One country down, many to go! We are now in Cambodia - we got the bus tfrom Ho Chi Minh to Phnom Penh. The bus jounrey was a short 6hours - we stopped at the Vietmanese border and were stamped out of the country and then walked across the border into Cambodia and were stamped in. The bus jounrey passed relatively quickly as we were sat with the only other white people on the bus - there were 6 of us in total. After chatting the whole bus journey, we decided to all head to the same hostel on the lakeside in PP. Lucy and Cliff (couple) shared a room and then Gill, Mel Katie and Dan were in another room - the room was so incredibly cheap - $6 a night for the room so $1.50 each! the hostel was ons stilts above the lake - we all went out for dinner and then found a abr looking out over the lake where we stayed for the evening. Cambodia seemed to have the most intense thunderstorms. Whilst sitting on the lakeside you could see the storm brewing in the distance - the lightening would light up the whole sky and gradually as it got closer the rain started and we were forced under cover.

Mon 20th - we had a nice long lie in this morning. Lucy and Cliff had decided to go and look round the palace and museum today but the rest of us just wanted to explore. We were going to hire bikes but ended up hiring motos which turned out not to be such a great idea - long story cut short Gill had a little accident BUT she is all fine and healed nicely. The rest of the day was spent in hostel relaxing.

Tues 21st - It was deccided today that we would head to the S21 museum and the killing fields so 8 of us hired two tuk-tuks for the day and first of all went to the museum. We went straight into the movie room and watched the end of the documentary. IThis made visiting the museum even more real as the museum was actually the old prison where all these horrific stories and toruring took place. It was quite grafficand spine chilling - there was a skull exhibition showing u the damage caused from the different methods of torture, there were boards and boards of faces of victims who were torutred in the prison. You were then able to walk around all the old cells - some of them still had shackles and toture equipment in them. When the Vietmanes over turned the Khumer Rouge and entered S21 prison, they found 7 survivors and the bosies of 14 people who didnt make it - these people are buried on site of museum as amemorial to those who suffered.

We decided to have a sit down and lunch before we made the 10km journey to the Killing Fields. So on arriving at the killing fields, we decided to hire a guide to get the most out of this historic site as possible. We first of all paid our respects to all those who had died - over 8, 600 skulls were stored inside a pagoda, odered by sex and age - it was a harrowing sight. Underneath all of the skulls was a massive pile of victims clothing. The skulls had all been dug up from many of the mass graves in order to put the bodies to rest.

The next stop was a t a massive tree - here loud speakers were hung to drown out the noise of those suffereing. The tree was surrounded by graves that had been emptied, however, clothes, teeth, jawbones, leg bones were lying everywehre - you really had to watch where you step. Our tour guide gave us the low down on who the Khumer Rouge were etc, and he told us about his own personal experience - he was 17at the time and lived in Phnom Penh - he was evacutated to the countryside with his family, however, his mum, dad, one brother and one sister were taken away and believed to have been killed at this mass killing site. - It ws heart wrenching hearing his story - he seemed very angry and said we westerners would never understand. There were graves used specifically for mother and children, trees used to batter people against.

Gill and I headed back to hostel after the klilling fields and tried to watch a dvd but it was too noisy so we just sat chatting to two guys from London - they had good australia chat! Gill, Cliff, Lucy and I headed to a lakeside bar for tea and then met up witht he other four for drinks after. - One bar (run by two scottish chaps) had a nintendo WII so we were playing bowling on that which was a good laugh.

Wed 22nd - Today Dan, Katie and I decided to go to an orphanage - however after doing some investigating it was best to leave in morning so instead Katie and I went for a wander and ended up at Central Market - totally different from vietmanese markets as a lot more spacious and you dont get hassled nearly as much. We returned to keepGill company and had a chilled out evening in a bar called Lost and Found which was a bit like the Brass Monkey in Edinburgh as it was just all massive cushions with little tables.

Thurs 23rd - Katie and I got up early and headed to the orphanage - there was one right in town that gets loads of visitors or one 15km away that doesnt get as many so we headed there. On the way there we picked up loads of apples and oranges and some toys for the kids. As we drove through the gates - the kids came running over, jumping on the tuk tuk and wanting to touch us and hold our hands. There were 89 kids at this orphanage, 60 boy and 29girls, all aged between 3 and 20. The children were all found on the street of\r seeking refuge at a pagoda. It was a great relief to see that the children were all so happy. After the fruit has been distributed, many shildren came up to us bowing their heads and saying thanksyou - they were so grateful for the fruit. Most people bring rice as thats the staple diet but we thought it would be nice to bring something a bit different. We played games with different kidsa for about 3 hours from hand clapping games, to football, to hop scotch, to dancing, cards, duck duck goose. Anything and everything - they just loved the attention. The kids that were there in the morning attend school in the afternoon when the other half return. Katie and I both bought a bracelet that had the name of the orphanage on it.

We returned to the lakeside to pick Gill up from Hostel, were having lunch before heading for a wander along the riverside, when our two american friends who we met at Halong Bay walked past - we had seen they were coming to Cambodia on facebook the previous day so after a few emails we agreed to make up. They were going to stay in the Riverside area so we all got a tuk tuk and then alked along the riverside. We passed this small stall selling every type of bug imagineavble from cockroaches, worms, snakes and trantulas - the previous day Dan had eaten one of the trantulas - cant say he was a fan! We split up, headed back to shower then met up for tea and drinks later - was so lovely seeing Heather and Lauren again.

Friday 24th - today we were leaving Phnom Penh for a beach resort called Sihanoukville - Dan, Karen and Rich had headed there yesterday and Lucy andCliff went straight upto Siem Reap - so it was Katie, Gill and I. Once again just a short journey.

love to all xxxxxx