18th-21st Feb Cambodia

Enough background, back to my travels.

The following day we got up at 4.30 to leave early enough to see the sun rise over Angkor Wat (the largest temple, not the name of the whole complex of over 100 temples). Not many things would get me up that early, but it was truly worth it. We then had a tour of the temple, and the carvings rival anything I've seen anywhere else in the world. It was originally a Hindu complex, but developed into a Buddhist centre over a few centuries.

When its too hot to stand in the sun at 8.00am, you find shade... So we had breakfast for 2 hrs to cool down. Then another large temple and back to the hotel for a much needed nap.

Refreshed we headed off by boat to the Mekong river and a floating town. As the lake floods in the wet season the houses can then move with it closer to the shore. They are really self sufficient , with even a crocodile farm!

Home via the hammock bar- fairly self explanatory, and a cold beer. Unfortunately it was that night the jet lag caught up and my body clock went mad. An entire night watching bad films and trying not to attack the prickly heat rash covering my entire body!

The next day was slightly later, with a 7.30 start! More amazing temples, my favourite being all the elephant carvings in full battle. But the best had been saved till last, with Ta Prohm. This is where the first tomb raider was filmed. All ruins and bayon trees rooted into the stone. We stayed till sunset and the parrots,gibbons etc came out to play. Obviously Angelina Jolie is a national heroine and mention her and you're friends for life!

We also visited the landmine museum. We were shown round by one of the orphans living there,supported by one man who set up the centre and spends his day personally clearing over 1000 mines a day on the Thai boarder. 3 people still die a day, and with over a million bombs still in Cambodia it'll take 20 yrs to clear. Some of us then went back via the children's hospital to give blood - funnily enough much cleaner than the NHS hospital I had had my injections in before this trip.

The next day was 'free', which meant a lie in and shopping in the markets! Heaven. Then that afternoon we went down to Phnom Pehn.