22/9/06 Our Last day In Siem Reap was spent around the central market and the outlining and lesser visited temples. I needed to get some photos of the market place, which stinks fresh meat buzzing with flies, outside we saw a man with a mug scooping up the fithy water to wash his face. I managed to get some decent photos of the meat, vegetables and the marketplace layout. The out-temples are the best onces, gigantic trees grow out from the top of the ruins, their roots intertwined with the ainchent volcanic brick- We visited 4 temples, the last one was swarming with children and they all came running to us when we got off the tuk tuk, one girl gave me braclets becuase I wouldnt buy any and another tried to sell me a 6 foot tall pair of bright orange asian trousers. 23/9/06- We got up at 5am to catch a bus to the great lake where we then caught a boat to Penom Penh. The way to the great lake follows a river which has burst its banks onto the road and when the river joins the lake the houses stand on stilts like they once did on the somerset levels. When we got on the boat we were harrased by villargers who followed us onto onboard and circled us when we sat down, no other passagers were on at this time and the officals instructed us to sit below deck even though we wanted to sit on top. Girls with bread, bannas and cheese touted us to buy their stuff, telling us that there is nothing to eat on board, a yong man who had carried are bags onto the bus without consent spoke to me in khmer and then made us go out to where the bags were and ask for a tip which refused to pay becuase I thought he was part of the crew. The boat filled with other backpackers and as soon as the engine started up we went up top, the Journey took 5 hours. Some of the houses strech right out into the mouth of the lake, we saw a catholic chruch sticking out of the water. When you get into the open lake you cant see any land and as you rach the shallows you see towns of stilt houses and floating villages where people travel in boats, all the trees stick out of the water and I saw 3 or 4 cows on marooned on a tiny island with no grass left and seemingly no way to get across to the next. Penom Penh is very different from Siem Reap, when you get past the shanty towns on the river bank it is suprisingly very clean and built up. We had to spend 5 dollars on tuk tuk trying to find a guest house becuase the first 2 we wanted were full. There are also lots more westerners here than I expected to see, I was suprised to see chavs- my swooping generalizations whould tell me they go here for cheap booze and sex. The begging and selling in Penom Penh is much the same as anywhere, we saw a documentary film at cinema on the riverfront just a few hours ago about the mine problem in cambodia- which is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Lost of people here have lost limbs, in Siem reap they use converted bicycle like carts which they peddle with their hands and sell loanly planet books and books on the khmer rouge regime. In Penom Penh we saw people who had no limps what-so-ever, it looks like some result of a chemical attack by monsanto in the vietnam years. Sosowath Quay which is right on the riverfront is full of resturants and guesthouses in which only foregin people dine. And the block behind is occpied by the locals, we walked around the market and I was suprised to see them selling fish in baskets that were still flapping around and as i walked on a little further saw fish heads with their finns still flapping and headless fish with their tails still moving, meats swarming with flies and skinned chickens ontop live chickens looking very unhappy with their feet tied together. Penom Penh must have changed a lot since the Khmer Rouge days, when the city was reocupied by civilians I wonder if the mindset changed, most young people seem unaffected...but for the older ones who went though it, as far as i know they seem to have no problem with the bourgeoise and the influence of the west, concidering what they went though it must have be and odd transition from the doctrine that was put unto them.