Bribes.

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The border crossing out of Vietnam takes ages. We sit around looking at a perspex screen for about an hour. The only guard on duty then leaves by a side door, and speeds away on his motorbike. Our driver reasssures us that he's just 'gone to get more computer memory', like that explains things. He returns 5 minutes later with a sheet of A4 paper under his arm. Something lost in translation I think.

Finally some progress and passports are handed back. I've overstayed my visa by a day and get a ticking off from the guard. Not only is he half my age and armed, but the whole queue of people is watching. Sort of mumble an apology and feel like a bit of an idiot.

File back onto the bus for the 30-yard drive over to the Cambodian side, where we get off again for another hour of bureaucracy. This includes a $1 'administration fee' to a little man sitting in a bamboo hut who stamps a leaflet about Bird Flu and hands it to us. Technically this is a bribe, and apparently if you refuse to pay, they eventually give in. We make a half-arsed attempt but give up when the people in the queue behind us start tutting.

It's another couple of hours onward to the seaside resort of Sihanoukville, which is on Cambodia's southern coast.

I've never been to Ayia Napa but I imagine it is a little bit like this. Young western kids with trendy sunglasses, city shorts and tans. The beach is lined with bars, music booming out, all offering free shots with your first drink. I think I'm getting old.

It's all a bit of a change from being the only white boy in town a few days ago. Paula goes for a run along the beach early next morning and has to dodge drunk revellers spilling out of the bars and p*ssing into the sea.

Stick around for a day or two, in a bungalow perched 30m up the side of a cliff overlooking the beach. Don't really do much except hire a scooter and go for a look around town. Stumble across possibly the best nightclub venue in the world. It's in the shape of an aircraft hangar, facing out onto the beach. It's got an executive jet parked in the middle, and you can take your drink and sit in the cockpit. Brilliant.

Next day we're off to the capital Phnom Penh...

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Comments

[Fouldsy]

Dr Fish
Is the Dr Fish a euphamism of some kind?