hello everyone!!!! hve come quite a long way from bangkok now as in cambodia in the capital...will fill you in on everything....

picked nath up on new years eve which was really really good!!stayed in the nice hotel with hot shower etc etc went out for meal then few drinks on khoa san road (backpacker getto) which was really mad but good fun you could hardly move through the street as so many people and elephants with their nails painted and fireworks and food stalls and music pumping out all the bars in copetion with each other!

after a few day we caught the bus to trat which is the main land town to get to a few islands in south east thailnd, closest to cambodia. we went to ko maak first after an hour speedboat ride on really ruff sea we made it! and had a mission to find a cheap place as some very big resorts on the island for holiday makers who can afford alot more. found some cheapo bungalows then stayed in ourt own little house that was half the price of the others as not on the beach but was totally in the middle of the woods! spent 6 nighs there i think hired a bike a few days and really is some of the best beaches i think i will see. perfect amzing palm fringed white sand beaches. we got snorkels from the guest house and did the quite abit to as was free and some goo stuff to see. found some cheap local plaes to eat as the few resturants where quite pricey.

then speedboat to ko kood which was similar but bit bigger so you where abit stuck if you hdent got a bike for the day as couldnt really walk anwhere aprt from the really nice beach at the end of our road. still had nice bungalows there with really friendly people also hired a bike to check out other beaches.

from there we stoped a night in trat then to the boarder called hat lek with cambodia (in the south). from here we took a bus to sihanokville where we spent a week. a sea town where the main beach has been totally taken oer with tourist stuff all over the beach but if you have a bike and drive 10 mnins along the cost line the beach is better and no1s there! also found a really good place to eat in the town and was going there twice a day as the food was so good. (we did try to go elsewhere but it just wasnt as good!!!) had a nice time exploring abit on the bike stayed in a guest house as thought the beach would be too noisey and pricey, turned out our guest house wasnt far from all the locals bars down a tiny little street behind us whcih our louder than anything! also did a snokelling trip one day where they took us to 3 island and bbq on the beach. was really nice was to see the island but not very imjpressed with the snorkelling and saw a million massive sea erchins and 3 big star fish and that was it! nath also stood on a dead sea erchin on the beach and has still got little skipes in his foot cant get then out!! they dont hurt so hoping they will force they way out soon.

arrived in phenom phen this avo and found a good guest house got 5 doller room with great view of sunset over the big lake in the south west. have just walked down to the river from a beer (whcih is 50-80 cents for a pint by the way!!) then tuk tuk bvack as we where exhausted! does tack it out of you in a busy place is alot more hassel than we have been used to but first impression are good. going to check out the main market tomo just didnt have the energy today for haggeling.

just had a cheap but small meal so going to get a pancake on the roof top terrae of the guest house and bed!

also will say an unoffical thank you for the moeny that appeared in my account over xmas!!!! thank you to everyone needless to say the money is being well spent...will be off to ankor wat in a few days which isnt cheap so thank you again (unoffically!....!)

hope evrybody had good new years celebrations and are enjoying being back at work :-) !!!!!! apart from mum of course!!!!!!!!