Hello!

Ok, so we last wrote from pnomh penh, that seems so long ago!

We took a bus from there to Siem Reap - much smaller and less impressive town than i thought it was going to be. The guesthouse we stayed in was great 4 dollars for a double room and a dollar a meal - cant go wrong! We were also with 4 other people so lots of blethering and chilling watching tv. The highlight was of course angkor wat. There were hundreds of temples all squished into this one little area, ankor wat being the most famous. Some of the others were way more impressive - the best was one called ta prohm which was used to film tomb raider. There are massive root structures almost taking over the buildings, amazing. We went up in a balloon for sunrise and watch the temples come to life out the mist from the mountains, really spectacular.

The other days in siem reap were relaxing, going to see some local dance shows, we went to a land mine museum (really scary how many are still active in this country!) and we went to . . . . .

Dead fish tower!!

This is a restaurant which once was a crocodile breeding farm. Now though, as tourism grows, the owners decided to turn it into a restaurant and instead of killing the crocs they now live in a tank under the floor. You can literally eat your meal and feed the crocs at the same time - weird and wonderful!

Also in siem reap we were wandering round a night market when we came across a fish massage!! For 3 dollars, you stick your feet into a pool of fish and they chew off all the dead skin. Another extremley weird and tickly experience!

Next stop in Cambodia was Battambarg - a windswept town with some groovy little hotels and restaurants. We did a cooking course on cambodia cuisine for a morning, buying the ingredients at the local market and cooking them in a restaurant kitchen, it was really interesting. Will be attempting them again when we get home.

The best bit of battambarg was the bamboo train - a small bamboo platform sat ontop of two sets of wheels with a car engine. You bump along a single track rail with the wind in your face and waving at the locals - good fun until something comes the other way. Then we all had to get off, take the train apart, get off the line and let the other vehicle pass - not so good in the heat!

We went to an orphanage that evening, huge street children problem in cambodia. We saw some on the streets as young as three with their bag of glue to sniff and pleading for food - horrific. The orphanage was amazing though. They have loads of extra cirricular activites for them including acrobatics - and from french funding they now have their own circus tent which every evening some of the kids perform. What a show, it put shanghai circus to shame, and these were 15 year old kids whos parents were killed or they had been saved from brothels in thailand. Unbelievable.

From battambarg we got the local bus to the border with thailand. It consisted of a toyota pick up crammed with locals going home from the town. Also had one tonne of cement, 20 bags of rice, flight cases, chickens, our luggage. It was a huge leaning tower above the car! We held on for life but it was hilarious!

On the thailand side we got a bit more luxurious with a hired car that drove for 200km to the beach. There a quick ferry ride brought us to ko chang. A paradise island with little grass shacks and glorious empty beaches. Bliss! Staying here for a while! Still travelling with an english couple, Elli and Rich. So the four of us are going to relax on the beach, possibly make it to the shop to buy and ice cream, maybe even hike the ten steps to the thai massage beds. Its a hard life!!

Missing you all lots and lots

Love mo and kezz x x x x x