Day 223

Woke up, decided I couldn't put my in-laws through anymore full moon raves, jet skis and day-long happy hours so got up and out and headed for Kampot. In my usual style I make these decisions quickly, with about a 30 minute turnaround. We had to wrench the morning Mojito from Gill's hands and find pacing Ronnie and push them back into their rickety bungalow to pack speedily. Normal people would have cracked up at this. Up, out, packed, bill paid, taxi ordered, accommodation sorted and six people on the way within half an hour. Turns out it was a great decision - a charming, riverside French colonial town with access to the 'real' Cambodia on both sides. Settled Gill and Ronnie into a lovely wooden hotel on the river and went on the sunset cruise which was beautiful. Spent the next day at the pepper plantation which was actually educational and fun (crikey, I really am 38). Pepper grows on trees and is handpicked. The best bit was the cashew nut tree -each nut grows on an individual little fruit and each tree only produces a kilo of cashews. No wonder they are so bloody expensive. All very happy. The in-laws leave today and I think they've had a great time.

Today we moved to an eco-village-resort 5km outside this tiny town. The girls and I are staying in a straw yurt for four days - the first night alone as Rufus is taking his parents back to PP to the airport. The girls are beyond thrilled at this place - there is nothing to do except canoe, jump in the river, get typhoid/cholera/bilharzia and any other water-borne illnesses I can think of and play with local children. On the way to see the resort we passed a hundred hapy waving kids on bikes and ONE little white boy. This caused us to stop the tuk tuk and yell 'Oi! You with the white face! What's your story?'. He's a fluent Khmer-speaking 10-year old German boy called Amil, and his parents own our eco-village. Fern blushed with furious mortification as we suggested she might like a boyfriend. He's a cool kid and promises to hang around with Fern and Clover. Even better, he has a 7 year old sister named Lima who will become Clover's best friend whether she likes it or not. I am so pleased we are here and I know Daddy would love it. Everything I do for the girls I try and think would he like this? Would he approve? He is always at the fore front of my mind and my decisions. This, he would adore. It is paradise. At the moment Fern is building a den out of bricks and bamboo while being watched adoringly by a group of Cambodian boys. Clover is playing with what I thought was an imaginary friend. Turns out to be a real-life friend, a small Cambodian boy who thinks she is the best thing he has ever seen. Give him a few days.

I feel so isolated here it is wonderful. Apart from having wi-fi (which I can switch off) there is no way to communicate with the outside world. We can't even get into the town unless we want a 5km walk up a dust track through people's gardens. We are totally cut off. Am sure I will eventually go mad with boredom but for now it is divine. Enforced nothingness. We're also back on the home education programme with the help of some books and my redundant, lazy brain. This week we are doing ecosystems, children.