On New Years Day we drove back to Phnom Penh, so as to get our passports into the Thai embassy the next day. We had heard that it was possible to get a sae day service, but this turned out to be incorrect and it actually takes 4 working days. You can get a Thai visa on arrival, but it's only valid for 15 days and we wanted the 60 day visa… Fintan also needed to get certified copies from the Australian embassy to send off for the Vehicle Import Aprroval documents.

We went to the Australian Embassy first, thinking it would be quick and easy, but the G4S security wouldn't let us in without an appointment, we called the embassy number and they said we didn't need an apoointment, but in any case the security lady wouldn't let us in. Frustrating.

So off to the Thai Embassy, we had our forms and photos so it was just a case of paying the $40 each and waiting for a receipt in the dingy, mosquito infested waiting room. We were told to come back on Mondaay 7th between 3 and 4pm.

This was disappointing to say the least, we had hoped to be heading to Angkor Wat and onto Thailand. Instead we had to organised accommodation for another week in Phnom Penh. Adding to this, my computer had had a massive crash, for 14 hours was running the same recovery routine with no improvement. I found a computer repair place online that was recommended by ex-pats and we set off to get my computer fixed. The tuktuk driver had set off nodding about the address, but it soon became apparent that he had no idea where he was going. The driver called the number of the store and was told to go to another street. Here we waited and a guy came over and asked us why we were calling this number, did we want to buy a camera? How did you get this number? Do you want to buy a computer? No, no, we sell car windscreens… All in all a very confusing conversation. We called the computer repair number again and this time Fintan spoke to him. He said to come to his house and gave another address, so off we went. We finally pulled up outside a rehab centre. But the address was correct. Unsure, we called the number again and were told to just come in either set of double doors.

By now, I was very anxious about leaving my computer here… It turned out the computer repair guy was Malaysian, had studied computer engineering, but now had several enterprises including car windscreen repair and tinting, selling pepper spray, repairing computers and some business in Battambang that requires financial reporting. All this coming from a guy living in a rehab centre, speaking English with an East end London accent. I was still anxious, but I had no other option. I got my computer back the next day, but there wasn't much he could do. I lost most of my files, including Fintan's updated cv… Good thing we'd been backing things up as we went…

To distract us from the mounds of paperwork that await us for trying to enter Australia, we went to the cinema. A big deal for us seeing as we haven't been to the movies for more than 7 months! It was great. We saw The Hobbit, ate popcorn, and afterwards even got ice cream! Simple pleasures!

Over the last week we've met so many nice people, not least the owner of the hotel here, Nicholas. We ended up having a lovely dinner with a couple living in London, the husband was thinking of getting into the Brewery business. I mentioned the Cronx brewery, co-founded by a friend of mine and up and coming in Croydon, and he has a meeting with them in a couple of weeks - small world. The wife used to be a ballet dancer, and was impressed that Fintan had been to a Matthew Bourne production, and surprised that I thought Elizabeth Taylor was awesome (I don't know why, I don't know how anyone could not think she'd had an incredible life?!) Then we met a hydrogeologist in the FCC and ended up drinking much more than we'd planned! Of course, we passed on our blog and email details and hope to see them again!

Tomorrow we hope to collect our visas, then we have planned a visit to the Australian Embassy for round 2 with the G4S security lady. Still to come on our travels is Angkor Wat and getting into Thailand!