island with the hope of seeing sharks and turtles but sadly the sea was so rough the tour had to be cut short. It also meant that 75% of the people on the boat were throwing up over the side (the 75% did not include us but did include Spidey much to Fishy's amusement). Although we did get a little concerned when all the life jackets fell down on top of us from overhead lockers. Safe to say no sharks or turtles just puke! Although we did get to go over to Parrot Island which had one of the most beautiful beaches we had ever seen and we did see some very pretty fish when we did snorkel.
Today we are being controlled by the weather - currently being hit by big thunderstorms - the roads have turned into mini rivers. So we don't think there is much else we can do other than find a bar and drink some beer. Promise to upload the photos soon, take care love James and Sam xxxx
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Jack
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Sounds great
Sounds great. I expect you really enjoyed the 5 start treat! Sort the pictures out!