Hey everyone!! We have now been in Cambodia for 3 days since a really bad start. Since last time we wrote, that night we booked our bus journey to Cambodia from Bangkok for 600 bhat each, just less than a tenner, and thought that was a really good deal given its a ten hour journey. We had been pre warned about the notorious 'bus scam', from Liam and kinza and liz, but thought that this was when you took public buses, not organised ones. So after booking the tour we went to China town, had a really nice meal then went for some drinks on Khoa san Road. Ash had one shandy too many and i said to him for a joke, 'go and get a tatoo', he thought it was a really good idea (sorry Linda), so we went up to the tatoo shop to see how much it was to get a star on the back of his arm, luckily they wanted too much so he didnt have it done, the next day he said thank god my mum would of killed me!! ha, On the way home we really needed a pee so we stopped off at this hotel and said to the woman that we might stop there tomorrow (obviously a lie!) and can we see the rooms, she gave us a key so we headed to the room to wee. Mid wee, ash started going 'shes coming shes coming', i thought he was joking but then i heard this little thai voice saying 'u like room.?', i couldnt pull my pants up quick enough and popped my head around the bathroom door saying 'ohhh very roomy in here', i couldnt even flush it!! ewww!!! we then made it our mission to get into another hotel and do the same so ash could pee, and we accomplished!! We went to bed about half 2 knowing we needed to be up for 6 but thought we can sleep on the way. We got up and met the bus driver and the other people gettin to bus, it didnt set off till half 8 and the bus was nothing like they had showed us in the travel agents, but it wasnt totally unusable so we got on none the less. Within 5 mins we had made friends with a really nice couple from England. Mike is 26 and a dentist from Darwen near me, he doesnt look anythin like a dentist though, more like an austraillian surfer. Mel is 25 and wants to be a teacher so whilst she is waiting to do the course in England she is teaching thai kids in Bangkok. They have both done loads of travelling so we got loads of tips from them. Mike has just spent the last yr going around the world after working as a dentist for 2 yrs after uni, hes visited so many places and had loads of stories for us. we chatted the whole 5 hours to the Cambodian borderand got on really well. Once at the border a woman tried to tell us she would sort our visas out for a 'special price' of 1300 bhat, i knew this was a part of a scam as the visa is only meant to be 20 dollas, (10pounds) and not 20 pounds like she wanted. Us 4 told them we wanted to sort our own out when we got there and they were trying to tell us no but we insisted, we are learning well how to avoid being done over. We soon realised we were part of the bus scam. This is basically concerning the bus companies, who try to rob u silly. The cambodian airlines bribe the government not to fix the main road going into Cambodia, and because the road is so bad people dont want to bus it, they fly there instead. They know you have no other way of getting there so they do things like pretend the bus has broken down, and take u a long way so when you get there you are really tired and make you stay at a hotel of their choice. When this happened to kinz and liz they got a really minging hotel with cockroaches so we were dreadin that happening. Crossing the border was so sureal. It was like nothing ive seen before, everyone stared at you and wore funny masks, the weather was boiling so carrying your backpack made u really sweaty and paranoid that they were going to rob you. It is totally 3rd world, the kids were coming up to us begging for money, its really heartbreaking seeing how they live. Once over the border we sorted our visas out, and although we still paid too much for them (corrupt officials also) we saved on what the woman wanted us to pay! then our 'tour guide' tried tomake us change our money to their currency at this place, i knew straight away it was part of the scam. He told us that there are no cash points in the whole of cambodia, yeah right i thought! he was trying really hard to make everyone change loads, most ppl fell for it but we wasnt (for once). The journey to Siam Riep then was one i will never forget. It was the bumpiest road i have ever seen, the bus nearly tipped over at least 30 times, our hearts were racing the whole way. Once it got dark it was like we were in a horror movie!! We stopped at this place in the middle of nowhere, and all these little kids came and swamped the bus asking for money. I felt awful not giving but they need to know that that isnt the way the world works. We had some food there and used the toilets which had lizards and cockroaches, not really for the lighthearted!! we eventually got to siam reap at about midnight, the hotel they bought us to, suprisingly is really good, the best we have stayed at yet!!! the rooms are massive and we have sky tv, free internet, and loads of other stuff, for 2.50 a night each!! we get free rides bu motobike tuk tuk when we want too!! Me Ash Mel and Mike went for a drink and decided that we would stay here for a few days. The next day we just spent time looking in town and had some lunch. We spent the afternoon at the hotel then went to dinner in the evening.us 4 found this amazing restaurant where we sat on the floor with a treetrunk for a table, it was so cool and even had crocodiles which i fed fish to and got a pic!! the food was really good too! we left and had some drinks at a hapy hour bar then went home about midnight. We sat on the balcony and had a laugh for a while then went to bed as we had planned to get up early to go to Angkhor Wak, one of the 7 wonders of the world. That is where we have spent today, it was where Angelina Joley filmed tombraider and then adopted Maddox (i am so sad knowing that) im not suprised she did, the kids here are so cute, u want to take them all home (dont worry parents we're not bringing a family home). I asked Ash if i can have a cambodian baby, he said no. THe temples were pretty impressive, they were huge ruins and on one we climbed to the top, it was pretty scary, wish id had my walking boots on! (dont worry Linda we have planned to wear them very soon!!) It was roasting hot too, but then had a thunder storm, the weather is so random here. Everywhere we went today the little kids came to sell us stuff. I didnt mind buying as the are giving you something for your money, not begging. two little 5 yr old girls sold us some braclets they had made. They said to us 'if we tell you the capital of England will u buy?'.they did and knew sooo many other capitals, it was scary how good their english was and how clever they was, i guess when they are trying to make money for food aged 5 they have no other choice. I gave 3 other little girls 10pence each, to them that is a good meal so they were all chuffed., i feel like Angelina Jolie here., just not as good looking obviously and not a film star either. We got back to the hotel and are just decided what to do next. I think we are going to a floating village tomorrow, then either heading to Laos, or Chaing Mai? Ill update soon if anymore dramas happen! Hope everyone is well!! Lots of Love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx