Arrived in cambodia with Tom and Rich on saturday (31st oct) by bus. was just 6hours from Saigon and bus was super comfy! Guesthouse Tom had booked had no recollection of our reservation (grrr) so we stayed in one next door for the night! It was nice and cozy haha and the owner was really friendly!! After ditching our backpacks (mines is now considerably lighter thanks to the good people at Vietnam post office haha) we headed off to meet Carmel, Rebecca and Ummie for some much needed pints of Angkor!!

Some food and a BUCKET of whiskey later (i swear it seemed a good idea at the time haha) we then wandered the backpackers area of Phnom Penh (in short bit of a pub crawl haha) before setting back to guesthouse in a tuk-tuk (not as terrifying as Bangkok!) where we subsequently passed out!

Next day had to move guesthouses (this one was now full so ended up back in original one) so we literally lifted our bags (hadnt bothered unpacking haha) and made our way next door to go back to bed haha. Around mid-afternoon was feeling hungry so decided to brave the Phnom Penh streets in the daylight! Eventually managed to find myself some food (pot noodle def not what I had in mind haha) before heading back to hostel and enjoying rooftop terrace! Sunday was a quiet night wacthing the Water Festival (Cambodia's biggest celebartion) as Carmel, Rebecca and Ummie had to be up early the next morning to leave for Battambang and we were heading to the Killing Fields and Tuol Slung genocide prison!

Cambodia's histroy is marred with brutal violence and visiting the Killing Fields, where the skulls and bones of over 8000 Cambodians are on display alongside the mass graves still unearthed of the victims of Pol Pots Khumer Rouge regime is a thought-provoking reminder of the struggles developing countries still face and the fact it occured just 30 years ago is even more disturbing! As many of the Cambodians walking the streets of Phnom Penh were witness to the violnece and blood shed of this time, which killed almost 1/4 of Cambodia's population in the space of 3 years 8 months and 20 days!

In a rather somber mood we headed back for some lunch and to decide on next destinations! Decison made (I head to Siem Reap and meet up with Carmel, Rebecca and Ummie the boys head south and we all meet backup in a few days in the south) After that headed to the Central Market after a long detour (i.e we turned wrong way) we arrived and it was closed so had a quick pitstop for some smarties and lychee juice (yummy actually) we then headed down to the Water Festival to see the fireworks display with a few more Angkors and some food before heading back and having an early night.

Am now in Siem Reap, weather is pretty miserable so doubt wil be heading far tonight and me, carmel and rebecca are up early tomorrow to head to Angkor Wat! So keep posted for those pictures!

Love

xxxxxx