Cambodia

Well we made it to Cambodia! It took us two days to clear the boarder and make it to Phnom Penh, and we travelled many 100's miles on the Mekong Delta.

Our last few days in Vietnam we spent in Siagon. I know that officially its now called Ho Chi Minh City, but all the locas call it Siagon. We really enjoyed this city, although the heat change was really noticiable. We are now 35 deg during the mid day heat, which as you can imagine is great fun(!)

We recovered from our gruelling 25hr bus trip, and had a lie in, followed by a trip to the tour office to book our trip to the Ch Chi tunnels and 2day boat to Cambodia. At the tour office we met Stella and Peter - a retired english couple who now live in Spain. The nicest people you could hope to meet and we got on straight away. They have experienced the whole world and are such a vent of knowledge for travelling. Anyway we booked the same trips and you will hear much most about them further on.

The first day we spent travelling the city on foot, seeing the fantastic Notre Dame cathedrale and the turn of the centry French style post office. Both of these fab buildings are in the up market end of town, so we both fitted in so well! We had lunch overlooking both, writing post cards, which we then duly posted home. I hope you all receive them soon. Next we went to the presidential palace, still set to 1970's design. KH loved the decor, and I enjoyed seeing it. We chose not to take the guided tour, instead we hiked around this impressive building, interpreting it to our own ideas - much more fun. For instance the roof had been turned into a disco stage and bar area! And in the basement, there was a war bunker... and a million old style telephones. Oh and dad we have a special surprise from the kitchen area! Then we walked to the War Remenents Museum - a collection of propaganda photos from the war of independance. I have to say that some of them really were horrific. And they also had some cells from a local prison to show the torture they inflicted on prisoners. Not nice. And we took a CYCLO back to our hotel.

Day two and we have an early start as we head to the Cho Chi tunnels. We spent a great day with our new friends, and I got to try my luck in the tunnels are well as firing an AK47.... I crawled a short distance of 100m in the tunnels and came out coated in a thick layer of sweat and dust. It gave us a pretty good idea of life in the tunnels and I am not sure I would have got on well...

Then we began our boat trip up the delta with Stella and Peter, and a group of 28 to start with. It was cool in the breeze, the boat was good quality and food and company excelllant. Only downside was the bus trip at the end - cambodian roads make Poringland Road look like a motorway- there is next to no tarmac for our 50km ride into Phnom Penh. Fun as you can imagine in an overcrowded minibus.

And we have had today in Cambodia. Food is expensive here, but if we eat any cheaper we are not sure if we will spend the next few days in bed... On the lus side we are playing much less for our room. You win some, you lose some. We visited the genoside museums today. The torture place in PP., and the memourial mass grave site outside town. We also went to an old millitary site made into a shooting range. I tried my luck again this time with a M16. Great gun hardly any kickback! Dinner was at a restaurant called 'Friends'. It is charity run and helps to train street children into the hospitality trade, and then gets them good jobs in the posh hotels around town. Great Tapas food, with local Khumer food too.

Now we have a long hot night ahead of us, but at least we have a fan in our room. Soon we head to Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, hopefully with an elephant ride thrown in... And then on mum's birthday we have something even more special planned - a trek into the country to a widelife reserve to meet tigers, bears, elephants and even monkeys. In jeeps - am excited about the next week as you can probably tell.

There is nothing more I can add really now, so I will sign off for now. I look forward to your replies!

Much love,

Izzie :)x

I hope you are all safe