Leaving the 4000 Islands, we prayed for better buses north to the capital of Laos, Vientiane. Unfortunately, we were initally not allowed that luxury. A mini bus awaited us on the mainland, where upon they played the game of lets see how many people we can fit into a tiny space with all their luggage! The minivan was full, children were sat on adults laps, the luggage was balanced precariously on the top and the air conditioning- well, what difference could it ...

The road out of Cambodia was marginally less bumpy than the one to Ban Lung. To get into Laos we had to take a mini bus to Stung Treng and then we thought we would have to change onto another bus that would take us across the border. I stupidly forgot I was in South East Asia. We got to Stung Treng no problem although slightly battered. However, our ride across the border was not a bus but a pick up truck. We were crammed into the two backseats behind the driver,...

With the need to shake off the darkness of Phnom Penh, I headed north east to the Ratanakiri province to a town called Ban Lung with an Irish man called Paddy. It was a 10 hour bus ride along paths questionably marked as roads. The bus we got on was a bit clapped out to say the least but after seeing the roads I could understand why. The road even when paved had pot holes the size of craters. We were thrown and bounced around much of the way. At one point I looke...

Leaving the beach behind I headed to Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. In a complete contrast to the awe and splendor of Siem Reap and the relaxed drunkeness of Sihanoukville, PP was a time for history. The two main sites to visit are the Killing Fields and S21, both a remembrance of Pol Pots and the horror of the Khmer Rouge. S21 was originally Tuol Svay Prey High School until in 1975 Pol Pot's security forces turned it into Security Prison 21. This was t...

Extremely templed out, I headed from Siem Reap south to the beach to meet up with some friends from Vietnam. The main beach area in Cambodia is Sihanoukville, where all there is to do is laze and party- and boy did I do both. The hostel that my friends booked into was holding a Mardi Gras party on the first night I arrived. Instant party. Wandering round the beach before night fell, we saw boys in salons getting their hair and make-up done as women. It was qui...