Travelling

After settling the bill, we had to move on. Leaving behind the totally 'wild' family, friends and the 5 adorable dogs of our homestay! We had a great Christmas in their company and they certainly made it one to remember.

A car, a jeepney, a bus, a ferry... oh, and another bus and a tricycle ride later we arrived back at Moalboal. This is our chosen spot to spend New Year.

On our journey we spotted another jeepney with a live pig strapped to the back! Plus, tonight there is a huge cockerel fight in the town as it is New Year but we are going to avoid that.

We had lunch in a small cafe before heading to the beach. The carol singers were out in force singing many songs for the New Year. Their repertoire included many Christmas songs too!

Apo Island

The dive boat was leaving at 8 am to take us to Apo Island. Darryl hurried to the bakery before we left to grab a couple of cakes for the journey. We left in the small black truck, packed full of dive equipment and headed to the boat.

The main boat's engine was having repairs made to the cooling system, so we hopped aboard a much smaller outrigger and headed out to sea. It was fairly choppy due to the wind and we got a little wet! The journey took approximately 45 minutes and the huge dark rock on the horizon gradually grew bigger and distinctly more like ... a tropical island paradise. Little nipa homes and coconut trees lined a small stretch of beach and it all looked very enticing!

The boat was moored to a buoy, we set up our dive gear and jumped in. Unfortunately Christine couldn't dive, so snorkelled and Darryl continued with the others in the group. The coral was stunningly beautiful and in pristine condition. The colours exquisite! Turtles were seen, a sea snake spotted and a wide variety of nudibranchs caught our attention. Fish everywhere! After the dive and a short rest, we headed back into the water for a second dive. Equally as rewarding as the first with various stone fish, scorpion fish and many other critters pointed out by the divemaster. A great dive in a lovely location.

We headed to the beach for lunch and a short stroll around the island. A number of people were cliff diving into the crystal clear water but one girl was a little scared. We watched in anticipation. Would she jump? Maybe, maybe not... she eventually plucked up the courage and in she went! We had a little look around the small local alleyways and then met back at the boat. We left Apo Island behind and headed back to Negros.

After the short journey back to our homestay in the truck we sat back and rested for a while before ... the birthday party of our homestay host started, in the garden! Freshly prepared food appeared from everywhere. There was a raw fish dish made from wahoo (a long thin super fast fish), homemade sausages and burgers, delicious spring rolls, fresh salad, mango. Basically a feast! The karaoke machine and its Filipino fans took centre stage until the special guests appeared! A Filipino samba band, with a variety of drums and a weird arrangement of plastic pipes and cow bells. They sounded fantastic and were accompanied by 3 fire dancers who were increbibly talented too. Wow, what a party! Everyone had a great time and didn't make it to bed until the early hours. What a day!

No hurries, no worries

We are beginning to settle into the daily Philippine routine...

Wake up
Breakfast
Beach
Lunch
Beach
Dinner
Party
Sleep Zzzzzzzzz

Boxing Day

Early to rise, ready for some Dauin diving! Darryl headed off to the small port area about 10 minutes drive to dive on the remains of an old pier. There were a few small fishermen's huts and one ship loading up in the port, but that was it! Looking out to sea you could see a plain, grey concrete block rising from the ocean about 50m away. That was where we were heading!

We got our dive equipment ready and walked in from the beach. The bottom was sand, scattered with various reminders of life assure ... rubbish! Out of the darkness appeared great pillars leading from the seabed to the surface. As we grew closer the color changed from a black, murky haze to a magnificent variety of reds, greens, blues,oranges, yellows and pinks! It was spectacular to see! Closer examination revealed the most magnificent variety of soft corals, sponge and marine life. We saw a number of beautiful nudibranchs, seahorses, frog fish but the highlight was a tiny flamboyant cuttle fish continually changing colour. Wow!

On returning to dry land, we took off our diving gear and jumped back in the truck to head home. Mistake ... we had to go backwards out of the parking spot and reverse gear didn't work. Out we got and pushed!

After a short rest we ate lunch at the market!. There was a nice selection of food on offer. We bought 2 different dishes to share for lunch and another 2 to take home for dinner!

In the afternoon we enjoyed snorkelling off the beach. We spotted 2 different types of moray eels hunting for their food and we saw many large garden eels in the sandy area.

A number of new families arrived this afternoon and some are staying at our homestay, others elsewhere in the village as ourd only has 2 rooms!

Chatting on the decking with the new arrivals provided the evening entertainment.

Christmas Day

We didn't see most people until the afternoon. They had wisely spent the morning sleeping after their late night! We however were up and out enjoying being by the beach and making the most of swimming in the clear warm water. There was a lot of divers out today and many locals were enjoying the beachside cafes (shacks).

The rest of the day was spent talking on the decking, with the odd interlude for food! Friends of the family popped in and sometimes stayed a while ...

Christmas Eve

It is Christmas Eve today. The first thing we did was head to the beach to spend some time with the fish! Snorkelling was great, the fish here in the Dauin marine sanctuary are huge! There are so many varieties that are different to the last reef in Moalboal. Dauin is fairly well known to the macro dive photgrapher (likes taking close ups) for the weird and wonderful creatures that live on the sandy areas. It is a great spot to see some of the more unusual tiny animals such as the flamboyant cuttle fish, pygmy seahorse and blue ringed octopus. Darryl managed to spot a seashorse and was of great interest to a remora (sucker fish), who followed him everywhere!

Whilst at the beach a local family were collecting coconuts. They had cut small steps into the tree to make the task of climbing to the top a little easier. As we walked past, the coconuts fell from the tree and made us jump! The family found this hilarious and gave us a coconut each as a Christmas present. How generous of them, the people here are so kind!

Lunch today was 'blood' with pork pieces. Mmm... tasty but very rich!

After Christine had finished adding the chocolate sprinkles to the the beautifully prepared trifle, we made our way to Christmas dinner. In the Philippines it is traditional to have this on 24th December. We were given the job of helping the children pass rice (a gift) to the carol singers from the balcony. The owners of the house had rigged a clever pulley system to deliver the rice in a light bucket! You pulled the rope and the bucket was sent down towards the front gate for the carol singers to take the rice. Very cool!

Dinner was an amazing mix of international cuisine that each person at the party had carefully prepared. From Hungarian goulash made by a German to home made chocolate coated marzipan, which was truly divine and Darryl's favourite! Other contributions included fresh prawns provided by the Thai chap whose family own a fish farm. Rice pudding was carefully prepared by a Norweign, fish and vegetable skewers by a Filipino lady and the most amazing caramel potatoes (Christine loved these!) and roast pork provided by the Danish. The list goes on.... caramel tart made by the Swiss, garlic peanuts by the French and it was all soooo good!

We had a special visit from huge rhino beetle and Santa Claus managed to find the time to drop by and deliver everyone a Christmas present. The kids and Christine were so excited! One of the little boys got a nice bike and we received a beautiful painting, painted by a Danish artist at the party.

Following dinner we walked back across the street and checked out the carol singing coming from the old Spanish village church. After fireworks on the beach the party continued on the decking back at our homestay, long into the night!

On the move

After enjoying our breakfast of sticky coconut rice and toast with coconut jam, we left our hostel to find a bank. We tried a lot of different banks but they all limited withdrawals for international cards to a fairly small amount. As we were heading to Dauin, with no ATM, we wanted to take out a little more so we didn't run out over Christmas ....

A jeepney was our cheapest transport option to get us to Dauin, so we found a brightly coloured one and jumped in the back. So did many other people and we were packed like sardines! 20 mins later we were dropped at the Dauin market.

After searching the beach, we found our homestay for the coming week. The family were so welcoming but just a little crazy! They really made us feel at home and invited us to their big Christmas party tomorrow. We wanted to contribute to the celebration so headed to the market to see what we could buy. We decided on trying to make a delicious trifle ... We found some of the ingredients we needed and improvised on others. We even found coconut flavour Jelly in a tiny store. To say it is coloured green is a huge understatement. This 'stuff' virtually glows in the dark and we dare not check the ingredients for 'E' numbers ...

In the centre of Dauin there is a Christmas tree competition. The local sports pitch is full of giant Christmas trees, all beautifully decorated in various lights and baubles. However, one is different! It stands about 10 metres tall and is decorated to look like a coral reef. It truly is amazing with different types of fish, crabs, seaweed, and has to be seen to be believed!

Tonight, we watched the local Dauin Christmas concert outside the 'town hall'. The first act was a male singer who sang beautifully in Tagalog and played his guitar. 2nd up was a young fellow who treated us to a song we knew, We Raise You Up, sang in English! Everyone stood for the national anthem before 5 banjo (not sure of the Filipino name) players took the stage. Following this various dance groups performed to 70's medleys but the highlight of the evening was the very funny take off, off Miss World called 'Queen of the World'. To cut a long story short, the final 4 contestants were all men, very much in touch with their feminine side. They each had to take centre stage and answer various questions that were designed to be hilarious. And they truly were!

Greetings

Over coffee this morning we caught a glimpse of the local paper. Unbelievable... a few days ago a small bomb went off in Dumaguete! We're glad we're about to head for the remote beaches in Dauin.... World peace seems a long way off!

Today we've had a good look around Dumaguete. Most places are open even though today is Sunday. The local security guards at the shopping centres and the retail staff are so friendly. They open the doors for you, smile genuinely and greet you with "Good Morning Sir / Ma"am!"

We enjoyed lunch at the 'mall' which was really good and a little different from the normal foods we find on the street. One store had a whole floor of Christmas decorations and Christmas trees in every colour! On the promenade we spotted some ladies sitting chatting in the shade. They had a tray of what looked like cakes for sale. They looked a little unusual, so we stopped and asked the ladies what they were and could we please buy some. "Not for sale" came the response and a detailed explanation of what they were followed. The lady then tried to give us half of her personal cakes for free! So generous but we couldn't possibly.... We did try a little and they turned out to be a divine mix of corn, peanuts and some kind of jelly! Mmmm

When it got dark we headed along to visit the Christmas House. We were not allowed inside as there was a private dinner party in the grounds, but we looked on through the fence. It was beautifully decorated with Christmas lights, Christmas trees, you name it, Christmas everything! It really was spectacular! The photo really doesn't do it justice....

Dumaguete

First thing this morning we left Panagsama beach and took a tricycle to Moalboal centre. Next, we caught the local bus to Bato and then the Maayo ferry to Tampi on Negros island. (Fact, the conductors who sell tickets keep the different denominations of notes neatly tucked between their fingers). Then, we caught a bus heading to Dumaguete that dropped us near our hostel! It took most of the morning to arrive and when we caught the bus to Dumaguete, we actually got the one coming from Cebu City which was riding on our the ferry! It was packed and sitting on a little stool in the isle of a brand new, big aircon bus, with free wifi seemed a little weird! At a little stall we bought some drinks. There wasn't a huge range so we settled for the globally recognisable 'Coca Cola'. It came in the classic style glass bottles. The shop keeper gets a deposit when he hands the bottles back so they don't like you to take them away. Instead they prefer to pour your coke into a clear little plastic bag and give you a straw!

Dumaguete seems nice. It's a busy little university town. Much more relaxed than Cebu City or Manila, which has some 'no go' areas. On the news yesterday, we saw that there had been a shooting at Terminal 3 Manila airport. That is where we arrived, yikes!

Walking along the promenade was enjoyable and some very old fire engines caught our attention. It turned out to be the main fire station, where the friendly fire crews were enjoying their Christmas party.

Whilst we were exploring, we came across the central market. It was packed with second hand clothes stalls. Most of the items came from overseas, USA, UK etc. The items were priced generally around 10 pesos for a shirt or trousers. Considering there are over 70 pesos to the pound, these were real cheap! We think the items could have been donated to the Philippines possibly by charities or sold to them by the people who buy clothes per kg back home ...

Later we headed to the promenade to find some food at the night market. There must have been 50 food stalls! Great we thought, we can try many a wonderful variety of different things. However, we were a little hasty in our excitement. Every single stall sold exactly the same.... processed squid balls on a stick or tempura! All 50 of them!

We have just received news that on Sunday in Thailand there will be a huge protest in Bangkok. They are predicting 2 - 3 million protesters aiming to gridlock the city! The protests have remained non violent but one of the newspapers in Bangkok talks of possible civil war! Why are we paying such close attention? We fly back to Bangkok early January... fingers crossed all will be resolved.

So easy ...

Today has been our last day in Moalboal but we have loved it so much we are coming back for New Year!

It has been great staying on the beach with access to the coral on our doorstep. Everyday we have seen so many different 'creatures' that live amongst the reef. Today we spotted some unusual fish ... half blue / half yellow, hiding amongst the coral. Oh, and a white nudibranch that we've never seen before anywhere!

We ate lunch at Gee Gee's place, the amazing Filipino cook. Today, we tried some lovely vegetable combination and egg plant. The egg plant is so good!

We tried a new lady's fair in the evening. She had on offer some weird looking pickled seaweed which we tried. It was quite nice but the texture a little unusual. We followed this with 'halo halo', a local dessert made with crushed ice, mixed fruit, jelly, cornflakes and evaporated milk. Just in case it's not sweet enough, it is sprinkled with sugar. Mmmm.

We need to pack our bags for the first time in a while. Can Christine fit in her new .... 'glow in the dark' flip flops? Such dilemmas. Tomorrow we head to Negros, the next island of the Visayas. That'll be 2 out of the 7000 we have visited. Only 6998 to go!

As we are on the move and just in case we have no internet access over the next few days...

Merry Christmas to everyone from us!

Paid up

Last night, Darryl woke up about 1 o'clock a little startled and asked for the torch so he could look around. He was a little cagey but eventually told all! He was woken up by a huge cockroach crawling across his face, so he flicked it off and wanted to look for it with the torch! No idea how it crawled under the mosquito net but Darryl said there was a strong oily/fishy smell for the rest of the night....possibly left behind by the creepy critter. Cockroaches get everywhere, our room is nice and spotlessly clean!

This morning we settled the dive bill with the dive centre, who were excellent! We are coming back to Moalboal so will use them again for sure. Really nice people.

Darryl snorkelled by himself today whilst Christine sat in the shade reading her book. The water was incredibly warm today, like a bath, wonderful! One unusual red and white fish that was spotted today, turned out to be a juvenile from the wrasse family. Really incredible colours! There were 2 huge Cowrie shells too and a black and green nudibranch.

We ate lunch at a local cafe, more like a house, which has become our favourite. The lady who owns it cooks fresh Filipino food everyday for us to try. We've had fish, many kinds of fresh vegetables, delicious pork and soups. She usually sells out before lunchtime and shuts shop, so we now get her to 'stash' a few bowls away in her cupboard for us!

In the evening we enjoyed a BBQ with pork coated in delicious sauce. And...we were treated to real carol singers tonight with instruments whilst we ate. Great!

Turtles everywhere!

We joined the dive boat today to head to the dive site named Tonga. Although we were only snorkelling we were lucky enough to see 4 turtles! One was so close and didn't flinch as we drifted on by. Christine is the chief spotter and is really good at finding unusual things. Today she spotted in amongst the rocks a highly venomous sea snake! Luckily, they have tiny little mouths so would struggle to bite us! Often they are really inquisitive and love to get up close to people, but this one stayed his distance. We saw a number of graceful lion fish too, which are really beautiful, but get too close and their spines give a nasty sting!

After dinner we spent the rest of the evening in the internet cafe, uploading photos and chatting to the lovely lady running it. So, take a peek at Asia 3...

Pescador Island

Alarm clock woke us up .... again! Today is diving day. We are off on a dive boat to Pescador Island. It is a little, uninhibited island in the middle of the ocean!

We got our equipment ready, jumped on the boat and off we went.Christine was the first in the water. All keen and raring to go! Unfortunately she had problems clearing her ears, which is common in diving and had to snorkel this time instead. Darryl continued with the rest of the group and saw some wonderful things. Big emperor angel fish, scorpion fish and gigantic hard corals.

We both snorkelled the other side of the island together whilst the divers were off for their second dive. We could see their bubbles rising from the depths but not them, as they were to deep.

Back on dry land, we were serenaded by the local children with beautifully sung Christmas carols. They know quite a lot of the words to We Wish You A Merry Christmas and Jingle Bells! Darryl joined in for the chorus. Christine thought she'd frighten the little children too much, so refrained from joining in and gave them each a coin!

On the high seas

This morning it wasn't the local cockerels that woke us up, nor the call to prayer but our old friend - the alarm clock! We were going to see if we could get ourselves on a dive boat heading for Pescador Island for a spot of diving....

Unfortunately, our chosen dive shop wasn't diving at the island today but heading to 2 other spots named Umberella and Dolphin House. We decided not to dive but joined the dive trip as snorkellers! Both reefs were wonderful and we saw lots of new things. There was a number of colourful nudibranchs which were hard to spot and a bright yellow box fish which stood out a mile.

In the evening we treated ourselves to Pizza at a restaurant on the beach which overlooked the crystal clear water. It was a beautiful setting and a great pizza :-)

Loving every minute

We woke up late after a busy night trying to book flights!

First, we nipped out to buy our lunch from the local kiosk before taking the plunge at the beach. Today we walked a little further to try snorkelling in a different spot.

Once again we saw some wonderful things and this time, it was the 2 beautiful lion fish which really caught our attention.

In the evening we were told a local bar was holding its 10th anniversary party and everyone was invited. We went along and sure enough, there was a great party. All food and drinks were free! They even had a whole roast pig, which was delicous. A live band played reggae into the night!

So spoilt

Today we headed out to the reef again, this time to try snorkelling in a slightly different spot.

The coral is really in pristine condition, even though the local boats anchor on it at night. We saw a lot of different species of fish today. Some beautiful pink anthias and a spotted moray eel leaving his hole. Oh, and of course a couple of elegant turtles!

The whole place is teeming with marine life and it's really wonderful to see. Many reefs are bleached which happens when the water temperature rises and the coral dies, leaving behind the white limestone skeleton (global warming?) We haven't seen any Crown of Thorns starfish which is great news, as they can devour a reef in no time! And, from what we've witnessed there has been no dynamite fishing that blows the reef apart. The locals are fishing using hand lines to catch the sardines one at a time, which is perfect! We were thinking of going to try and catch a glimpse of the largest fish in the sea, the whaleshark at Oslob. However, they attract the sharks by feeding them, which we totally disagree with! They also allow scuba diving with the sharks which is rightfully banned in other countries due to the noise and irritation of the bubbles on the sharks. They should STOP!

Simply beautiful

Today was our first 'real' day at Moalboal. Well rested, we woke up and headed for the beach! The beach is not world class with plenty of rocks to clamber on. However the snorkelling is AMAZING!

Our room is on the beach, so accessing the reef is really easy. Snorkels on and we headed in! The coral is so beautiful. There is every kind on dispay here and it is in great condition unlike in many other places! Schools of sardines hung around the reef in their millions, often parting when a predator came along and then darting back together. We saw many different types of fish, from clown fish to parrot fish. The colours sensational! We also spent some time swimming along with a couple of turtles which was wonderful. They are so graceful, not a care in the world. Snorkelling here is world class and we can't wait to dive Pescador Island, a short boat trip away.

We watched the sunset at the beach before heading home...

Travel

Our flight to the Manila in the Philippines was only half an hour late. However, we then had to wait about 5 hours to connect to another island, Cebu in the Visayas.

The flight to Cebu came and went. We arrived, grabbed a taxi and headed across Cebu City to the southern bus station. The taxi ride was really far but so cheap compared to Bournemouth!

We immediately caught the next bus leaving for the tiny village by the sea,Moalboal. We were getting fairly tired from travelling and hungry too!

Luckily, a man got on the bus selling his freshly made ... Dunkin' Donuts! We couldn't resist and a bag was purchased! Darryl enjoyed them, whilst watching English movies on the bus. Whilst Christine pretty much slept the whole journey!

The bus driving had intensified and we were glad to arrive. A food stop was calling and we enjoyed a local Philippine dish, as we needed the energy. Next, we caught a tricycle (tuk tuk) to the beach. Moalboal has one of the top dive sites in the Philippines, even the world, and we are itching to explore this underwater world!

Last day in Thailand

We checked out of the hotel then spent the day slowly heading to the bus stop for the airports. We explored the shopping centres and many small local restautants before we arrived at the bus... We found one shop that was a little 'unusual' for Thailand, so took a picture!

Finding out information about the bus was easy, however somehow we didn't discover the whole story! The bus stop we'd walked to, charged double but the bus stop the other side of town charged only half of the price. No logic, they are both the same bus company, they are both the same distance from Bangkok!

We got an early bus to get us to the airport with plenty of time to spare.

Tomorrow...The Philippines!

Koh Lan

After a little 'lie-in' and time spent washing our clothes, we headed to Koh Lan. It is a little island off the coast of Pattaya. We were expecting no tropical paradise as it is used by people on weekend breaks from Bangkok. Oh, and masses of package tourists too!

We joined the crowds and found some of the lasts seats on the boat. It was a very comfortable journey to Koh Lan and really nice to be out on the sea again. When we arrived, we were met by hoards of motorcycle taxis ready to ship us off to the beaches with the other tourists. We ignored their banter and headed in the opposite direction to everyone else. We figured that would be the only way to avoid the masses of deck chairs, numerous noisey jet skis and speeding parascending boats!

We found a quiet spot with no one around and settled down under a shady tree. The beach wasn't perfect but we had it pretty much to ourselves. It had a few rocks to swim around with our snorkels and there were a number of different fish. About 10 metres from the shore, on the bottom, was rubbish that didn't float and plenty of it! Over to the far side of the beach was all of the debris from the sea that had washed up on shore. Plastic bags, bottles, polystyrene and many other items! It's certainly not the first time we've seen an area decimated by 'plastic' that has been irresponsibly disguarded and we're sure it won't be the last.

Please try not to use plastic bags, use the bags for life. Please try to refill plastic bottles or recycle them. Please encourage the use of recyclable fast food containers, etc, etc, etc...

In England we are encouraged to be responsible and care about our environment. Unfortunately, with our own eyes we are witnessing the damage caused to these once beautiful places by lack of education, understanding and greed!

Beach

We woke up, got our things packed and headed straight for the train. We are off to the beach for a few days!

The nearest beach is Pattaya about 2 hours drive from Bangkok. We however, took the train which took 4 hours! But, it cost less than half at around 60p. The journey passed through some nice rural areas with plenty to see.

When we arrived we searched for a cheap hotel. Each place we asked was at least 4 times what we had paid in the rest of Thailand! Eventually we found a reasonably priced and clean place, but it took 2 hours of trudging the back streets. The whole area is bars, hotels,restaurants and souvenir shops to relieve the tourists of their cash. Construction continues ...

There are loads of tourists from Russia, loads of tourists from China, many British and a few Thais in Pattaya! It is an 'interesting' place that many package tourists visit. Even the Thais we have met behave very differently towards us. The friendly 'land of smiles' image the Thai people are well known for certainly didn't originate here. Of course, this is a rather sweeping statement and many are still wonderful, we just haven't met them.

We weaved our way from the hotel to the beach through the tiny lanes and we both commented, 'we'll never find our way back!'

Darryl decided to have his hair cut. We found a cheap barber in the centre. It all started fairly well but after the 'unwanted hair washing' afterwards, too fast to really prevent, and, the attempt at ear cleaning which was easier to prevent, the price doubled to an unrealistic and undeserved amount! Darryl refused to pay for the uninvited add-ons. However Christine noticed the man before us parted with at least 4 times his original amount! Scam lesson 1, if it is too good to be true, it probably is. From what we have seen of Pattaya so far , this 'scamming' seems fairly common practice, unseen in the other beautiful parts of Thailand we have visited.

We checked out Walking Street which was a total contrast to the one in Sangkhlaburi. Sangkhlaburi was a truly wonderful experience, Pattaya was, let's say, rather different and packed with tourist groups following tour guide flags.

We headed home thinking to ourselves that if you visited on a short holiday here, you would not have seen any of the wonders of Thailand but only every disadvantage that mass tourism appears to bring!

Our journey home continued and we asked directions many times, each time pointed in a different direction. It seemed no one really knew where the hotel was. We had the address of the hotel on a card and even a small map, but do you think we could find it in the dark!

A little later than expected we arrived at the hotel after a fun but 'different to the usual', day.

Walking tour

We spent the day in Bangkok on a walking tour devised by ourselves. We left the hotel and headed to China town. Many colourful temples, but we just missed a Chinese show at one of them. The costumes looked great! We followed the route of the river so we wouldn't get too lost. We stumbled across a huge flower market, with many different types and beautiful arrangements.

We continued near Wat Po and the Grand Palace before heading to Democracy Monument, passing hundreds of little nik nak stalls. Democracy Monument was full of people selling whistles, Thai flags and anti Government t-shirts. There was still a few protesters around, but tomorrow it may be a very different story! The backpacker hangout, Kao San Road was our next stop. It was full of market stalls selling clothes, cheap'ish' guesthouses and restaurants.

The journey back was made via the fast river ferry. Today, it wasn't too fast as it was really heavily packed with people, slowing it down a little. When we got off we caught the Skytrain (a metro system above the roads) to the area of Siam, packed with shopping centres. The Christmas decorations are stunning! A quick look around before we put our feet up to eat and listen to the live music outside. There were 2 great singers on the Singha stage, that kept us transfixed!

It was getting late now and we were flagging a little. Only one more place to see. Tonight in Lumphini Park there was a street show. 10 stages scattered all over the park, each with a different variety of street acts. As we had arrived fairly late, we only had time to watch a street puppetry performance. It was really good. We didn't understand all of it, but it involved an elephant made from a sheet, which was really clever!

A long day, but we experienced so many parts of Bangkok often not seen by the masses and we really enjoyed it.

Early risers

The train to Bangkok from Nam Tok left early so we were up at 4.15. We had to walk 20 mins to the station past the sleeping stray dogs. They were not sleeping for long! Each dog woke to bark, which woke the next...

The train journey was rather pleasant, through picturesque countryside. Overall, we were on the train for about 5 hours. In the beginning the wind through the open windows was c..c..cold but as the sun rose, it soon warmed up.

We arrived at Thon Buri and tried our luck with Bangkok bus 157. It skirted across the city from one side to the next. Of course it took forever as the traffic in Banglok hardly moves, due to congestion! But, it got us all the way to Chatacuk Weekend market, one of the largest in the world!

There were no hotels in the area, so we had to change our plans. There was a huge shopping centre next to the market, so we left our bags with the security guard at the supermarket. Now, we could explore the market, unhindered! It was huge. You could buy everything and anything. Signs helped you navigate the labyrinth of alleyways. Christine's eyes lit up at every clothes store...

After collecting our bags we caught the metro to Sukhumvit to try to find a place to sleep. Wow, there were huge hotel chains which cost a lot. There were small seedy looking hotels which cost at least 4 times what we were used to paying in the country! We jumped back on the metro to a different area.

We eventually found a room for a good price in Hualampong, near the main train station. We ventured out to eat, then collapsed in our bed after a long but adventurous day!

Hellfire Pass

After coffee, we caught the bus towards Sangkhlaburi. This time we were getting off at the Hellfire Pass Memorial Museum.

The museum tells the somber story of the WWII prisoners of war and the Asian labourers, who built the railway between Burma (Myanmar) and Thailand. The name 'Hellfire Pass' comes from the fires lit while the men worked.

The pain and suffering of the soldiers is truly beyond comprehension. The museum has a 4km walk along the original rail bed, where you get to see various cuttings through solid rock. The cuttings were manually cut with hammers and drill bits, allowing the train to pass through. You also get to see various sites where bridges were built, using only materials from the jungle. And, the craters where bombs were dropped by Allied forces.

The whole experience was one we shall never forget and we learnt so much. For example; The British engineers, who surveyed the area before the war, predicted 6 years were required to build the railway. The actual railway was built in 15 months!

This really highlighted to us the terrible conditions the prisoners must have been forced to work under. Working 16 hours a day, a little rice to eat, every tropical disease going; malaria, cholera, dysentry... horrendous beatings by the Japanese! About half the workforce died, thousand upon thousands of men.

The photos, drawings and videos showing the men suffering terribly from malnutrition were haunting. The descriptions of the tropical ulsers the men suffered, harrowing.

Whilst we walked the rail bed, we listened to the audio guide provided. It explained everything so well and with such dignity. An amazing, though upsetting day for us ... but one we shall remember.

There was a poem written by a doctor, who was also a POW. The poem was entitled 'Mates' and talked of how you can get through anything as long as your mate is beside you. A mate was all these men had to keep them alive ...

King's birthday

Darryl woke up fairly early so headed to the hotel reception for a cup of coffee. He got talking to 2 friendly Thai people eating their breakfast. They very kindly asked him to join them. It turns out that they were from Bangkok and having a golfing holiday. Darryl asked lots of questions about the king's birthday celebrations as it was on TV in the room. The man spoke great English and had travelled all over Europe, been to university in America and had dinner with the king several times, the world's longest surving monach! He was possibly one of Thailand's top doctors and a really friendly man! You never know who you might be sharing toast and peanut butter with! Whilst we were talking, the owner of the hotel turned up dressed in an immaculate white Government uniform for the celebrations. She looked really smart!

Eventually rather later than scheduled, we left town and headed for Hellfire Pass. The famous cutting through the mountain built by the prisoners of war for the railway to run from Burma. We called, what we thought was the office, to make sure it was open. But, although they said it probably was - it was closed for the king's birthday celebrations.

We waited for the bus which is every hour and jumped on to the next town of Nam Tok. Quickly found a place to stay and headed to a local waterfall. Nam Tok means waterfall and there are many nearby! We both ventured into the cool water and joined the Thai people enjoying the national holiday and bus loads of Russian tourists! It was really interesting watching the Russian tourists pose and pout for every photo. Something very culturally different from English people. The Thai people often entered the water fully clothed and often in their yellow (King's colour) t-shirt they were wearing for the celebrations.

In the evening we enjoyed our meal with an incredible view of the mountains. We watched a fireworks display, from a distance and many Chinese Lanterns launched into the night!

Hindad Hot Springs

There appears to be a truce in Bangkok. No protest news today!

We caught the big, red local bus towards Kanchanaburi. We weren't sure if the driver went so slowly because he was 'super chilled out' or the bus could not go any faster! When we arrived at our destination the driver gave us a nod. We had arrived at the hot springs the lady at the hotel had told us about. It wasn't mentioned in our guide book so as it's a weekday we expected the pools to ourselves! As we walked 200m to the pool a dog decided to follow us, rather too closely. We couldn't tell what he was trying to do. Was he trying to bite our ankles? Usually the dogs are either really sleepy and open one eye as you pass or growl and act aggressively to protect their territory! Not this one, he eventually backed off.

As we arrived at the springs, so did coach after coach of tourists. Hundreds of them. The little pools were almost full to bursting! A lovely area, next to the river totally transformed from ultimate tranquility to a monster maul! Luckily, their time there was short before their tour left and the springs returned to a shady, relaxing spot amongst the trees!

We had several dips in the very hot pool followed by wonderfully refreshing dips in the ice cold river, that flowed by. To rehydrate ourselves afterwards we shared a huge, chilled coconut full of delicious coconut milk. Walking back to the bus stop we picked up a bottle of water for the journey and guess who we met in the shop? The same dog again! It turns out he was the owner's dog, really friendly and just wanted to lick us ... a lot!

The bus 'home' drove rather faster and got us back in no time! We picked up a few goodies from the market and then ... relaxed a little bit more.

We climbed to the top of the hill to visit a temple and enjoy the views, which were spectacular. We watched the sunset and then started descending the steps steps home. At 6 o'clock another, lower temple range it's bells. It must have been a cleverly remembered sign for every stray dog in the area (literally hundreds). At the top of their voices, they all howled along with the sound of the bells! The sound was incredible...

Kicked out!

We saw the daily telegraph pictures this morning showing increased violence in Bangkok. We also saw that it featured as the main story on Channel 4 news last night. Glad we're not in Bangkok!

We had a nice relaxing day planned for today. A quiet walk first thing to the river for a coffee. Then a swim and a spot of reading in the shade...

However, when we tried to extend our hotel stay, we were told our room was booked out for the night. The hotel was full! We tried a few more places, also full! We had 2 options to stay.

1) A sweet little old lady had a room she rented out.

2) Rent a tent in the garden of a local homestay.

We deliberated for a while but decided to leave town as we'd done all of the things we wanted to do! As we made our decision and started to walk to the bus stop, which was quite far, a big 4WD pickup pulled up. Inside was a nice friendly villager who offered us a lift to the bus stop. We jumped in the back of the pick up and off we went. So kind!

The mini-bus left almost immediately to take us toThong Pha Phum. The journey went real quick (Zzzzz)...and we found a hotel across the street from the bus stop. We dropped our bags and headed out to see what we could find. There was a temple on the top of a hill, really high up. So, we headed that way to see if we could visit tomorrow. The journey took us across a fast flowing river on a cool suspension bridge! A little wobbly but great. It started getting dark so we headed back and we'll set off earlier tomorrow and try to make it to the top.

We spent the rest of the evening eating! It was great food, chicken noodle soup, tom yam soup and chocolate doughnuts!

There seems to be no western tourists here and everyone is really friendly! In the hotel we were using our phones to research on the Internet when the owner's son (age 30 ish) came to sit with us. He couldn't speak English and was mesmorised by the phones. He kept taking them from us, mid task and having a little go at swiping the screen. When he realised they had cameras we both had to have our photos taken with him several times! Great fun!

5.30am polishing shoes!

The army were up really early polishing their shoes and buckles ready for the important day ahead. They welcomed us in to share their breakfast by the river. They really took care of us! After eating with the army, the police then insisted we ate with them too!

The villagers started to arrive in their brightly coloured Karen dress. They were all magnificently turned out and all the children looked immaculate in their school uniforms. We are sure there were more soldiers and police present than villagers.

The princess has a Trust which donates to 200 border police schools and there is a rolling programme for her to visit different schools each year. Today she was due to visit 3 schools.

The princess was due at this village at 10am, so we all sat under a large canopy to wait for her arrival. We waited, and waited... about 2 hours later she arrives. She was ushered quickly to a room at the back to have lunch. We were all then excused to have lunch too! Once again we were invited to share with the army and police, which was so amazing!

After we had eaten we all returned to our spots and the princess had a tour of the school. She was given a number of gifts by the different groups that she sponsored in the village. A truly incredible, once in a lifetime experience! The princess left in a huge convoy of 4WD security vehicles which took her back to her helicopter. Soon after we were all allowed to leave too, so we began walking out of the village with the locals. We were offered a lift by a huge 4WD Toyota open back pickup and we had to stand in the back! It was an amazing journey out of the jungle. Along the steep muddy tracks, ducking under trees and through a pretty deep stream! Wow, a real adventure in an amazing vehicle! When the road improved we transferred to a mini bus and some very kind people gave us a lift back to Sangkhlaburi.

The latest, as far as we know, from the protests in Bangkok. The protesters are trying to break into Government House using a fire engine, a dustbin lorry and JCB, so far unsuccessfully. A lot of tear gas and water cannons have been used but the protests continue.

Friendly frog

Why does a room by the lake always attract visitors? Woke this morning to find a big fat frog in our room! After a couple of attempts to remove the frog, and him hopping back in, we decided to let him stay as long as he stays quiet! Splitting the price of the room 3 ways should to be good for the budget!

An early start at first light, saw us head off to a Mon village across a newly constructed bamboo bridge. The old wooden bridge, the longest in Thailand and an attraction in itself had collapsed. So, the bamboo bridge was built beside it. Both bridges were amazing and so interesting to see as they emerged through the morning mist.

After cautiously crossing the bridge we arrived at the Mon market. One of the first things we noticed was that each of the Mon people had their face painted with what looked like pale white powder. The Mon people are a Burmese tribe who have settled just over the border in Thailand.

We stopped for a local coffee, which was very strong, before heading back down to the lake to negotiate a longtail boat to the sunken temple. After trying a few drivers the price slowly dropped and we jumped in. Off we went about 10 metres before coming to an abrupt stop. Not sure why but after a few minutes we were off again at full throttle across the lake. It was a wonderful journey, skimming across the water! The temple was well below the surface with just the top visible. As the dry season really takes hold, the water level drops and more of the temple appears.

Once back on dry land, we continued our visit to the village and the Mon temples. Both really great!

After a little rest and to hide from the midday heat, we headed into town. On the way we met an Australian who was trying to get together a group to visit the Karen village (another Burmese tribe in Thailand) in the jungle because the princess of Thailand was going to be there tomorrow. If we wanted to go we had to be ready in the next hour!

We met at his homestay in an hour, where we joined up with a French man and American lady for the trip! Off we all went in a huge 4WD into the jungle. The road was bad. Thick mud most of the way and really hilly, we were sliding all over the place. Eventually we came to a stream. It was fairly deep, so the decision was made that we would walk from here. We crossed a rickety old bridge and followed the road, soon arriving in the village. But, it was dark! Our driver arranged for us to sleep in the village temple. When we went in we discovered we would be sharing with the army who were also there for the royal visit.

We strolled around the village with headtorches and were invited to eat by the army. We had the most delicious food and the cooks wouldn't accept a penny in payment.

After dinner we slept on the wooden floor in temple. What an adventure!

Heading West

After eating our Tesco yoghurts for breakfast. Yes, Thailand really has Tesco! We headed to the farthest town to the west, Sangkhlaburi. The journey was on a nice, little aircon minibus. We met a friendly Thai lady who gave us some tips on what to see and do. The journey took us through some beautiful scenery alongside a huge lake.

When we arrived at the bus office, we spotted an English girl who looked like she was catching a bus out of town. We asked her if she knew of any good rooms and tips on what to do. She gave us some great information and she happened to live in Sangkhlaburi!

We checked out a few places to stay. The first homestay was full but the friendly lady recommended a place by the river. A lovely spot near the impressive wooden bridge and Mon tribal village, which we're going to visit tomorrow.

We headed into the centre of town, as Saturday night is the highlight of the week in Sangkhlaburi. Saturday night is what they term 'Walking Street'. A local night market with great food and entertainment. For a tiny little town, they put on a lovely evening of stalls selling local produce. The excellent music was provided by an 'older' rocker who played the guitar beautifully. Also the local children's home had a couple of bands. One for girls and one for boys. The lead singer of the boy band was superb! All donations they get go towards paying for school.

On the way home we bumped into the lady from the homestay we had visited earlier. She gave us some good tips and told us that the King's daughter is visiting the nearby Karen tribe in a few days. The Thai people really love their king and we imagine his daughter has the same respect. We may try and catch a glimpse!

The latest news from the protests in Bangkok. You may see on the news back in England that a taxi and a bus have been attacked. A student has been shot (possibly), not 100% certain. A couple of train stations have been closed and re-open soon. Tomorrow (Sunday) is when more people may be off work and will join the protests. We are far away from Bangkok (about 6+ hours) but are hearing the news via twitter from a journalist following the protests. Each night on the TV there is a fairly large concert broadcast from the protest site, which is to entertain the protesters.

Bridge over the river .... Kwai!

A long walk along the 'not so busy' streets of Kanchanaburi took us to the infamous bridge over the river Kwai.

Built by prisoners of WWII under the watchful eye of the Japanese, to transport supplies from neighbouring Myanmar (formerly Burma). The bridge cost thousands of allied soldiers their lives due to illness, disease and poor treatment.Only the outer arches of the bridge are original as it was bombed and had to be rebuilt. Many people may have read the book or seen the movie of the same name.

Later we visited the war cemetery where many of the allied soldiers are buried. A very beautifully kept cemetery and a tranquil spot to pay our respects to the young soldiers who died.

We walked into the centre of Kanchanaburi and spent the afternoon trying many different Thai dishes. From beautifully prepared duck to a tasty mix of noodles. Oh ... and a snack on a stick, coated in shredded coconut! Yummy!

The train to Kanchanaburi

This morning we needed to travel from one side of Bangkok to the other. That would have been easy but unfortunately the area we need to pass through, is where the protests are!

So, to avoid the masses we go around. First we take a 45 minute boat ride, standing like sardines, where overloaded would be a understatement. Then we jumped on a sky train which travels above the city. Then we took yet another boat along the main river .... and finally, walked to the train! We got our tickets, then went off in search of lunch. We ate some 'hot' Thai noodles and finished off with a special treat of deep fried bananas.

The train journey took 3 hours through lush countryside, eventually arriving in Kanchanaburi. We found a cheap room, immaculately clean. The highlight of the hotel being .... a swimming pool! We checked in, then took a dip in the refreshingly cool pool! What a treat!

Thailand

Today we checked out of the hotel, had our breakfast and sadly left Cambodia!

We caught a flight from Siem Reap to Bangkok with Air Asia. We enjoyed the view from the plane over the local countryside. However, we think if we'd been allocated seats on the other side of the plane, we may have had an ariel view of Angkor Wat.

We arrived in Bangkok and all went smoothly with passport control. We caught the train from the airport to the centre and walked to the river then ... the heavens opened! We sheltered from the downpour under one of the piers for the river boats. We found out that we could not catch a boat there so had to walk to the next pier through some really interesting backstreets.

Eventually we caught a boat and travelled down the river on a fast ferry. A fun experience! We then took the sky train and the metro to where we were staying. We then had our first opportunity to sample Thai food on the trip and it was really good. Especially the tom yam soup! Highly recommend.

We have avoided the areas of the Thai protests but have heard that there are a lot of people protesting against the Government. If you look closely at the picture, in the centre, you can see the protestor's buses.

Landmine Museum

Today, we grabbed a tuk tuk and headed out to the landmine museum. It is about 25km outside Siem Reap along a road which runs past lots of beautiful countryside.

The museum was started by a Cambodian, Aki Ra, who was a child soldier for the Khmer Rouge (baddies!) He spent his childhood laying landmines!

After the Vietnamese invaded, he then began to use his knowledge of landmines to clear mined areas of Cambodia. He collected thousands of different mines, deactivated them and started the museum. Since then he has continued to clear areas of Cambodia and was awarded the CNN hero award in 2010. A pretty amazing man!

The number of people we have seen that have lost a limb through landmine explosions is truly unbelievable! Many countries have stopped producing and laying mines but there a few that continue to produce and use this horrific weapon. We were told that a landmine's job is not to kill you but to severely injure you. That way more than one person is taken out from the battle zone, as it would take 2 others to carry you off with your terrible injuries.

The small fee paid to enter the museum goes directly to a school set up by the same man. Whilst visiting small villages to deactivate mines he came across a number of innocent children who had been injured by one of the millions of live mines still hidden in Cambodia. It is estimated that at the current rate of deactivation and funding levels it will take until at least 2020 to do them all, but some people believe it will take much longer than this.

Angkor Wat

4.30 am, wakey, wakey! We had to be ready to be picked up at 5 o'clock by Mr Chin, the tuk tuk driver. We were heading to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat! Unfortunately it was a little too cloudy today... so fingers crossed for sunset!

We had a whole day to see all the main temples;

Angkor Wat
Angkor Thom
Bayon
Baphuon
Phimeanakas
Terrace of the elephants
Terrace of the leper king
Chay Say Thevoda
Thommanom
Ta Keo
Ta Prohm
Banteay Kdei

Along with the awesome Angkor Wat our other favourite was Ta Prohm. Looking a little overgrown by jungle and used in the Tomb Raider movie. It is truly a delight! In fact all of the temples were really interesting to see. Full of incredible carvings! We have taken lots of photos and will upload them soon.

The sunset was hidden by cloud yesterday but, not today. From a small temple overlooking the whole area, we watched as the sun set beautifully over the horizon. Magnificent!

Getting Prepared

First of all we moved hotels. Our room was ok, but for the same price we decided we could find one without the musty smell! And, we did, just down the road!

We looked around Siem Reap, checked-in online for our looming flight to Thailand and enjoyed some mighty fine cakes from the bakery!

In the afternoon we headed off to buy our tickets for Angkor Wat, the largest temple complex in the world, and to watch the sunset at the temple. There are so many temples in the area dating back to the 9th century. Initially Hindu but many are now Buddhist. It was too cloudy to see the sunset, so we spent the last light of the day visiting the individual temple named Angkor Wat. It is very impressive, surrounded by jungle and really huge, with many towers and beautiful Hindu carvings telling stories from the past. Today we just had time to see a tiny part before it got dark. Our ticket is valid tomorrow from .... dusk 'til dawn ... and we hope to have the sun with us all day from sunrise to sunset!

Thinking day

A lazy day today spent 'thinking'!

A man approached us in the street. He was on crutches. We noticed he had only one leg and a dirty shirt, full of holes....

Cambodia is one of the most mined countries in the world, with millions of land mines still uncleared. There is also a terrible amount on UXO (unexploded ordnance - bombs that didn't go off). It has the largest number of amputees in the world because of this...

The man in the street asked us for food, not money but food. He was hungry. But, we had none. We watched as he vanished from our view.

There was a small street stall selling sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves. We bought 2 of the neat little packets and went to look for the man. We found him, delivered the food and you could see in his eyes that he was so grateful for this small gesture...

Have a 'thinking day' and remember how lucky we really are!

Cycling around

We set off fairly early on our adventure. We wanted to visit a temple on a hill and some 'killing caves' where the Khmer Rouge were active.

The road was in good condition and on the way we saw various temples and the French built governor's house which was all very 'splendid'. We reached the bottom of the hill and were then presented with choices! 1) Attempt to cycle up the hill with no gears - virtually impossible as it was steep! 2) Park the bikes up and walk to the top which would take a further hour in the heat and it was almost midday! 3) Pay the friendly man on his motorbike $1 each to take us to the top.

Easy choice, we went by motorbike! We arrived at the top in record time fully rested to explore. A small boy aged about 7 gave us a tour of the cave explaining the macabre details. After the cave we were chauffeur driven (on the motorbike) to a temple, which we enjoyed looking around. Following this we said goodbye to Mr Motorbike and headed down via a set of very steep steps.

On reaching the bottom we really needed a drink! A shop keeper sold us a fresh coconut. The milk inside was so good and he cracked it in half for us to finish the white flesh.

Once refreshed we headed back to town and tried to find the famous Battambang bamboo train. We asked for directions at a roadside shop but ended up being invited inside to sit in the shade and enjoy some ice cold drinks. The lady was so nice, we ended up spending, spending, spending and eating half of her stock!

After a few wrong turns we found the bamboo trains and a member of the tourist police told us all about them. Basically, they are a small flat area of bamboo where around 4 people can sit. They are powered by a tiny little 'lawnmower' engine! If another bamboo train is heading towards you, you jump off and the whole thing is lifted off the tracks, to let him passed. Unfortunately, the bamboo trains may soon disappear as the train track is to be opened to big, fast (ish) trains again.

We cycled on and Darryl spotted a lady with a basket on her bike, from which she was selling something. We had to find out what! And, we did... wonderful little cakes. We couldn't resist so bought a few of each kind. They were so good so, we bought some more!

Finally we arrived home, took the bikes back and stopped at the street seller noodle man.... again! They are so good, we can't say no! Eating rest failed ...

Wandering

Today was spent wandering the streets of Battambang to see what we could find. We explained to the owner of the hotel that we would stay another night but he failed to recognise us and kept saying, "no rooms, no rooms", until we showed him our room key! He smiled showing off his sparkling gold teeth and all was ok!

We researched a walking tour and had maps to follow but we just decided to wander! We had hoped to meet our street food noodles man for lunch, but he wasn't in the spot we had found him yesterday!

We saw lots of interesting things from a giant statue of a man with a cobra to a Buddhist monk playing on his laptop at a temple.
Oh, and guess who had arrived when we got back to the hotel??? The noodle man!

You may have noticed we talk about food a lot, that's because the food here is so good! Today, we even discussed creating a restaurant guide to the world after eating 2 sensational meals of delicious local food! Tomorrow we definitely need a little 'eating' rest!

Battambang

A long bus ride again to get us to Battambang (the ending pronounced bong!) We purchased a fresh mango and pineapple at the bus station for the journey. The bus left only a few minutes later than scheduled and was fairly empty. Along the way we stopped a few times for breaks at the Cambodian rest rooms but one stop lasted rather longer.

Taking a look out of the window we could see a set of spanners lying on the ground, the driver and many passengers staring at the wheel. We were not really sure what was wrong but a consensus of opinion says ... we are broken down!

Whatever was broken was fixed and we continued our journey. The little boy in the seat infront was pulling monster faces at us for fun, so we joined in. Christine was the clear winner and wasn't even trying!

The bus driver kept us entertained for the 8 hour journey with some wonderful karaoke dvds,and 2 great kung fu movies starring Jet Lee and Jackie Chan! What more could we ask. Some of the passengers were eating lotus flower seeds which they picked up en route. That is the first time we had seen any in Cambodia and they must be a speciality of an area we passed through.

Found a small local hotel after searching for a while. The first few were full which is unusual in Cambodia. We left our bags and headed out to see what we could find.... In the centre of town we found a local market and the usual local stores. We couldn't resist trying a plate of noodles being served up by a street seller near where we were staying. Really tasty!

Rainbow

Feeling the need to stay cool, we planned a lazy day. Shared between the restaurants, bars and Internet cafes in Kampong Cham. It's a holiday here, so many places are relaxing too!

The heavens opened around lunchtime and unleashed some fierce rain but the rainbow it produced was wonderful! Darryl spotted one child, about 8 years old, taking a shower from the water that ran off of a huge shop sign. The other kids continued to fly their kites as the storm passed over. They were soaked to the skin but they didn't care!

The evening started well with a great concert which seemed to be sponsored by Redbull. Good music, great atmosphere, spotlights in the sky but ... then the rain came! We just made it inside a restautant before it absolutely poured.

Once in the restaurant we were treated to a round of singing by a Swedish tour group, we even knew one of the songs, 'Michael Row the Boat Ashore'.

We have uploaded loads of photos today, so take a peek at Asia 2...

Cooler

Today has been a fair bit cooler than usual, which is a refreshing change from the hot and humid weather! It rained first thing and has been cloudy for the whole day. Ahhh, so nice to be cold after sweating so much everyday!

We've spent most of the day enjoying the local food. We found what look like biscuits, with interesting coloured swirls, that we have never seen before. All the locals were stocking up so we grabbed a bag! They were really good...

We visited a temple which seemed to be a university for Buddhist monks. We looked around the town between showers and generally relaxed! There is usually a huge water festival starting tomorrow but due to the earlier flooding in Cambodia, the Government have cancelled it. It seems that people will still get a few days holiday and there is a stage being set up for a party tomorrow night!

Most of the tourist boats have left town so the place seems really quiet and kinda nice! We enjoyed spending the evening in a local restautant which is helping those less fortunate train in catering. Some of the money they make goes to help others too.

The bus journey

The bus left at 6.30am prompt for the long journey to Kompong Cham, Cambodia's 3rd largest city. Not really large, about 50,000 people. It was a big bus, pretty comfortable and we were the only westerners travelling.

There was the usual karaoke screen playing Cambodian music and a movie! We got quite excited when the movie started and the title flashed up on the screen, 'Rambo III'! Unfortunately, the excitement came to an abrupt end when Sylvester Stallone demonstrated he could speak fluent Khmer (Cambodian)! We were distraught, the movie was dubbed! So we slept, apart from the hourly toilet stops. One stop was a little more interesting. The bus stopped as usual, everyone clambered off, disappeared behind various bushes and then after a few minutes we left again. Not a building in sight. The road was good most of the way but half way there was a large section which was purely red dust. Our bags were covered in the stuff and we do not want to think about how much we must have we swallowed!

Eventually we arrived in Kompong Cham, a town by the Mekong River. There were a few large tour boat travelling to Vietnam and many NGO vehicles. We found a good hotel then headed out to top up on money and grab some cold drinks (cold blackcurrant tea and banana juice, both really good). We played pool at a small bar and ate at a great little restautant over looking the Mekong River.

2nd day

Woke up at 6am, as it is light in the jungle and the guides were fairly noisy preparing breakfast. Delicious noodles, snake and frog were on the menu. Not a weetabix in sight! All tasted great and the feast was washed down with coffee. The guide showed us how to make really strong rope before we left the camp.

Off we trekked through the jungle. The guide pointed out a great, big spider on its web. We carried on until lunch, where we all collapsed by a small stream. The guides made lunch which was chicken and vegetables. We choose not to eat the chicken, though it was thoroughly cooked. The reason being the guide had been carrying it in his bag since we left.... yesterday morning!

The guide taught us a jungle game with 4 sticks and we explained how the same sticks could be used for a noughts and crosses board. Leaves and stones for counters. He also set fire to the Sap of a tree which burnt incredibly well before extinguishing it instantly with leaves.

The afternoon continued with more river crossings and a visit to a farm. We then met our boat on the river bank, which whisked us off for a trip to a minority village. One of the cows in the village seemed a little upset with us visiting but as he charged he was held back by his leash. Phew! We continued walking through the village where the children either stared at us, mesmorised or they continued to ride their water buffalo to the fields. The school and well were donated by an international NGO and we saw the community hall where village meetings are held. On to the cemetery next. Each grave contained a full size wooden carving of a man and a lady plus 2 banana plants for the spirits! A really interesting place.

We returned to the boat for our trip out of the jungle. We were then picked up by the owner of the trekking company in his car. He opened the boot where he had a bucket of ice, full of cold drinks! Wow, we needed those. And that was the end of our incredible adventure!

After returning to our hotel, we booked our bus tickets for early tomorrow morning. Bye, bye Ban Lung!

Jungle camp

Up at 7 waiting for our pick up. Payed the hotel bill after the receptionist had checked with many people that we had been given the bargain price we were told!

We loaded our bags and us into the back of an open pick up and travelled for an hour along dusty tracks into the jungle. Hiding from the relentless sun was the biggest challenge! We passed many tiny villages, rice fields, water buffalo and a few egrets (birds).

After, we transferred to a long, skinny boat. It was difficult to keep the boat from toppling over and the driver was constantly bailing the water out. Most of it landing on Christine!

The boat took an hour to transport us down the river. switching from one side to the other to avid the many hazards; tree stumps, logs, sandbanks.

We disembarked from the boat at a local farm. Many of the cows and buffalo were wallowing in a deep mud bath and were totally covered in thick, gloopy mud! Walking through the farmland we saw a few huts, many farmers working in the fields and a few very nervous children. We continued on and entered the jungle where we trekked for the rest of the day. Many fallen bamboo branches and tree roots making it easy to trip. Eventually we arrived at a hill top with a view over the extensive jungle. Then, made many crossings of a small river ... some times shoes off, some times balancing across small logs (which we often slipped off and ended up with wet shoes!) Soon after we arrived at a pretty waterfall where we would spend the night. Off came our sweaty, soaking wet clothes and on went the swimming costumes. The water was great! Crystal clear and so refreshing. A well deserved break! Darryl relaxed a little too much whilst lying on the adjacent rocks and fell asleep!

Hammocks were erected, complete with mosquito nets and a tarpaulin used to protect us from any rain. The guides lit a fire and prepared our meal. Bamboo soup, or so they called it. The food was cooked inside huge tubes of bamboo which the guides had cut from the jungle. They also chopped smaller pieces of bamboo to make us each a cup. Tea was served!

Dinner was delicious and there was plenty of it! Many vegetables, a few leaves from the jungle and the all important, rice! The sun went down at about 5pm and the guide from a second group that had arrived, turned into hunter mode. He allowed us to follow with our head torches, while he hunted for food. He used a catapult made with elastic bands. He was rewarded with a huge frog and a small snake! Unfortunately, he was only carrying one stone when he discovered a huge 3m cobra, with a body as thick as an adults arm. He fired and hit the snake but as he did the snake attacked. He had no more stones for his catapult so had to retreat. The snake because it was dark, headed straight for the light, causing the guide (who was wearing a head torch) to stumble ino the water nearby! The guide did however escape, but he was very afraid. This had been a close call with a very big poisonous snake!

The evening was finalised with cooking the catch to eat in the morning. Rice wine was sampled along with a local medicine made from the jungle and good for your stomach. After discussing the days events, learning about animism (religious belief of living off the fruits of the land and river) and sharing a few camp fire stories, the hammock was calling.

All booked

We have not felt any effects of the super typhoon as it has passed far to the north of us through Vietnam. So, tomorrow we head for the jungle for the next few days! We are booked and there is no time to chicken out now!

We have been sorting out our bags to ensure we have everything we need. Especially insect repellent as the bugs are gonna bite! Hopefully we can persuade the leeches that we don't taste too good!

We have charged up the camera ready to take photos of all the wonderful wildlife we may see. We are going to have to be really, really lucky, as it is a very big jungle! There are plenty of places for the animals to hide away from us! Fingers crossed.

The Khmer restautant we visited today had an interesting 'wall of wires'. Health and safety would have loved this place!

Investigate jungle trekking

After coffee in the hotel restaurant with great views over the lake we walked into the centre of Ban Lung. The aim of today being to find out which jungle trek is the most interesting and which trekking company has the best deal!

We visited the first company, where there was a really cute puppy and a very nice restautant!

The second company had a really enthusiastic local guy who sold us some great ideas and showed us some cool photos!

Finally, we visited a third company, where a nice friendly man told us about his treks.

Decisions...decisions....decisions....

Firstly, the Phillipines has been devastated by a super typhoon and we may catch the tiny end bit of it here in Cambodia. Meaning, it might rain a lot tomorrow! So, maybe we'll delay our original start date.

Secondly, the third company has been recommended by 2 people who we went on another trip with. They enjoyed it and returned alive from the jungle. This has to be a good sign!

This evening we ate a huge 'bucket' of rice in the restaurant next door, before returning to our hotel to play scrabble! A French waiter has just told us that the restaurant will be closed for the next 2 days as they are all attending a wedding. Where is our invite?!

The Lake

First stop today is breakfast. As we are staying near the lake, we have a ten minute walk into the town before we can top up. On the way we were chased by a gaggle of geese! No idea why... the locals found it really funny!

We found a busy local spot and enjoyed noodle soup with many different types of leaves to add flavour.

Afterwards, we took a nice long walk through the countryside to a picturesque lake. Darryl went for a dip but Christine didn't have her costume. Darryl says the water was really refreshing and it certainly looked nice!

We walked around the whole lake on a jungle path. It took about an hour and we heard many different animals. Some were very loud! We spotted a few leeches, giant beetles, butterflies and millipedes and there was a few savage mosquitoes too.

We stopped in the town to visit the local market and enjoy some real tasty food from an Indian restaurant. We found a shortcut on the way back to the hotel and were followed most of the way by a friendly little dog. We are certain he was sent to protect us from the geese!

The afternoon was spent with our feet up after our walk. We ate at a local restaurant which was packed, so we shared a table with 2 local men. We had a great little chat and discovered the one friendly fellow only sees his wife and children 2 days a month. He has to work away from home to earn money to feed his family.

PS. There were more bugs in the restaurant than we spotted in the jungle by the lake. We found this fact quite amazing!

A day on the bus

Woke up and headed into Kratie to purchase tickets for the big bus heading to Ban Lung.

Caught the bus (which was an hour late) and headed off. After about 10 minutes we stopped for lunch! Not sure exactly what we ate but it tasted good though contained a lot of interesting looking bones.

The road deteriorated to a dusty track and it started to pour with rain. 5 hours later we arrived at our destination.... in the dark.

To say we were mobbed by touts as soon as we got off the bus is an understatement! We looked around and all we could see was a few little shacks. Was this it? Ok, it looked pretty small but it was supposed to have great trekking. However, the touts soon put us straight. We were 3km outside of town, at the bus station. Each would give us a free lift to the town or to the lake if we stayed at 'their' hotel. We eventually headed to the lake with a young girl who spoke great English. She agreed we could have a room at her hotel for the same price as the guy next to her was charging. We arrived at the hotel by the lake and she revealed the room! Wow! Big, clean, very luxurious and worth 10 times what we had agreed to pay. What's the catch?

Not sure yet, but they sell lots of different tours from the hotel which are a little expensive.....which they may push our way!