Hello!

We took the 8pm bus from Sihanoukville to Siem Reap on Tuesday evening, arrrived in Siem Reap at 6am Weds! Had some sleep throughout the journey and checked into a guest house in the city centre - after an hour and half of sleep we were up and found ourselves up and agreeing to a day tour of Angkor Wat! Considering the lack and quality of sleep I wasn't sure that walking around the temples all day in 37oC heat was a good idea!!! After some food we actually felt fine and I really enjoyed the temples! I have never been anywhere so peaceful and can't describe the size or the views!! We also saw some monkeys and got very close to them to take pictures which i was very happy about! Took plenty of photos so they will be up soon! I couldn't believe the detail of the carvings throughout the stone of the entire structures. We climbed so many steep steps!! I also can;t describe the volume of the sweat here!! I have given up trying to look nice for now while back packing! Forget make up - no chance - and my hair has taken on a whole new life of its own!!! I gave in yesterday at Angkor Wat and invested in a ridiculous hat - I feel like Bridget Jones when she went to Thailand but it's the only way!!

We did 6 hours at the temples - our tuk tuk driver wanted us to continue into the evening but we had to decline and ask him to take us back to the guest house! We went to Dead Fish for dinner - there is a live crocodile in a pit there! It's a Thai restuarant and I had my first ever real Thai green curry - very spicy but very good! The first proper meal i'd eaten for a few days since the stomache bug - my appetite has seriously diminished but I have no doubt it will return soon! After dinner we went to the night market - there is so much lovely stuff to buy here but no room in my rucksack!! Maybe I will accidently 'lose' some of the clothes I packed from home along the way...

Because of the bombs in the mines that were planteed during the Pol Pots regime there are lots of people on on the streets of cambodia with missing arms / legs because there were still explosions for years after the genocide. You get people coming up to you all the time asking for money and children even two years olds coming up to you begging - it's really sad but you have to say no because as soon as you do more will flock from everywhere - and being a westener you're already a main target for money as everyone knows you have lots of money (in comparison).

In the market we were looking at 'Doctor Fish'' - a paddling pool which you sit at the side of with your legs inside - it's full of little fish and soon as you put your feet in the come swimming to your feet and nibble away at all the dead skin!! It has been highly recommended and we're going to try it - should be a laugh considering how ticklish i am, I hope I don't make a scene!

After our intense day at the temples yesterday following that mamoth bus journey we slept for 12 hours last night!! Today we might go to an orphanage to volunteer for a couple of hours - and tonight we might go to the night market and again and to the cinema to watch a film about the genocide.

We're leaving Cambodia for Vietnam on Saturday - the visa for Vietnam is taking 3 days to get sorted - it will be another 10 hours on a coach but as long as we're tired then the buses really aren't too bad!

Feel like I'm getting into the swing of backpacking now that my sunburn is going and I don't feel unwell anymore!!

We should have a few hours to kill before the bus at the weekend so I'm going to try and do some photos then, time goes too quickly in an internet cafe!!

Will report again soon!

Lucy xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx