Good afternoon to the uk and good evening from Cambodia.

The last time I sent a blog we had moved onto Cambodia and into phnom penh. It was an instant change given that we hadn't seen roads for a while as railay and ko phi phi don't have roads just people on bicycles. We were once again into the bedlam having just taken a 14 hour bus ride, then a 6 hour wait at the airport with a further 1 hour flight. Stress levels were at a high and energy levels at a low ebb but a short tuk tuk ride to our 'Home Town guest house' helped as the place was clean, spacious and near to the riverside.

My immediate relief at arriving without any further travel soon turned to ecstasy after visiting a local bar down the road to try out the new currency (riel) and a new beer. No longer a Chang beer in sight (to be honest it wasnt the nicest) but now onto angkor beer which is truly a lovely drop. I'm reliably informed this is thanks to our Australian friends helping with the brewing process and I can now get this on draft to what equates to about 60p, happy days indeed. Although the Cambodians have their own currency much of the prices are in the us dollar and any loose change in their own currency, which is about 4000 riel to one us dollar.

I was immediately taken aback by their kind nature and willingness to want to talk to you, not only where you are from but the history of Cambodia and it's recent turmoils. The first evening we met a waiter who was studying hotel management at the local university but also worked 3 jobs and helped local orphan children. Tina and I have said we will try and stop off at the orphanage to give something like a toy or football which he said was a good idea. I of course think it's a good idea as Ipswich are hitting a slump having seen recent results so the visit can be masked as a scouting mission for the next Mattt holland, bobby Petta or gus uhlnbeek (moss I thought you might like the mention of gus).

Now the true legend of the trip began. He was a gentleman called Peter or as his Facebook profile reads 'Peter cambodia'. I pressed him on his uncommon cambodian name but it remains the same. Anyway he was a tuk tuk driver that usually we ignore or say no to but he presented us with a book of all comments from people that took tours with him an the comments were good and his English the same. We would have not taken it buy everywhere we went that day up popped peters head with a smile and a shake of my hand.

We agreed to go to the killings fields and s-21 prison with him the following day in which we joined by a Canadian couple in the tuk tuk. I'm so glad I did as his story was one of much pain. His brothers, sisters and father had been taken by the Khmer rouge regime when they took over on April 17th 1975 and he never saw them again. He was beaten and made to work on the rice fields until the Khmer regime were overthrown by invading Vietnamese forces in 1979. On the visit to both the notorious s-21 prison and killing fields he drew diagrams and explaining what each area meant and what had happened. Telling of some of the atrocities such as torture, mass killings which he said totalled 3 and a half million in total over their 4 year reign. I found it difficult to imagine but the Khmer regime and their leader saloth sar (known as pol pot) had documented alot of these by photographs. The killings were brutal and the torture to young children worse, anyone with education or even wearing glasses was an indication of intelligence punishable by death.

The killing fields almost had a tranquil feel to it as you walk around but then you see signs telling how lorry loads of men, women and children were brought and killed. Often their heads being cut off with palm leaves or beaten to death. It brings it home when you see some of the graves still there and the pagado in the middle of the killing fields houses the skulls/bones of over 4000 people. I was glad I went as it suddenly makes you want to look into it more and how it all happened. It is obviously still fresh in the minds of many Cambodian people and having met one survivor at the s-21 prison you can only hope things like that will never happen again.

Anyway moving on from the somber thoughts I again had jokes at my expensive which amused Tina. A young boy selling books followed us regardless of us saying no, as I again said "no, I can't carry anymore", he then just said "you're a ladyboy!". Now I have tina's family calling me robina (mo i thought i would bring this up) I'm concerned these jokes might stick.

Anyway we said our goodbyes to Peter aka 'Peter Cambodia' and we were again on our way. Another 6 hour bus ride from phnom penh to siem reap. I'm 2 days into siem reap now so my blog for that should follow shortly.

Robbie c out for now.