Not very impressed with Battambang, so decided to leave the very next day (Sunday) and being the intrepid travellers that we are, Maria and I decided to venture down to the market place to find a taxi to take us the 4 hours to Phnom Penh. No sooner had we arrived there than we were overwhelmed with drivers offering to take us at well over the asking price. When we started haggling we were met with guffaws of laughter and before long the entire market seemed to have taken an interest in the two blonde foreigners. It was very good humoured banter, culminating in us being offered a car that took 4 men to push start - I'm not that blonde!! Eventually one driver took pity on us and agreed to our price and so we were back on the road again. We arrived in Phnom Penh at about tea time and found a lovely hotel on the riverfront called the River Star Hotel, before wandering down the road to The Riverside Restaurant and Lounge for dinner. This city sits on the confluence of the Mekong, Bassac and Tonle Sap rivers and has been the capital of Cambodia since Angkor was abandoned to the jungle in the 15th century. It fell to the Khmer Rouge on 17th April 1975 and all the inhabitants were forced into the surrounding countryside, leaving it desolate and abandoned for 3 years. The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda are the official residence of King Norodom Sihanouk, who very recently abdicated and is to be succeeded to the throne by his son on the 29th of this month. Has this made the news at all back home? The next day was spent getting our bearings and visiting the National Museum, which houses many artefacts from the Temples at Angkor. We also attempted to enter the palace, but were turned away on the basis that I was wearing shorts and a vest top - I didn't realise my legs were that offensive!! We'll try again tomorrow when I am wearing more suitable attire. After dinner, we returned to our hotel and Maria and I decided we could both do with a hair cut. The next 3 hours were spent sitting on the edge of the bath being trimmed by the other one, with nothing but a pair of nail scissors. Sorry Claire, you may well be sorting out the resultant chop when I return! And so to bed. Sherry xxx