If you have read the veitnam blog before this we are sorry it is a bit behind i wrote this before haylz wrote the veitnam one but when i went to save it some old git had plugged his laptop into my connection so it didnt save and i couldnt be arsed doing it again. But i am now so here goes for the second time.

We arrived in bangkok at 5 in the mo, which was abit scarey as we didnt have a clue where we were (no bus station just dropped off on a road) or where to go. Luckily we managed to cling on to a couple we had met who had been to bangkok before so we followed them and ended up in a nice hotel. We spent the next few days with these and on our second night they said they were taking us to a nice bar, but didnt say how nice. We arrived after taking a boat down the river at this massive hotel, the bar was on the roof of the tallest building in bangkok, we were abit underdressed but didnt really care we knew we were only able to buy one drink then leave. The bar was really nice with amazing views of bangkok but seen as everyone else was in suits and shoes we thought it was best to leave after just the one, which i was glad about seen as 2 drinks burnt a massive hole in my pocket. The rest of the night was spent more on our price range on cheap old koh san road. We left these the next day hoping we would meet up again as they were travel from north to south in veitnam and we were traveling south to north. They were laughing as we left them as they had already experienced the 'scam bus'. This was our bus the day after. With many reports on how bad this bus was we thought that we were quit prepared for it but nothing on earth could have perpared you for this. We had already sorted out ours visas in bangkok as we heard the border officals were crupt as hell and will say anything to get more cash off you. We left bangkok at 8 in the mo, the journey was fine until the border apart from waiting on the hard shoulder of the motorway for half an hour to pick 2 other people up. Then the mayhem started, we were fine coz already had our visas, but other were getting blagged to hell for cash they knew they didn't have to pay. After farting around for about an hour or so everyone was across the border and waiting for the scam bus. We knew it was the scam bus just because at the end of the journey you are taken to a guesthouse in the middle of nowhere and expected to stay there for the night. For others who didnt have a clue we felt sorry for them, we also knew that it would take hours because the road was unsealed. The journey was 160 kilometres, what should take around 2 hours in england took us 8. The bus was the smallest bus ever with everyones bags piled up at the back. The road is the worst road ever, the rainy season had made massive pot holes in the gound every foot, and lorries had made massive trenches in the mud. However it had all dried up and was again rock solid and therefore was bumpy has hell, you couldnt sleep or even talk to each other unless you shouted because the bus was that nosiey. I thought it would fall to bits any second. At first it was quit funny but as the hours ticked on by and the bus still could only go 20 k's an hour people were starting to get crabby. Suprise suprise we arrived at a guest house at 11 at night, it was funny watching those who didnt expect it they were well peed off. The good thing about that journey is you get to know people. We got to know an ozzy couple who we spent the next 2 days with. It was good coz we were able to split the price on a guide to show us around Angkor wat.

Angkor Wat was our next days events (massive temples voted 1 of the 7 wonders of the world). Our guide was really funny and we were so glad we got him coz he pointed out so many things that you would normally walk straight past. We had a great day climbing and exploring these temples but you also got hounded to death by kids trying to sell you stuff. Some off them were dead cute and you wish you could give them all a doller. At the end of the day we had kids all over our tuk tuk just playing with us, we had managed to get there attention away from selling and they were happy just to play with us. After all they are just kids forced to work by their parents, i think the youngest one was a girl just 5 years old, when they saw the time on my watch was 4 o'clock they all got excited because they were allowed to finish at 5. I have so much more to write about cambodia but my time is up i have to go and get another bus i will finish another day.

Finally got chance to finish of cambodia. Its now 3 weeks since we were there but i think i can remember. I have just re-read what i wrote last time and i apoligise for how bad it was. I was writing that fast trying to get it done before our bus came there were mistakes all over the place.

Anyways i will try and remember what we got up to. I will start just by writing a little bit more about the kids selling stuff at Angkor wat. Like i said these kids were adorable and you wish you could help them all, however there were 3 kids who really stood out and we fell for, the first was a young boy who instead of saying 'you buy' 'you buy' said 'if you want to buy later you remember me' we thought this was such a cute way of trying to sell, we got his name which was 'spiderboy' and told him we would buy after our lunch. The second was a boy who said he would write in the post card for us if we bought one, so we did and he did and it said "hi i am tom, nice to meet you, i hope you have a good time in cambodia, good luck with your job and family, i like your smile, love tom'. Now we know these kids are very clever and they proberly and been told by their parents to write that but it was the fact that he was the only one doing it, its hard to explain but when 20-30 kids are round you cant help them all just the ones that stand out, the third was a very cute little girl always at the back of the group never shouting or blagging just stood there waiting for you to look at her. When you did finally look at her she just smiled and waved a post card at you. I think she was a bit afraid of the other kids because they were all abit older. We had to buy one from her, when buying one she was selling 10 post cards for a doller, but i wasn't going to take 10 from her, 1 for 1 doller seemed fair to me. However as this was taking place i had forgot all about 'spiderboy' who saw me from the other said of the car park and came legging it over, with the sadest look ever on his face he said 'you said you would remember me' he was right i had and i didnt want to go back on my word. the nicest thing was after a full day touring the temples when we came back to our tuk tuk thay still remembered our names, these were the kids who we played with for abit.

The next day was another bus journey to the capital Phnom Penh but this time is was glorious tarmac and the journey was quite pleasant after our previous experience. Our first trip was to the S21 torture prison used under the Khmer Rouge, if you havent heard of this it is a sickening past to cambodia. People of all ages and gender were taken to these sorts of prisons all over cambodia. This one being made into a museum becsue it was one of the more horiffic. This prison claimed 100 plus victims a day through torture or starvation and those that didnt die here were later executed at killing fields of Choeung Ek (more on that in a minute). This museum is shocking and silence doesn't have to be requested, the power of speech is simply lost. Adults and children were tortured to the point they admitted to being the enemy even if they weren't because they could handle anymore. In my oppinon it is far worse than what the natzis did. Some of the torture methods are still on display, they add rules to which the detainees had to follow, one that really stands out is 'do not cry when being tortured or you will be lashed or whipped with electicity untill you stop.' I could write more and more on how sick it was but i think you get the picture. To make things worse there or loads of beggers waiting out side the museum with no arms and legs, one guy didnt even have a face it was just a big scar, these are all victims to land mines left behind from the war, again you which you could help them all but it is just impossible. A very depressing but interesting day so far got worse as we visited the killing fields. This was 129 mass graves of people who were executed after being tortured at the prison, there is a blinding memorial of 8000 skulls in a glass tower found during excavations as a reminder of the 17000 men women and children executed here under the Khmer Rouge, some of these skulls still bear witness to the fact that they were bludgeoned to death for the sake of saving bullets. Wandering around it is clear that not all have been excavated with clear signs of bones and clothing still poking from the churned ground.

I dont think we talked to each other for about half an hour after as we both just pondered on our sick this country was just 30 years ago. All in all quite a shocking day.

We left to clear our minds and chill out on abit on the coast of cambodia for the next 3 days but nothing to report here before returning to Phnom Penh to do our bit and help out in an orphanage for a day.

Before hand we bought enough fruit for 2 bits each (doesnt sound alot but there were 70 kids), school books and pens and 50kg of rice. Our tuk tuk driver who took us there had been there before so know what would benifit them the most. We spent the day helping them read, playing with them, playing football and volleyball, and watching a film. They were all very happy and just by watching them even though it was like school with lessons, lunch time and play time it was clear it wasn't school and was more like a big family of brothers and sisters all caring for each other. The kids were happy just to hold your hand and smile. We had an amazing day, but it just brings home how lucky we really are to have what we have back home.

We are glad of our time in cambodia it has been totally different from any other country, it has brought smiles and tears, but one thing can be said a country with such a dark past is finally on the up and things can only get better for cambodia especially with increasing tourism. As for us though the constant begging finally gets to you after abit and it was time to leave.

Finished it at last, sorry this one was so long and so long in the waiting, sorry there was no funny stories for you but that is want happen in cambodia.