Second Leg

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First time I've been able to get on a computer since the last time! Hope I can remember everything that's happened in the past couple of days...

We left Phnom Penh early on 10th Dec and took a public bus to the coast - Siakounville to be exact! Watched a very funny Jackie Chan movie in Chinese on the way! We arrived early afternoon for some sunbathing on the beach and very persistent kids trying to sell us manicures, pedicures and bracelets. I tend to say no then ignore as it's the only way to get rid of them! In the evening we had a BBQ on the beach and played with the bar's puppy, Donnie! The cutest thing!

The next day I had a lie in then went to the beach with Michaela and Gez while the others went for a boat ride! We left the beach at around 5PM a delicate shade of lobster! The puppy also had a nibble of my arm. Being assured by the owner that I wouldn't have rabies, I returned to the room to get ready for another BBQ on the beach! We celebrated Sima's birthday in a bar (when I say bar, I mean shack) further down the beach called Dolphin! Got quite tipsy on shots that seemed to be permanently circulating! We then had cake and more drinks and dancing! I then retired to bed frothing at the mouth.

The 11th (Sima's birthday) we awoke early for another bus ride to Vietnam! We had 2 private vans and the road was so bumpy I was shaken off my seat three times! The border wasn't as exciting as the Thai/ Cambodian but it was hot!! On the other side we got a bus to Chau Doc where we stayed for the night.
Vietnam feels completely different to Cambodian. Firstly, it's not so sad. Secondly, the people seem to be better of and you don't see as many beggars. There are also old people! You didn't see elderly people in Cambodia as Pol-Pot killed most people off.

On the 12th we left for a 7 hour bus ride to Ho Chi Minh City (previously Saigon), the capital of Vietnam! We also had 2 new couples join us; Bonnie and Edward (Londoners), Ditta and Sebastian (Finnish) and some people leave us (weep). Me and Gita went to the hairdressers opposite the hotel and got our hair strightened!! It was a dollar each and well worth it! Although I tipped the guy 2000 dong and he went off to the back sniggering followed by howls of laughter by the other hairdressers. I begin to think this wasn't enough. Gita decides against tipping. We all go out for dinner and then drinks in some really random bar near our hotel (when I say bar, I mean pavement with small drink stall).

The 13th we get up early to learn about the Vietnam war and see how the Vietnamese lived - in underground bunkers!! Very claustrophobic in the tunnels as they get smaller and smaller! Eek, not very good on the tubes in London let alone a space sligtly bigger than me out here! I also shot a rifle gun which was exciting! Our tour guide was really good. He fought in the war for the South side (American/ democractic) and was well over 60! It was good to hear about the war from his perspective as the museum was geared towards the North side and the Vietkong being the right side to have been on. He disagrees and preferd to eat burgers and drink coke than tapioca! He was also paid a salary by the Americans so he could support his family whereas the Vietkong just fought for themselves. He also saw the Vietkong as cowards as they would set bobbie traps for the Americans to fall in (pits with bamboo spikes and poison on the end covered in leaves) rather than fight them face to face. All being said, the Vietkong were bl**dly clever devising all these methods to fight as they had no weapons to rival the Americans!
In the afternoon, me and Maud went to the market. Yes, another market!

We are heading to the train station in a few hours to get an overnight train to the Vietnam coast for some more sunbathing, pedicures and BBQ's!

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