After leaving the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh behind us, we decide to do a two-day raft/boat/tuk-tuk tour to the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. This gets off to a great start as we drive to the border town and get into a row boat. The row boats, of course, are steered by women, they seem to do all the hard work in this culture. We paddle up the river and through floating villages. It is an experience to witness fish bones being dried out in the sun ... there was no smell though and minimal flies around so it can't have been too bad ... not to say that I ate any of it!! We walked around some of the local villages, it made me feel very thankful for what I have. These people are very very poor. The night was spent in a 'nice' basic hotel. We were recommended a restaurant by one of the guides ... but when we got there, it smells terrible and I cannot eat. It doesn't help that there are eels and sea snakes sitting in no water in a tank right infront of our table. Yuck. I felt very ill and went to bed very hungry!! The next day we paddled through another tiny village and had lunch on a floating restaurant. It was very nice here. After 2 days of paddling, we catch a powered boat and head towards the border of Cambodia, yep, that's right, we haven't even got here yet!! The heavens close in on us and it decides its an early monsoon season. We were soaked and thought nothing of it until we get to the border. We leave the comfort of our boat behind, armed with heavy backpacks and our extra bag required for tailored clothes ... and we are faced with this: A bank, that in normal sunny conditions would be fine ... that has turned into a mud slide. But alas, a small child to the rescue .. he turns up with a wooden plank, puts it onto the face of the bank and we have to walk up it. Remember it is pouring with rain and we have an extra bag to carry ... well Steve went up first, me in tow .... we got about half way up the 'plank' and it was all over. We slipped and fell down the muddy bank ... an experience I shall never forget .. Welcome To Cambodia. Customs was a small wooden shack, we had to hand over our passports and wait outside the door, yep, in the rain. 2 hours later, we get a stamp in our passports and board the van that will take us to the capital. Now roads in Cambodia are not renowned for being 'westernised' and tarsealed ... so we experience a death-defying stunt drive to the centre of the city. We slide all over the show as we hurtle towards Phnom Penh, perhaps the scariest drive of my life so far!! It is still pouring with rain and we manage to give a nearby motorcyclist a muddy stripe up his back which I find rather funny. Well you have to laugh after all this dont you? We get to Phnom Penh and find a rather run-down guesthouse. I can't be bothered thinking about it so we just stay here!!