Ok so I'm actually in Cambodia. But I've only been here a few hours so I thought I'd not have much to tell, and heading an entry "Cambodia" and then talking about Laos would make no sense. Shut up and get on with it, Dave? Ok. But only because you asked so nicely.

So from hazardous Pakxe/Pakse/Paxse/Pickupapenguin I headed south to Champasak, famous for its old-school (that's gangster talk for those not-so-hip ones among you) Khmer temple (or ruins thereof). It's been Buddhist for about the last 7 centuries but was originally a Hindu place of worship - the Siamese came in and gave the place "a thorough sacking" (according to the Rough Guide, Aug 2005 Third Edition) in 1432. Steady on chaps. So, out with statues of Vishnu and Shiva, and in with smiling Buddhas (still standing today, facing the carvings of Krishna - it's groovy how these religions can mix so freely). Anyway. So Wat Phou (the name of the temple mentioned in passing (:s) above was pretty cool, and the views from my guesthouse's restaurant veranda over the Mekong were stunningly tranquil. Most relaxing. Plus I was on antibiotics so couldn't have a beer and had no choice but to be still. A good thing.

From Champasak to Si Phan Don - the 4000 islands in the middle of the Mekong - twas fantastic there - incredibly relaxed and a jolly crowd of people - went to see the largest waterfall in Asia (I think...check the photo of the sign) which was kind of just a big rapid...and no comparison to Argentina's offering (not that one should compare to others - it's not the little one's fault)...but was still a fun divertissement, if you'll pardon my Dutch.

Back to Pakxe on Tuesday morning where I watched my step and that of all those around me with the eyes of a semi-blind hawk, vigilant to the last to ensure the sewers would take no more victims, not on my watch, damn you, and where I met a couple from England of impeccable manners. Lex and Jamie, I salute you.

Then for the flight this morning...made it to the airport on time and then watched our wonderfully cute plane land on the single runway at Pakxe airport. Now I don't know about you, but cute is not what I want when I'm going to fly somewhere - I want a big mama of an aircraft that looks like it could single handedly do something great. Sorry but I'm running short on ideas of great things. I do not want a plane smaller than my Mum's Yaris. Still, beggars can't be choosers and all that, so board it I did. Air Lao is an awesome airline. It was wonderful to be on an international flight where the door to the pilot's cockpit is left permanently unlocked, and ajar for most of the flight (was getting a bit hot for the pilot I guess - needed a bit of a through draft), where the routine safety display is done away with entirely (at first I thought it might be because they realised nobody listened anyway, but then I later looked at the little safety card in the pocket in front of me. Ooooooh dear) and where it only takes 1 minute to serve me and the other 12 passengers (it was full to capacity) our hamburger and coffee breakfast. The safety card. Yeeeha. It was fantastic. There was no oxygen available, so they could leave off the page dealing with that. They didn't have safety slides so that saved a little more space - I think the emergency exit procedure was an Izzard special of "if you see the pilot exit the aircraft at cruising altitude, you'd be very wise to follow suit". But the best bit was the life jacket. There were no life jackets of course - if you were forced to abandon ship over water, you were required to rip the cushion off the seat you had been contentedly perched upon until moments before, and leap with it hugged to your chest into the murky depths, hoping that it might actually float. There were actually pictures of this - even the faceless images on the card looked scared. Excellent. So yep, now in a guesthouse in Siem Reap, going to watch a sunset from the temples this evening and then will properly visit them tomorrow, and I'll send y'all an update sometime soon when something crazy happens in Cambodge.

Be nice to one another, have respect for your elders and, (I think it's about time), equal respect for your youngers. Sweet.

Lots of love, good luck with your dissertations people doing such things, ciao for now.