Ok so we started to pack to leave Sihanoukille for Kampot when I realized I had left my ski coat on the bus 3 days before, luckily its hot too need it; whilst searching our bungalow we realized we had also both lost our drivers license; we suck at this! Anyway we packed and got up early the next morning for a 2 hours drive on a relatively smooth tarmacced road to Kampot, it was a culture shock. It was a quiet ruralish town; the kids would run out of their houses just to say hello and wave. One boy even road the wrong way on his bike with us just to speak English; he then had to go home for his lunch! The town was easily enough navigatable by using the 3 main roundabouts; the best one was the friendship roundabout with guns!!! Kampot also had an Olympic stadium. The king of Cambodia was in town whilst we were but unfortunately we didn't get too see him. After 2 days of wondering the street we headed for another small town called Kep.

We knew Kep would be small as they only got mains electricity in 2007! But we didn't realize how small it would be until they had no ATM; thank goodness for manual credit card transactions. We stayed in a lovely bamboo bungalow on the hills overlooking the sea; called La bout de monde. On the 1st night a mouse ate through our food bag and nibbled the Ritz crackers and freshly baked bread! We ate the bread anyway…. The 2nd night we decided we needed a bottle of wine to help us sleep; we also had another visitor who Rob has named Boris, Boris is a 30cm Gecko.

Our next stop was Siem Reap, we had to go via Phnom Penn but after our 1st encounter we were only there for one hour, which was plenty. In the one hour we found a KFC. After the hotpot experience you would have thought I would have learnt my lesson but No I ate a burger half way through I find the tendon…. So I ate another portion of fries and we left! On the bus from Phnom Penn to Siem Reap suddenly starey man (he kept staring at me) started shouting at the driver, he was shouting in Khmer so we didn't know what he was saying; we looked up and the buses TV was smoking…. they slowed down a bit opened the bus door to let some smoke out and then carried on like nothing had happened; Crazy people! About 3 hours into the 5 hour journey we stopped at a café like place for toilet and water; about 6 girls selling pineapple and mango pounced on us, we said we didn't want any but they stayed to chat. I nearly sold Rob for 4 bags of mango but I decided better of it, then one girl puts a live tarantula on rob's top he stays relatively calm and asksher too remove it. 5 minutes later into our conversations of how old we are, are we married, are we rich etc etc another girl holds the tarantula up in my face I scream and swear! Back on the bus quickly for the final 3 hours, thankfully nothing dramatic happens…. We arrived in Siem Reap and our hotel provided out Tuk Tuk to their establishment; we got in the room and for $5 a night it was good; 2 single beds, TV and a clean bathroom. We popped next door for pizza and then went to bed after a 10 hour bus ride with many excitements we were very tired.

Siem Reap seemed a nice city and although we were still paying in US $ it was cheaper than Phnom Penn. We spent the 1st 2 days just wondering around. One evening we were at the night market and Rob suddenly spotted 2 girls who were on our vodka train tour…. CRAZY. We had a few drinks with them that night! On the 3rd day we went to see Ankor Wat at sun rise; this involved leaving our hotel at 5am….. It was a good day though and we go to see where Tomb Raider was filmed. I think southern Cambodia has been my favourite part of our whole trip and I think Rob would agree.

We left Siem Reap for Bangkok on a coach tour; the coach from Siem Reap was fine, we waited at the Cambodia side of the border for 3 hours in the sun L we got through the border and waited for our bus for an hour in the sun; bad times! We finally got on the bus to Bangkok and it was a hot hot hot and sweaty bus; 5 hours we sat there sweating. Finally arriving in Bangkok we saw a sign to New Joe's Guest House which is where our friends Lee and Aaron were staying so we trotted down the alley to it. The room was ok and it had air con which was great.

The next day we checked in the Hilton Millennium; it was lush. I had told a tiny fib that it was our anniversary and when we got in the room there were 2 towels folded into swans on the bed and rose petals in a heart…..! We also got a fresh fruit platter HEHE. That evening we met up with Lee and Aaron for diner and few drinks which was nice; the next day we had a slight hangover so spent the day by the infinity pool on the Hilton's roof! After 2 nights at the Hilton it was time to go back to reality; we found the Alpine Inn in the Indian district but it fitted our budget and was clean so we gave it a whirl. On the 3rd day in Bangkok which is a crazy city, so busy and hot, market stalls everywhere and so so many people we headed for a snake farm where we saw them extract venom to make anti venoms. We also went too a park where we saw Monitor Lizards (I think that's what they are called) which we're huge like one 1m long…. They swam and clawed their way up trees; they were living dinosaurs I swear….!!!

We left Bangkok for Hua Hin where Rob managed to get us staff rate again at the Hilton Resort; he managed this at the Thailand Sales and Marketing Teams End of Year Party… which we were guest of honors! No, well kinda, we had to judge a competition and in return we got too drink wine, eat BBQ food and rub shoulder with the Sales director for Thailand (who sorted us out with the room) :-) it's hard life. We took the train from Bangkok to Hua Hin which was a 3 hour journey. The Hilton was very nice; it's in my top 4 that we have stayed in! The Hua Hin resort was much easier to pilfer lunch from the breakfast buffet; so we have full sandwich bags when we left breakfast…. Good times. I think we good at being thrifty these days.

On the 2nd day in Hua Hin I got sun burnt legs and tummy; guess we are much closer to the equator now! so on the 3rd day we went to the market and packed for our next train to Chumphon. The train to Chumphon was delayed by an hour but we made it in the end at about 9.30pm. We found a hotel that had 3 price tiers; local price, foreigner price or by the hour price! I went too see the rooms and they were fine so e checked in and we even managed to get a room with 2 double beds SCORE I don't have to have a smelly boy in my bed (rob) ! The 2nd day we found a café with free wifi, so we downloaded some films to watch on trains, buses etc. and booked our catamaran to Koh Samui for 2m (23/12). We are meeting Fi and Mark for Xmas in Samui; Rob and I are both very excited about having Christmas on a beach…… and that Fi has Marmite for us since ours has nearly all gone, thanx again Linda.

Well Merry Xmas everyone; we now have a Thai number if u want too text or call 0066 806 479 506 (if u go on telediscount.com they give u a number to make cheap calls to Thailand)

Lots of love

C & R xx