Hi!!

We've left Thailand for the time being and are now in Cambodia.

In our last week in Koh Samui we moved to another beach (Lamai) for a couple of days, having originally intended to stay for a week on Lamai. However the place wasn't really our thing and we moved back to Chaweng for the last few days. It was a lot cheaper though and we found a nice hotel with a pool for just 300baht (5pound a night) but it was too quiet with lots of seedy bars around.

On our last night in Koh Samui we decided to splash out. We went to Christies Bar a fab 'lady-boy' cabaret bar - really funny. After we went to the Ice bar for some drinks, its bar made completely out of ice. You walk into a fridge type room which was minus 9 degrees C, They give you a big furry coat and hat and some gloves and socks, thankfully because it is COLD in there! Everything is made of ice even the glasses for your drinks. They have ice sculptures and ice chairs to sit on - finally somewhere where James could cool down and stop sweating!

The next day we started our long journey to Cambodia. We set of 12 midday and did not arrive in Cambodia until 5pm the next day. We took a boat and a night bus to Bangkok and then the plane to Cambodia, of course James being James had to pay a visit to the hospital in this time, after all it was due, it has only been a few weeks since he was last there! (withdrawl symptoms). We were getting on a mini bus on mainlad Thailand just before the night bus 9 hour trip and James fell and twisted his ankle - it swelled up like a baloon almost instantly. He soldiered on though and we put some ice on it for the journey. When we got to Bangkok at 6am we went to the hospital for an x-ray - luckily nothing broken. James says the hospital was luxury compared to his visit to Pindafields hospital! The foot was bandaged up and we were able to get on the plane.

So here we are in Cambodia - in the capital city Phnom Penh. It is poorer than Thailand but the people are really nice and its nice were our hotel is, lots of good places to eat and drink. Today, with the help of Mo our trusty tuk-tuk driver for the day who waitied for us at every destination for $10, we visited the royal palace and also a museum which is an old prison (converted from a high school) from the civil war in Cambodia around 30 years ago. The tour guide showed us around the cells where people were killed and tortured. Its sad to see this and that the events are still fresh in peoples minds. A lot of the people involved have still not been brought to justice, but they're keen to ensure this doesn't happen again in their country.

Cambodian people are really friendly and its sad to see their country still in trouble and so much poverty. A lot of people are homeless as well as children who sometimes beg for food and drink when your eating in bars. Makes you feel grateful for what you have at home.

We'll be staying here for a couple more nights and then moving to Siam Reap, another city in Cambodia.

Strange that we've been away a month exactly today - missing everyone lots. Thanks for all your msgs

Love Paula and James x