Today we woke up much more revitalised after staying off the drink, which defiantly was wise. The night had been quite muggy but leaving the window open had helped a lot and surprisingly no insect bites. We headed down to Mrs 'P' for some pork with rice which Laura really enjoyed... unfortunately the stall had run out pork before it got to me so I made do with rice with some of Laura's pork plus the chicken soup. The morning consisted mostly of relaxing and trying to rehydrate before our excursion later this afternoon! At lunch time I tried the 'ban chow' which is a traditional Khmer pancake stuffed with minced pork, bean sprouts and other vegetables accompanied with salad and a sweet chilli dipping sauce. You got a serving of two large pancakes that were stuffed plus a plate of salad which nearly beat me!! But as always I managed to finish them and they were amazing... They were so fresh, plus the home made chilli sauce was delicious.

As the time approached 2pm, DJ, the hostels friendly tuk tuk driver had arrived to take us on our trip. He was very pleasant and Jen told us he would give us a fair and competitive rate. We hopped onto the tuk tuk armed with sun cream, water and hats and headed out to our first destination, the famous bamboo train. The drive was quite long but we enjoyed heading out of the town and DJ kindly stopped when there was something to be photographed. The ride was very much on the bumpy side, especially the lead up to the rail tracks where it was basically a dirt track and it definitely left you with a tender derrière but it was also pretty fun.!

We arrived at the so called train station which was dead quiet and basically a shed where we were welcomed by a gentleman in a tourist police uniform. We paid the fee of five dollars each and were led to the tracks where the boys were constructing the bamboo train. The train itself was used a great deal post-Khmer rouge era as Cambodians tried to get themselves back on their feet. It was used to transport anything from cattle to local produce, but nowadays is more of a tourist trap. The train was pretty cool to say the least... it consists of a wooden pallet made of thin pieces of bamboo, which on top they lay a woven mat that you sit on, two sets of metal wheels are then attached to a small gasoline lawnmower engine, yes it's that simple! We laid back on the mat and our driver started up the engine and we moved down the track.

As there was just the two of us on our train it was very light, so it wasn't long before the train picked up speed and was flying down the tracks... it was actually a lot faster than we imagined it would be. The noise of the metal wheels on the track is so loud you have to shout at each other and the tracks are very bumpy which is very unnerving. This was mainly because half the joints didn't actually marry up with each other, National Rail would not approve... You constantly feel like your going to derail, which doesn't help the nerves... especially as you are literally perched on this pallet with no side rail or anything. The 20 minute (6km) ride went quickly and we met no other trains coming the other way, which was a shame as we wanted to see them deconstruct the train. When this occurs the lighter loaded train will disembark everyone, dismantle the train, remove it from the tracks, let the other pass, then put it back together before letting everyone back on!

At the end of the track you arrive at a little village where they try and sell you some merchandise and drinks. We haggled well to get Laura a vest and Barney (from the hostel) a T- shirt. After about ten minutes of haggling and chatting with the children (who gave Laura a grass made grasshopper), we made our way back on to the train. We then waved good bye to everyone and sped off down the tracks. On the way back we made a video of the journey and passed a dismantled train who had obviously been anticipating our train. There was a group of tourists standing along side the road ...cameras snapping away. We flew past, then soon enough were back in the station where we said thanks to the driver with a tip and a smile. We then wondered back to DJ and our tuk tuk... it was now really warm and we needed some shade. The train was actually a lot better than I thought it would be and in all it was a surreal but enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, next year with the development of the railway lines it is likely the bamboo trains will be stopped which would be a shame...

Once back in the shade of the tuk tuk, DJ told us we were ahead of schedule and we could go back to the hostel if we wanted for a hour but we opted to soldier on to our next destination. The reason we were on a schedule was because we were visiting the bat caves and the little things stick to a very tight schedule so you have to catch them at a certain time. We drove a long the horrendously bumpy road before we finally hit tarmac and breathed a big sigh of relief. We then slowly rode along enjoying the sights and sounds of the villiages we were passing... We were in no rush so we waved at the kids and took photos and just generally enjoyed the ride. Before long however we were at the bottom of Phnom Sampeau staring up at the temples on top of the hill. The hill is huge and made of limestone... Due to its shape it is sometimes known as sailboat hill.

We parked up and said our good byes to DJ before setting off up the hill. We had a few offers of a moto but we decided to crack on as the exercise would be welcome after the last few days of indulgence. We paid the three dollar fee each and began our hike. We walked a couple of kilometres up the hill before we met a group of boys, one of which offered to show us around. He seemed quite genuine and I had heard good things about the kids who offer to guide you, so we agreed on the two dollar fee and off we went. Me and our young guide strode on chatting about school and what his ambitions and aspirations were (to be a teacher) while Steven lagged behind with a face of thunder. He was sweating profusely and wasn't appreciating this young boy rushing him up the hill lol. We stopped a few times and waited for him before we found ourselves in a small area full of small Buddhist wats and statues, there was also lots of donation boxes and plaques offering the names of those who had donated.

Near the Wat is a small hall where the people killed here during the Khmer Rouge regime of the late 1970s were held before their deaths... Due to the size of it many were tortured in front of the other prisoners which was truly sickening. The building has since been renovated with the money donated and now sleeps novice monks. We were led through a small area where stalls sit and small huts where people now reside including the boy guiding us, before coming to the cave. There was a large brightly painted staircase leading down to the now renovated cave where thousands were killed. Apparently there were other caves but large rocks and such now block the entry to these caves although clothes and such remain outside.

As we walked down into the cave the young boy pointed out various areas of the cave such as the skylight located up on one side where victims were killed. They were told they were going to work but instead were blindfolded with their hands tied behind their backs, they were then led to the top of the cave and pushed over the edge through this skylight and into the cave below. The skylight was at least a fifty foot above us and it was just horrid to see... truly sickening and a lot more harrowing than even the killing fields. Some had their throats slit using the jagged edged leave of the palm sugar tree while others were simply pushed. Those whose throats were slit the lucky ones as it hastened death although only if the arteries were severed. The leaf edges were jagged and thus the results were more a sawing effect rather than the clean cut obtained when using a knife so sometimes they were just left with a horrid wound... arteries intact. Some would survive the fall and would then lie there paralysed or with broken bones while slowly starving to death as they had no means of escape. As time went on more people would survive the fall due to the cushioning of the bodies already piled and thus more and more people would die a slow and painful death from dehydration and starvation. It's horrid to think of people being in such a situation... Lying with theirs arms still tied behind their backs, probably suffering from broken bones dying slowly, surrounded by decaying bodies while further victims are landing around you and on top of you.... Absolutely heartbreaking. It must have been terrifying to stand there not sure of what is happening as you hear thud after thud of bodies hitting the ground, along with the smell of decay and the terrified and pained screams of those below. It's just so brutal and horrid. There were other caves nearby where children were killed and that is just too much to even think about.... Just too much.

The cave it self has been transformed into a place of peace and prayer where locals can come and try and heal wounds that are defiantly still very raw and very painful. In this cave was a large reclining Buddha that lies in front of one that was destroyed by the Pol Pot regime and around the cave are a couple of glass boxes holding people's remains. There was a man in there continuously offering prayers... There are numerous caves here holding glass cases full of bones and clothing where blood still stains the walls and bones remain in the mud. Apparently a monk collected all the bones to ensure they were put at rest while the weather continually brings more to the surface. It is said that one of the caves holds a large hook where victims were held up by their noses and had their stomachs sliced open, the soldiers would then eat the livers and such to ensure their strength.

After seeing the caves we left quietly and walked up to the top of the hill where many temples and pagodas sit. Here people still trek up to offer prayers and give thanks.... While surrounded by a large family of inquisitive and very naughty monkeys. We said goodbye to our guide here and off he went while we lingered around taking in the view and the sights. The monkeys here constantly follow people in the hope of finding food but generally only the locals feed them. We then found a steep staircase that led down to a very deep cave that houses two armoured guards. You can then climb up the other side and enjoy the amazing view. By now it was just after five pm so we began the descent down towards the bat cave. We walked down about 2km and came across a few randomly placed stone animals including a tiger... Before finally hitting the ground. Here we met up with DJ and went off to the bat cave.

The bats normally head out between 5.45pm and 6pm but as it was a bit thunderous they were taking their time. We could here them squeaking though all the way down on the footpath and the passing thunder made it all the more better. To the left of the cave is a large Buddha head that is being carved into the wall... It looks really good and should look amazing when finished.

After a while waiting we finally saw the first few bats leave the cave before suddenly there were hundreds... They swarm out clustered together and almost look like smoke meandering through the sky, it really is an incredible sight. It takes over an hour for them to fully leave the cave and it's awesome. We watched for a good twenty mins or so before DJ suggested we go and watch them over the rice fields as they head to the lake for their dinner. He was right about the view as it was so cool... You literally watch them from miles away flying over the horizon and again it looks like smoke from a chimney or something. After about ten mins we decided to head back as they were thinning out a little... As we sped off down the road we were soon over taken by sirens and bright lights. We initially thought there had been an accident but it turned out that it was a VIP from Thailand who was visiting with their convoy. There were loads of them in 4x4s and three wheeled bikes and the noise was something else. After they had passed we sat back and enjoyed the ride home enjoying the beautiful sun set and the passing landscape.

On returning we sat in the bar and had some dinner while chatting with Jen and co... Barney had returned from the clinic and said he owed me a beer as his foot was indeed infected and he was now on antibiotics! He said he only went because I nagged him to and so I saved his foot lol. He was happily drinking beer and in good spirits so we chatted with him and handed over his tee shirt, which he loved. After a few drinks we retired upstairs and fell into a deep sleep.