Hi Everyone,

I had booked myself onto the afternoon bus from Sihanouk Ville to Phnom Penh and I went with Christiana to change her accommodation in the morning and then to the Interent etc before getting a bite to eat for the last time together before I departed I also wanted some money. It was here that I made a really bad error of judgement which was to cost me dearly for the remainder of the journey. Opposite the Cafe was a Bank and an ATM, I fully intended to withdraw cash from here but for some reason changed my mind thinking that I would do it once I had reached P.P.

The bus was late leaving he station and by the time it did so the temperature had reached boiling point both inside and outside the bus. It was stiflingly hot. To my consternation the hostess came round with sick bags and plonked a black bag on the lap of a Cambodian girl who happened to be sat next to me! Fortunately the lady was not sick and spent the whole journey forcing herself to sleep with her legs pulled up on the seat a wedged against my right thigh, for five hours. The journey was also to be one of note because we had two accidents which added to our late arrival in Phnom Penh.
The first accident occured when we managed to complete a three abreast overtake on a two way road and hooked the bus up to a motor cycle taxi. It was more by luck than judgement that the taxi managed to unhook his cart from the bus which then pulled infront of him, slowed to a crawl causing all sorts of problems and then just drove off. Eveyone on the right side of the bus (me) saw what was happening and frankly we were astonished, even the locals were shouting at the driver.

The second accident occurred on the outskirts of P.P. which never has a small amount of traffic around it but the two delays had put our arrival bang in the middle of rush hour, which puts the M25 in the shade. We approached a cross road junction in the normal way, look for a gap and just go for it, unfortunately a lad on a motor cycle had the same idea but from the left hand junction. The bus took his front wheel clean away and the poor lad hit the tarmac like a sack of potatoes. There was a lot of accusations but that was all. Our driver remained firmly in his seat whilst other cyclinsts picked up the poor victim and set on his very unsteady feet, others dragged his bike clear of the bus whilst still more picked up the debris (I suspect as spare parts for their own bikes!) and cleared the road. At which point our driver took off and left the scene!

So what has this to do with the earlier decision Well, I was due to met my friends, Rosarie, Jim and Marcia and was now quite late, I dumped my kit at my hostel (note to self - always check that your room is NOT on the 6th floor in future! Phew!!) jumped in taxi who had kindly waited for me and eventually made it to a bar where the others were waiting. All well and good except that I had no money, I was directed to an ATM in a Supermarket around the corner, at this point I have to say that I Never use ATM's in supermarkets, however, needs must so I put my card in and it was snaffled. I thougth it would be an 'okay' machine as it was an Australian and New Zealand Bank machine but No, the card as gone, the machine said "Out of Order' and that was that. No cash. Great. Even worse no card. Poo or words to that effect!

I was rescued by Marcia giving me a 'sub' until the morning and then an exchange on Thai Baht, but it didn't help with the card which I could not rectrieve and had to cancel. I had a very dismal conversation with Nationwide and confirmed that they would not send my new card abroad and although synmpathetic they could not help me. I will not bore you with the following 24 hours but suffice to say that I have a different card and will have to use my Secret Numbered Swiss Bank account ( I knew that would come in handy one day!) It is amazing what how positve come out of negative, for example, when I arrived and got off the bus, the normal swarm of cab drivers offer to take you this way and that. The one I chose took me to my hostel, waited whilst I changed, took me to the Interent, then onto meet the others and didn't charge me. The agreement was that I would use him the next day to go to the Airport. He wouldn't even agree a fee stating that it was up to me. I therefore, made some enquiries worked out the average fare, took into account his time for the previous evening and when he dropped me off I offered him the amount I thought was fair. His face was aglow, he was really chuifffed and we parted friends, what a nice man.

Departures was another thing, I only had $8 on me and paid the departure tax on my Credit Card, I survived on a coffee and a packet of crisps, it seems Airport food costs the same the World over!

14/1 I had arrived in BKK with a great sigh of relief, I was back at Baan Dinso with familiar surroundings, familiar people and a very nice room. Some friends had flown into BKK the same afternoon and the very next day I met them for dinner, the first time I had seen them for 9 months. We had a really lovely night out and it was great to see people who caught me up on all the news. It was obvious from some of the conversation that certain people think I'm on holiday, Cheek - I'm not! This is a job, you have to work at it you know and come to think of it I think I should be paid, what's that? I AM being paid? Well, yes, sort of! But I should get more! Talking of money the poor old pound has just falen through the floor, it's no good you lot moaning, you still have your Mercs, Audi's, Lotus' and TVR's etc, I've got to get myself from Country to Country, imagine what it's like having to organise the next leg through Malaysia and the flights to Bali, having to decide where to stay, which beach to visit, where the best snorkling is, and which bungalow has the best view, it's not easy you know, not with a falling pound I can tell you!!

Joking part I am about to embark on a period of relaxation and in good company, I will be journeying down the Southern parts of Thailand through some of the Islands and then eventually onto Bali so I will update you.

In the meantime Rosie was to be collected from BKK International amongst tight security as she had my new card with her! Numbered Bank accounts they have soem clout I can tell you!! The following four days were really good, we visited all the palces I had put off seeing until now. We tripped around BKK on boats, trains, buses, and visited everything we could, we met friends Kerstin and Toni for an evening out, had food outside on the street and went to the Suan Lum Night Bizzare next to Lumpini Park where entertainment is free and varied and is just a cool place to be.

The reaminder of this period will wait until the next time. Take care and see you soon.

Chris.