It took us most of the day to drive from Phnom Penh to the homestay but it was one of the most interesting journeys. Lots of motorbikes going past with interesting cargo, lots and lots of houses on stilts and stalls selling allsorts along the roadside. Lots of people watching. As we got into the country there were carts pulled by ox or buffalo as well.

We stopped on the way at Tarantula Town :-/ Yes lots of live ones and also dead cooked ones to eat :-s I didn't fancy putting them on my clothes but had some good chat with the many children trying to sell us things. Once they realised we weren't buying it was a whole lot easier. Weirdly there was what looked like a rainbow circling all the way round the sun. Almost like an eclipse but without the sun covered. I've no idea what caused it. A couple of kids said it only happened about once a year but not sure. I gave one of the kids my sunglasses to have a better, safer look and she loved it, so they all had to have a turn.

After what can only be described as a dodgy lunch we did some food shopping in the market for ingredients to make Limnys recipe for dinner and for gifts to take to the family. We headed off to the homestay but came across a very churned up road where vans, motorbikes and cars were sliding about and getting stuck. We were almost turning back to find another route but, unable to turn round, the driver went for it and got us through :)

We met the family, trying hard to repeat the phrase that effectively said 'thank you for having us' and had a tour of the homestay. Three buildings alltogether. Gran and grandad in the middle with unmarried children, two sons and their families in the other two. The houses were on stilts with a living area underneath with hammocks. Toilet and shower rooms as well as a tv room, pig sty, chickens, cats, dogs and tables to eat at. The upstairs rooms had been sectioned off with curtains, had a mattress in each with a mozzie net on top and a little shelf and mirror on the wall. Very private and better than some of the accommodation we've been in :) The shower consisted of a trough of water in a wet room which was actually pretty good :) Much better than what we had been expecting.

We went off to visit some nearby temples and then came back to watch Limny prepare dinner with a little help from us. I was very good at supervising :D We sat on an upstairs, outdoor ledge (a bit wobbly) and prepared a variety of weird and wonderful vegetables, washed from an old fashioned water pump that had been plumbed in upstairs. We then cooked on an inside range. It consisted of a large metal table with two small wood fires on it and metal stands to place the pots on top. It seemed to take a long, hot time to cook but smelled great and the ladies of the house who were standing round were lovely. One lady asked if we cook over fires at home :)

We ate dinner outside and played cards till it was time for the family to go to bed. I braved the shower and tried to sleep. We had the curtains open to get some air but i was roasting while mum, who had been worried about sleeping had a breeze from her window and was sound lol Not to worry i survived. It was a noisy place with lots of animals to listen to in the night and the cockerel had us awake at dawn anyway and we were up early to move out.

Onwards to Siem Reap and lots more to see from the bus windows. We stopped to watch the ox/water buffalo ploughs with the boys standing on the back. A short trip to Siem Reap and we arrived at our hotel in time for a swim and a wander round the area.

That night we went to a buffet and show. I dont think ive seen a buffet quite like it. So much food! And a whole section of food being freshly made. The sweet potato and banana fritters, spring rolls and skewers were the best :) Off to look at the night markets after that but not as good as we've seen elsewhere :(