Cambodia - the land of surgeons. Or at least that's what it looks like - with motorists, pedestrians and just about everybody else wearing surgical face masks. I'm presuming it's to do with hygiene or pollution, but i didn't see any in India, Malaysia or anywhere else. But that is one of Cambodia's charms as far as I am concerned, one of many. This is the first of my 'well trodden' countries that are a favourite with travellers, with the possible exception of Singapore. The reasons/effects of this are evident on arrival, as immediately you are no longer looked at as an outsider or the unknown, here you are just another westerner passing through. They are significantly more lad back in Cambodia compared to other countries around here. They say "Tuk tuk?", you say "No", they say "Ok". Simple!

I flew into Siem Reap, a land awash with tourists because of the popular destination: Angkor Wat. This, too, was my destination and the first 'must' of my jouney. I spent my second day (the first was spent sleeping with literally empty pockets) on the back of a motorbike-taxi going from temple to temple in this truely immense complex. Though it cost $20 for a days pass, we did secure the motorbikes for the entire day for just $25 - a bargain compared to what you would pay for anything similar in a taxi back home. The temples did not disappoint, and particularly Angkor Wat which I had built up in my mind for the last several year. Somehow it surpassed those expectations, even with an ugly bit of scaffolding dampening the picturesc view from the entrance. I wouldn't let that be the end of it however, as I wanted my pretty picture at Angkor Wat, so I found a sneeky passage round the side of the temple to a pretty much deserted area and got my prize there (it will be up for you all to see soon).

It could have been much worse however, as I met a couple there who claimed that on their travels they had been to Machu Picchu when it was closed, seen the Cristo Redentor in Rio kitted out with a nifty scaffolding-covered look, and now Angkor Wat in the same state. The battering rain-storm that interupted my temple scowering, which now seem to be occuring every other day, didn't put me off either.

The only thing that has put me off in any way shape of form lately, with the exception of my continuing financial woes, has been the occasional person - or group of people in this one particular case. It occured last night on my journey from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh. Well, I say journey, it seemed more like a school trip with the kicking and screaming of the people in the seat behind me. Your stereotypical toff-travellers. Yes - toff. Probably have got some pocket money from mummy and daddy back home and decide to 'tour the world' in a trip consisting of Thailand and Australia with the odd fling around SE Asia. That's not travelling for me - I've seen a few of them about and feel that I'll be running into their prime territory with my next stop in Bangkok. Let's just hope the recent violence will have scared them off for a while, at least until I've moved on anyway. They are no doubt a small minority in travellers but they are in almost every case English, which doesn't give people the best of first thoughts on me when I reveal where I'm from. Which is a great shame for me and other British travellers who are interested in travelling.

Still, other than that debacle Cambodia has been one of my favourite places yet. It gave me a great chance to be boring and look around temples for an entire day - continuing from the trend set with my fort trip in Singapore. Unfortunately my money situation has got yet more gruesome and my card will (maybe) now be sent to Bangkok instead sometime next week. And so that is where I head to next, with a day of buses tomorrow.