Dear Everyone, This email update has been a long time coming, i know, and apologies for not making you sit through one of my many essays for a couple of weeks now! ha. This however is a full update of my last days in Vietnam and my time in Cambodia, along with the exciting news i have about my upcoming weeks and me going 'back to school'................... When i left you last i was in my final stop of Vietnam, Saigon, and had visited the War Remnants Museum, our final day in Vietnam was a brilliant one, and involved us spending the day on the infamous Mekong Delta. This river runs through the whole of South East Asia, including Laos, and i had been on the top end of the Mekong during my visit to Laos, so was nice to return to it for my final day in Vietnam. The day trip was fantastic, we visited local fruit markets, and villages hidden in the undregrowth of the islands that are sparadically situated around the Mekong. The highlight of the day has to be when i got to hold a 7ft phython!!!! Wow....it was blimin heavy, and so smooth and soft, check the pictures out, think it is obvious from my face that this was my first one-on-one snake encounter! And then topped the day off by holding a bee hive........no stings though, they were too busy to even notice me! We ended our day trip, after visiting the villages and seeing their local way of life, by getting a chance to ride on the local mode of transport, a rickety, wooden canoe type boat, and our driver, was perhaps the most adorable old Vietnamese lady ever. She was a real smiler, and she was well into her 80s at least, and still every day she hand paddled foreigners around- fair play to her! Vietnam is a wonderful, wonderful country. By far my number one destination so far, as you have probably guessed by my enthusiasm in every email. I was sad to leave , but know for a fact i will return, and would advise everyone to visit this beautiful country as it has something to offer us all......beaches, shopping, history, boat trips, mountains, bustling cities...the lot. Entry to Cambodia however was a completely different story............ Cambodia......a small country, also suffering with its own problems politically, after mass killings at the end of the 1970s. Im not quite sure what i was expecting upon arrival in Phnom Penh (the capital), but what i did find was a very poverty stricken, very dirty city, with very little to offer a tourist on first impressions. However, our second day saw us venture out of the city and we visited the Killing Fields and S21 Prison, maybe not the best way to remove this negative image, but definitely helped me understand exactly what this country has been through in recent years. And my goodness, they have suffered. So after this, along with a visit to the National Museum, i felt happy that we had seen all that we could have wanted to from this city and we headed North to the famous Angkor Wat- our main reason fro visiting Cambodia! The Cambodian people are simply divine. Adorable, friendly, smiley, helpful, and genuinely one of the friendliest races i have met. Upon arrival in Angkor Wat we met up with Jeff again, and we all stayed in a lovely guest house, in the centre of Siem Reap. This small town, was a complete contrast, it was busy and full of tourists and westerners, which in normal circumstances i would not have enjoyed, however, it was a welcome relief from the culture shock of the rest of Cambodia we had seen so far. It was busy, it was lively, and had some lovely restaurants, plus it was only a fifteen minute ride away from the beautiful Angkor Wat! For those of you who are unaware, Angkor Wat is one of a huge collection of ancient temples, and one of the 7 Wonders of the World....... spread across many kilometres, all varying in size, age and meaning. Unfortunately, neither Anja and I were feeling on top form on our day trip out to the temples. The water in Cambodia is all recycled, and we had been feeling a little fragile for a few days, so come Saturday, we both arose at 4am to go to the temples bright and early for sunrise, both still feeling a little peaky. The sunrise was pretty impressive, if a little cloudy, but Angkor Wat itself is a fascinating, vast place. We had a thorough look around, and took plenty of photographs, which will help to explain exactly what consists here. We carried on around the temples for a few more stops, we had hired a tuk tuk and its driver for the day to do the whole experience...however, by 11am, we were both on deaths door, lacking energy, feeling nausea kicking in, until eventually i was sick, so we called it a day, and headed back to the guest house. Was a shame to cut the day short, but we certainly saw our fair share of temples even in that morning. We left Siem Reap, and Cambodia on Monday, and headed via overland 12 hour bus journey into the familiar sights and sounds of Bangkok. This place is beginning to feel like home now, as this is my fifth time here in not so many months! We are staying in a lovely little guest house, recommended to me by Elisa the girl i was travelling Laos with earlier on in my trip, and tonight Anja and i fly from Bangkok down to Phuket.......our reason for going to Phuket........as some of you may now be aware.......is that this Monday the 29th May, i start back at school!!! Four weeks ago i applied to an English Language school in Phuket, who run TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) courses for those with English as a first language. I will go through a training programme that will enable me to be able to teach English anywhere in the world. So.....with teaching always being a possible option for me on my return to the UK, i thought this would be a perfect opportunity to find out whether 'Miss Moriarty the Teacher' is a viable option, and also, as i have since discovered, this will bring we lots of work prospects upon entering Australia. I have already been in touch with English Language Colleges in Sydney and Melbourne and there is a great need for teachers with this qualification, and both schools seemed keen to have a look at my cv and possobly have work for me. So, although i thought this would be handy as an experience, and to help me make career plans once back home, it appears it may also benefit me financially for the rest of my trip, including my time in South America. So, that is my big bit of news, i start this Monday, and Anja is joining me, so we will be renting a place for a month down in Phuket, before i start my trip down through Malaysia and Singapore on the 29th June.....and then into Australia.....time is flying by......i am now into my fifth month away from home.......and am nearing the end of my South East Asia leg.........blimey! Anyway, hope you are all well, and i will let you know once im settled in Phuket, and once the shock of a 9-5 day sets in.......... Lots of love to you all Ellen x