After a relaxing week or so I thought it was time to move on so spent one night back in Phnom Penh and went to the Olympic stadium where several groups meet every evening for either dance class or exercise session and men play football, tennis and volleyball. It's nice to see they are all keen to keep fit although most probably don't need to with the amount of labour I see them do. I dragged a guy from my hostel out to this as it was getting dark so we ended up going for dinner in my new discovered street food place then had a drink in a bar down by the river with Ryan who we bumped into on our way to dinner.

On Tuesday 29th I jumped on a bus to Kampong Cham, 4 hours North of the capital city. When I got there at about 4.30pm I grabbed a bike and cycled to the old French lighthouse on the other side of the river and climbed up the ladders. It was a great view of the river and town the other side with the sun setting (as you can see in my photo!) I went a little further into a Cham village ...this was cool. You just get to see how people really live. I even had a dog bark at me probably because I was white. He stopped when I was out of his view but then started again when I cycled back past him! I bumped into two Aussie girls who are cycling through Cambodia (and yes I did tell them they were bonkers!) It's so hot I couldn't imagine doing that. Even if you do get up early before it gets hot, just a little keen don't you think? They had 2 changes of clothes so were good travelling light least. We met for dinner later on and I wished them luck on their next leg of the journey. I may well see them in Kratie.

On Wednesday , I was up and my adventure began at 8.30am. First up was bamboo bridge which is made every year in the dry season. This was impressive. Then I explored the island which was surprisingly big. There were more Cambodians living here in amongst trees. There was also a school here in an old building. I got a bunch of kids waving and shouting out the window...they are all so cute. I headed back to the mainland and discovered another market. You think these markets are average size until you actually wonder inside and then you realise the scope of it and get lost. It is where all the locals go so it's a great place to people watch. I saw some locals eating some rice dish that looked nice so decided to give that a try for just over $1. It tasted as good as it looked. I then decided to go on my next adventure which was 8k ride out of the town. Oh I was slightly regretting this move about 10 minutes in, it was so hot. I stopped a couple of times in the shade and checked I was still heading in the right direction with some of the locals. Luckily it was only 5 minutes further down the road because I was thinking of turning around and heading back before long. I made it to the village I had intended to visit which was next to the hills and killing field that I also wanted to see. The village was tiny, with a dozen wooden huts and many kids. They were actually counting in English when i arrived. The younger kids ended up crowded around me, touching me and the stuff I had in my basket, grabbing onto my bike too. They were pretty cute I must admit. They don't get to see any white people and they are so rejected by their parents, half of whom were gambling and others who were drunk, begging on the streets or sitting around doing nothing. You also wouldn't believe they steal from each other in this tiny village, but they do. It's surprisingly a very corrupt little village as most of the people there had been pushed out from their homes by the government to build something bigger and better so now they are in the slums with no hope of any good life, fighting to survive every day...until they die of something, whether it be old age or most probably some disease they have caught. It's horrible to think that, but it is so true.

I was lucky enough to bump into a group of Christian Cambodian volunteers who were just finishing their day with the village. They had been visiting everyday for one month to teach the kids English and to teach them how to keep healthy as well as introducing what is right and wrong. There was also a paralysed lady in the village so they would bring her food everyday and clean her up. She had no family to look after her and the village people refused to clean her. The volunteers were looking for someone to help look after her and were offering a to pay for their help too. But they were still searching. The lady fell over about 3 year sago and became paralysed but she had no help from anyone until the volunteers arrived a month ago. You can imagine what state they found her in. She is only 45 and sometimes screams when she is hungry- the village people feed her then but its only too shut her up. It was a real eye opener and hard to know that this happens in many other places. I feel like the worst tourist coming here seeing what happens and walking away from it all. There is almost a guilt left in me to simply walk away.

So after speaking with a couple of the volunteers, they offered me a lift back to the town in their own private tuk tuk which the 18 year old boy drove. I was so grateful, I really couldn't face the cycle back too! It then escalated to having a picnic on the bamboo bridge followed by a dip in the lake watching the sunset and then dinner back at the NGO centre. It ended up being a really great day!

Now I am up to date with my blog again and I am now sat on a bus to Kratie. It was 2 hours late but I think that because they had a crash from the look of the front and by the bus attendants reaction when it arrived. I am sat here with a bus packed with locals, squashed into every corner and filling every floor space possible. The isle is crammed with 6 traveller bags and more bags and more baskets and more people sat on mini stalls..getting sick, or sleeping or standing. It is quite surreal. I think it is my most interesting bus journey to say the least. I have a family of 4 sat behind me and to my left all in a two-seater space. Mental. Then they go for a toilet stop which involves crouching outside in a field and then they all decide to eat lunch straight after. I'm grossed out right now. Also hot, sweaty (hey mum you would be dripping right now probably with a puddle on the floor so be glad you are not out here with me right now!) and smelling a range of odours.Ii want to drink my water as I am probably dehydrated but I'm so desperate for a wee! Let's hope I get there soon.

Thinking of you all x x