Day 6 - Temples of Angkor

Our first stop was Bayon, the youngest temple in Angkor Thom, a city that housed a million people a thousand years ago. Built of sandstone with elaborate carvings in the Buddha style, it includes 216 huge faces on 54 towers. It's size is awe-inspiring, probably equal to a few football stadiums, and visitors are free to explore every nook and cranny, climbing over rocks and feeling like you're the first person to discover each room you stumble across. It was pretty quiet in the temples today, as they're yet to reach peak season which comes with the Korean and Chinese national holidays.

Later we went to Ta Prohm, where a scene from Tomb Raider was filmed, a temple which has been overpowered by the dense jungle and therefore partly in ruins. We saw 3 other temples today, all in all a really great experience. Nothing quite prepares you for the magnificence of this place. The photos don't even begin to do it justice! Below is one shot of Ta Prohm I got (it took 10 mins to put up!)

Day 5 - Siem Reap

We arrived in Siem Reap a few hours ago after a bumpy 6 hour journey north. Immediately bombarded with tuk-tuk drivers on arrival, we asked 'Darren' to drive us into the city, where we're now staying at the 'Popular Guesthouse'. The city is very touristy - according to the guidebook, which I've already lost, it's literally sprung up out of nothing over the last 5 or 6 years. We're pretty knackered after a heavy night in Phnom Penh yesterday. We met some very strange characters, including a disturbing middle-aged American man who spoke like Michael Jackson and introduced himself as having been sacked from his last job for sexual harrasment... in Japan. Just small talk. After an 8 hour stint at Mosquito Bar, we were offered free beer if we return, so perhaps we'll pop in on the way back through. Tomorrow we're off to Angkor Wat with our friend Darren.

Day 4 - Phomn Penh

I've enjoyed spending another day at the Green Lake Guesthouse in Phomn Penh. It's been the most productive day so far. We left this morning on the back of motorbikes through the ridiculous permanent rush-hour that is the centre of Phnom Penh. Darting in and out of tuk-tuks, bicycles, motorbikes carrying extended families (and one with a dozen live chickens somehow attached to its exhaust), we took a 30 minute ride out of the city - and held on bloody tight.

Our first stop was the killing fields - a place where thousands of innocent Cambodian men, women and children, were brought to be shot or beaten to death. The bones of mutilated bodies are still being unearthed, and the mass graves act as a morbid reminder to Cambodians of the genocide that occured here only 30 years ago.

From there, a much more light-hearted stroll around the Russian market, where in true 'Brits abroad' style we picked up some DVDs. And they were cheap as chips. After that, a traditional Amok lunch at a restaurant before spending 3 hours at the genocide museum. This prison and place of torture and interrogation (called S21) was where thousands of Khmer people were held, and either sent to the killing fields or tortured to death. The personal stories told, including a video which lasted an hour, were incredibly sad, focussing on just a few of the thousands of people murdered.

So not exactly a 'fun' day, but a really interesting and eye-opening one. Unfortunately we've lost contact with Fi, who seems to be floating around somewhere in Camodia. Tomorrow we'll head north by boat or bus to Siemreap, from where we'll be able to visit what everyone coming to the country really wants to see - Angkor Wat.

Day 3 - Phnom Penh

The capital of Cambodia. Getting here was a horrid experience for me given the bumpy ride and my fear of flying! But, been here just 4 hours and already love the place. We're staying at a lakeside hostel - our triple room (for two) costing $5. We're not going to be bankrupted here. That's if the locals don't get their way of course - the amazing deal on the room was immediately followed by an offer of a bag of weed the size of a crisp packet for $25. At five times the value of the room (but still good value, I've heard) you can see why the accomodation's so cheap. The place is nice. No a/c and 35C heat could be uncomfortable tonight but going budget is always fun. Fi should be here tomorrow coming down from Siemreap, having been to Angkor Wat. It's all land travel from here up to Hanoi, so at least any turbulent journeys will be close to the ground..!

Day 2 - Bangkok

Ok, because we're staying in an Israeli run hostel, I've had to navigate a page displayed in Hebrew - I hope this post works. So, last night I decided that to go to the floating market we should get up early. Recovering from the flight and the previous night's stronger than average lager, we got up at midday. The late start was partly due to the fact that we had forgotten to put the air conditioning on in the room and woke up at 5am sweating and hungover. Also, I still had a fried cricket leg wedged between my molars, which irritated me for 2 hours during the night before eventually getting back to sleep.

Having missed half the day we decided to travel by tuk-tuk and see the surrounding temples and sights. This proved difficult without a guide book but we were, of course, greeted by a friendly local who offered to take us all over the city, for the whole day, for 20 baht (30 pence). In return we walked into a taylor's and a jeweller's - and walked straight back out, allowing our Thai chauffeur to get free 'gasoline tokens' from the store owners. In the end he didn't even ask for his 20 baht so it was pretty good value at nothing. We visited the 'lucky buddha', a giant standing buddha, and some other temple I can't remember the name of. We walked home via the hill top temple from which we got an awesome panoramic view of the city and 3 hours later we were back at the KoahSan road. We're going to save the kickboxing for the return journey, so tonight just a few bars and an earlyish night before leaving for our flight tomorrow morning. Staying clear of Patpong... and fried insects... and locals of ambiguous gender...

Overall opinion of the city: fun but loud, busy and a bit tacky with all the sex tourists. It's a shame we can't see more of what Thailand has to offer in the north and the south, but I'll save that for another year.

Day 1 - Bangkok

Arrived in bangkok today after a long flight sitting in front of a little brat who Ali and I almost strangled. After eventually finding a hostel we went straight out onto the main strip to sample street food pumped full of MSG, cheap beer, and of course the obligatory sex show (ping pong / razors / candle flames etc). But not being able to take a piss without being molested by freaky Thai girls (boys?) brought us straight back home. Feeling pretty jet-lagged and in need of sleep - hopefully tomorrow we'll visit the floating market and perhaps a kickboxing fight in the evening. Really looking forward to getting out of here already though - too many Americans and sleazy tourists for my liking. Choi x

The British Summer

Inspired by an English graduate's eloquent account of himself and a lost Ukrainian in Russia, I decided to create a blog of my own. Ali and I will be travelling from Bangkok to Hanoi via Phnom Penh, taking in as much of Cambodia and Vietnam as possible. Today we're leaving the comfortable surroundings of Glasgow and Coventry, to embark upon a quest of spiritual enlightenment in Cambodia, sandy beaches in Vietnam, and debauchery in Bangkok (not really...) Since it hasn't stopped raining here for weeks, and half of Warwickshire is underwater, it would seem I've picked the perfect time to get away from England and its elusive summer - *smug*.