Phnom Penh to Siem Reap

Yesterday, we rose relatively early to pack out bags and get on the bus to go to Siem Reap (where we are now). However, before we left we visited the central market to look for some trinkets for ourselves, and a few bits we needed (none of which we found). We ended up haggling like demons for a rather fetching set of sarongs for the males. Before you jump to conclusions about the male members of the team, males in Cambodia wear sarongs quite often.

We also sampled some perculiar looking fruits, some of which had "weird red hairs" (Matt). The fruit was actually very tasty, and Matt would go as far as to say that they are tastier than any fruit in the UK.

The bus journey. We were dreading it before we got on the bus, as we knew it was a five hour journey to Siem Reap, and we didn't think the air-con would be much good. However, the air-con was good, and it was a fine journey. Along the way witnessed the way of life outside the urban areas, seeing lots of shanty houses and paddy fields. We also experienced our first monsoon rains. The flatness of the terrain was suprising, and if we saw a hill it was a big suprise.

Many amusing pictures were collected of various team-members sleeping. The most eventful period of the trip was when a microscopic spider started harmlessly crawling up the back of Sue and Amy's seat. Their cries of sheer horror attracted quite a bit of attention, until Tony stepped in to save the day. Hurrah. However, we do admit that we were perhaps a little inconsiderate by laughing.

Upon our arrival in Siem Reap, hoards of unwashed Tuk-Tuk drivers rushed to wave advertisments for their services in the bus window. When the bags were unloaded, we had to defend them from the drivers, who pressed in on us and tryed to drag our bags to their Tuk-Tuks. It was an interesting experience, to say in the least. At this moment we realised that we had left an equipment bag in Phnom Penh. Oops.

Fortunately, some Tuk-Tuks hired by the guesthouse we are staying at were there to give us safe passage. As we feared for our lives at this point, this came as a great relief. The guesthouse itself is very nice. It is large and well-furnished, with good rooms and a good restaurant. Even if the sink in one of the rooms has a tendancy to drain water onto the bathroom floor.

We unpacked and had tea down in the restaurant, followed by our team meeting, where we planned the next day and discussed one or two delicate issues that came up during the day. After this, we supposedly went to bed. Despite regretting staying up the night before, all of the males did the exact same thing again. Typical.

- Danny and Matt