Hello from SIEM REAP!!!

So far I have had a great time here in Cambodia. Met some really great people who are also volunteering and seen so many things already!

Life in Cambodia is so different - colourful, crazy, hot, exciting and fun!

The first day we were shown the town of Siem Reap and were driven around on a tuk tuk (holding on for dear life when flying round a corner!). Tuk Tuks are mad here - and you cant walk for 5 minutes without being asked 'ÝOU WANT A TUK TUK LADY?' We were even asked if we wanted one whilst we were riding our bikes!! And as for the bikes....well it certainly is a great way to get around here but slightly scary the first time you do it! There are no junctions here so people just drive out into the road to join it, so you have to be wary at all times! Also the bikes themselves are interesting - no suspension/gears and brakes are a bit dodgy! However its such a good way to see everything.

In Siem Reap there are 2 main markets which we visited. The markets are mad, like huge mazes with narrow rows full of anything and everything from bags, jewellery, clothes, kitchen ware and food. The food part absolutely STANK! It was so hot in there and the raw meat just hangs all day. The traditional food here is different to say the least - deep fried crickets, spiders, skinned frogs, eels, fermented fish, pigs heads - all on view in the market! I have tried some traditional food but being a veggie I luckily got to avoid the frogs etc! Luckily however Siem Reap caters a lot for tourists so there is plenty of western and international food available. Oh, and a western supermarket!! Pringles are a daily purchase!

Day 2 was fanastic - we went and saw the temples. It really was incredible! We got to Angkor Wat at 5am to see the sunrise over the temples - so beautiful. We spent a long day at the temples - 10 hours! There was so much to see and we had a great tour guide who told us to name him 'blah blah'as he talks so much! We saw Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom - the Bayon temple, Tah Prom and lots more! That night we also had our first experience of pub street - the nightlife here is so good! Everything is ridiculously cheap -50cent for a beer and buy one get one free on cocktails that are $3!! The bars and clubs are great and got really busy, and we all had such a good night.

Saturday was a free day which was certainly needed after the pub street experience! In the afternoon we visited a silk farm where we were shown how silk is made here. So interesting! Then in the evening we saw a concert about the childrens hospital that is run here which was facinating.

Today we are off to the Tonle Sap Lake to see the floating villages and then tomorrow the real work begins - volunteering!!