Good afternoon once more from the Cambodian capital, from where I have not yet strayed since my arrival a week ago. I have, however, finally managed to sort out somewhere to offer my limited services as a volunteer, a hundred or so kilometres south of here, and will be leaving tomorrow or Wednesday to go and work for around a week as an English teacher/babysitter/whatever is needed of me, staying with, I believe, a local family in a small town in the countryside. It should be a profitable experience, hopefully for all parties involved! Phnom Penh is a good city to relax in - the weather is hot and sunny, with occasional periods of scorching to be endured around mid afternoon, and regular downpours of large, tepid, pollluted droplets which are collected for drinking, bathing and water fights. An incredibly friendly people, as I've found everywhere in Cambodia and Laos so far, and nearly all of them keen to practice their English. As for sightseeing, the Grand Palace is yet another magnificent display of immense wealth in one of the poorest countries in the world, and the S21 museum is, as I think I added to my last entry, a moving visit. I've had absolutely no desire to bolster my experience with visits to the Killing Fields or the shooting ranges though. The Killing Fields are perhaps, although I speak with no first-hand experience of them, the singlemost distasteful tourist attraction I have ever had the opportunity to decline to visit. Only a few of the scores of pits have been cleared of the human bones, and the remainder are left fully accessible to the public, so as you walk through the fields you step on and trip over the leg bones, broken skeletons and skulls of thousands of people mass-murdered there such a short time ago. Apparently there is also a tall glass tower filled with skulls, a memorial to those who died which causes such distress among the relatives that they have petitioned to have it altered - in a country where the beliefs of the national religion state that a corpse must not be sealed in a container, so as to allow the spirit free access to and from its former vessel, the people in charge decide to intern thousands of murdered victims in an airtight glass coffin. Oh, and did I mention that the 'attraction' is now owned by a Japanese company. Tasteful. I'm not sure whether or not I can bring myself to believe what somebody told me the other day, but apparently one of the city's shooting ranges, owned by the army and set up as another money earner, attracting Western tourists, is next to the Killing Fields. What kind of sick-minded individual would want to walk through such a place, and then decide to go and shoot a gun? Admittedly, a relatively small minority of the victims were actually shot, as that consumed too many valuable bullets - most of them were bludgeoned to death. Ah dear...my apologies again for yet another of my long-winded outbursts...I'm sure it doesn't make for the happiest of reading but I guess I'm just trying to convey something of the sheer atrocities that you witness the aftermath of just walking around the cities and towns here. Having said that, the people are smiling and trying to make a new start, and the general vibe is one of optimism. On Saturday I went to visit an orphanage - the JCA - where the kids put on a short show of dancing and music, before we (the visitors) sat down at tables with them for a meal of rice and noodles and then spent a couple of hours talking and playing - it was a pleasant surprise to see how well looked after the kids appeared to be, and how outgoing and happy the majority of them were. It was difficult to leave when the time came...but hopefully I'll make it back there before I leave Cambodia. Well after that uplifting entry, it's time to call BA again - changing my flights is proving to be a slightly more difficult process than I had at first envisioned, but I'm feeling hopeful today... Oh and a ps of sorts - Boon's mate Stew who has lived out here in Phnom Penh for a couple of years now was kind enough to invite me over to his pad for a couple of evenings of entertainment before he headed back to the UK for a fortnight - an awesome apartment it is, and many thanks for the hospitality! Hope you are all well, many many many many congratulations to Deborah and Gary who got married in Barbados a couple of days ago - I'm so sorry I couldn't be there but I wish you both, and Graham, all the best and I can't wait to see you all when I get back! Jenan and I are gonna be beating down your Bristolian door before you know it!