wednesday 23rd - wrapping up cambodia. (sat 19th to wed 23rd)

So I'm sat on a bus heading out of Cambodia to Vietnam, this trip should take around 7 hours, I have slept over 2 since leaving this morning.

So let me try to bring this blog up to date and close off Cambodia by recounting and compressing the last few days into to a single short entry.

Saturday, woke up with a slightly sore eye so decided to stay out of the dusty streets for the morning. In the afternoon the group travelled a 4 hour bus trip that took 3 hours, were treated to some traditional dancing by a group of young boys and girls and shared drink and the evening with a local family in a rural village. The grouo all slept(?) In the same room under mosquito nets. Close proximity snoring and dull eye ache prevented me from getting any proper sleep. I don't think they were linked.

Sunday, woke up to a beautiful sunrise before taking a walk to see waterfalls and pools before breakfast. Some of the group swam in the waters but only one, young K. Grylls showed the ingenuity to create a clothes hanger from the resources around her, airing her wet clothes on the way back down the hill on the frame hoisted over her shoulder. Completely at home in her surroundings

We then travelled to the seaside town of Sihanoukville where our guide told us to keep close guard of belongings. The roads and buildings around the area towards where our hotel was located were scruffy or unfinished, or scruffy and unfinished, take your choice. The beach itself was nice but you have to navigate through the small hoarde of persuasive young children selling trinkets and fireworks or be ready for the odd person missing a limb who would appear cap in hand over your shoulder whilst you drank or ate. There are private beaches nearby where this does not occur though if it's not your thing.

In the evening the beach looks stunning with beach lanterns, lights and comfy chairs outside the bars that lie along the coast. Here we drank heartily and someone spiked my tonic with gin. Later young Kirsty would show her resourcefulness again, beating me 2-1 on a wobbly pool table, with wobbly cues in a wobbly bar on a wobbly beach.

With a couple of us still left, with me propping up the wobbly bar, a young scottish lass who was working behind it asked me "does your friend know that one of those girls he's with is a man?". I reassured her with the kind, heartfelt words, "I'm sure he'll find out at some point"

Monday, I was ready for breakfast at 3pm prompt, then spent the rest of the day dipping in and of the the hotel swimming pool.

I nearly got harpooned, twice. Never float with you're blow hole sunny side up, it's an old saying somewhere.....

Tuesday. Early start back and 4 hour public bus journey back to Phnom Phen, this time though it was a luxury double decker with nice reclining seats and enough leg space at the front to stretch my legs out fully. My legs reached the capital 6 minutes before the rest of me caught up.  The afternoon was spent the afternoon walking to, around from the Central Market (an impressive communist style structure) stocking up on t-shirts, new prescription sunglasses and looking for a replacement for my cap which I had left behind at the hotel that morning. I replaced my lost Bambou Indochine cap from Siem Reap with a Bambou Indochine cap from Phnom Phen, only this time I didn't buy 3 shirts in store to get it.

So up to today. Wednesday 23rd October 2013 and we crossed into Vietnam at 1pm after 4 hours travel, ending my Cambodian part of this journey. It's been a hectic period and I have seen and experienced things that I will never forget from both ends of the emotional spectrum. I'm now looking forward to what Vietnam has to offer while I explore things here at a more leisurely pace, my body has let me know that maybe its been pushed a little too hard lately.

Tonight is our final meal as a group before we each go our seperate ways.
It's been hectic fun and I couldn't have wished to spend the time with a nicer group of people, and I hope that they all enjoy wherever life takes them next, some have some intersting journeys ahead I'm sute.