Elenka, and I came across a deal that was too good to pass up. So we flew off to Warsaw, the capital of Poland, and then on to Lviv, the cornerstone of culture in Western Ukraine. More on the "deal that was too good to pass up" in a week or so.Warsaw's Palace of Science and Culture was a gift to Poland from their new friends, the Soviet Union, not long after the end of World War II. Building commenced in 1952 and it was completed just three years later. I...

  "Ach, mein Gott, I cannot eat this," Renate Schönbach said, looking at the fried tarantula on her plate. Only a few days earlier this woman, who is forever in search of new and different things to do and try, took what I thought would be a journey down the dysentery freeway when she ordered fish and shrimp from the open market in Kep. The seafood that sits on the counters in this smoke-filled, hot and smelly market, are hatcheries and toilets for the countl...

 It's 203 steps to get there, and a buck to get in. But by far the wisest dollar I've ever spent in Cambodia is the one I decided to cough up for a guide to take us into Phnom Chhnork cave, about six kilometres outside the town of Kampot.  As you enter the darkness the first thing you have to do - behind your absolutely essential flashlight - is make a treacherous 3 metre descent. You have to do this on the arse of your pants while attempting to grasp...

 The mainland Chinese have come to Cambodia masquerading as tourists. You can spot them a kilometre away. The women wear garish coloured Western clothing in styles from the 70s and hats with brims like boat paddles. The men come dressed in everything from Tilley-like adventure gear, to women's elephant pants from Thailand, to matching pyjama tops and bottoms with Disneyish cartoon characters imprinted on them. In Siem Reap, the base camp town for touring An...

 When you arrive at the main bus drop-off zone in Sihanoukville you realize quickly that your about to get fleeced. It's just a fifteen minute ride from Sihanoukville to Otres, but you'll not find anyone willing to take you there for less than $5. Five bucks may seem fair - if you've arrived by turnip truck - but it's not. In a moment I'll put these rates into perspective. Elenka and I are in Battambang now (see photo with its accompanying l...