Aug 2007

Hey all

Well after our holiday on the gorgeous sun-kissed beach of Haad Yao on Ko Phangan we are back into travelling mode, so the blog will be getting updated a little bit more regularly.

I say we're back in travel mode, but we're actually getting a taste of home life as we are currently staying with friendin the Philippines and being spolied rotten! Two of my Mum's best friends (and good friends of ours as well) Ken & Gwen Coughlan have a business out in Manilla. We've spent the last 2 nights at their flat getting fed and watered. The Coughlan's are amazing hosts back home and they may be even better here!

Stand by for an update

TOP NEWS - Lynn passed her PADI open water diving course. Well done to Lynn for working hard and studying hard while I lay about the beach and the pool!

Sunday 26th August
We waved goodbye to Haad Yao beach in Ko Phangan after 9 lovely nights. The staff at the resort were friendly, our bungalow had an amazing view (I'll update flickr asap), we had a BBQ on the beach 3 nights, the sand was pure white, the ocean crystal clear........it was fab. We were both a little sad to leave!

We caught a ferry over to Ko Samui and then a flight to Manila in the Philippines. The flight was a little late, so by the time we got our bags in Manila and jumped a taxi into Chinatown it was almost 1am and I was annoyed as if we had been on time we (I) could have caught the seond half of the United v Spurs game. As it was we caught the post match analysis as our room had cable. United won 1-0 to get their first 3 points of the season!

Monday 27th August
After a nice long lie I went out to lift some cash while Lynn had a shower. The transformation of the street our hotel was on was amazing. There were stalls, lanterns and thousands of people! We were right in the heart of Chinatown. The name of our hotel, Chinatown Inn, should have given that away!

We broke a golden rule by having a MacDonalds as we were starving and there was one on the corner, but I can't say I enjoyed it. Big Mac's don't do it for me anymore. I can't even remember the last time I had one in the UK. We went for a wander and stumbled across the National History Museum, it was only 1 MYR to get in so we did. It was worth it just for the air conditioning, although the museum itself was far from impressive. After that we decided to try and walk to the Kuala Lumpar Telecommunications tower, the 4th tallest in the world. After around an hour's walk we managed to get to the entrance and headed to the observation tower. The view across the city was special. Kuala Lumpar is very modern and it is attracting a lot of top banks and financial companies.

From the tower we could see the famous Petronas twin towers, so we went down and jumped in a cab to head there. Unfortunately they were closed as it was Monday, but we got a good look around outside. The walkway between the towers didn't look that great anyway.

We wandered round a huge shopping mall with some very exclusive designer shops and an O'Brien's sandwich shop! The simple things make me happy! As I am a bit of a sandwich fan we sat down and had a sandwich each.

After that and another wander around the shops we headed back to Chinatown where I bought Adidas trainers and an old retro Adidas trackie top, we had a bite to eat and then hit the sack as our early flight to Manila meant that we had to be up at 4.45am. We booked an alarm call and a taxi for 5.15am - the joys!

Tuesday 28th August
We didn't sleep well as we knew we had to be up early. The taxi driver to the airport took us past the formula 1 race track and the driver obviously fancied himself as a future star. We got there in one piece, checked in, had a sandwich, got on the flight and fell asleep!

Ken and Gwen were waiting at Manila airport to greet us. It was lovely to see familiar and friendly faces and we spent the journey into Manila catching up with news and views from back home. We got through the crazy Manila traffic to Ken and Gwen's apartment on the 19th floor of a high rise development. The view across the city was almost as good as the one from KL communications tower.

We emptied our bags so we could get some washing done, browsed through some copies of the Sunday TimesSunday Mail and Carluke Gazette that my Mum had sent over with Gwen, had some beers, put our feet up and generally felt at home. Gwen is a great hostess and made nachos and Moroccan chicken. Mmmmmm.

Wednesday 29th August
Had a long lie and Ken's driver picked us up at 11.15am to head to the old town of Manila. Ken was at work and we all killed ourselves laughing when we got to the ground floor and Gwen realised she still had her slippers on! Just as well she did.

We headed to Intramuros, which was the centre piece of Spanish Manila. We got a guided tour by a very entertaining guy called Georgey Porgey - the highlight being him serenading us on an old piano! The old town was lovely and Fort Santiago was particularly interesting. There was an excellent section devoted to Rizal, who led/inspired the revolution against the Spanish through his literature.

Afterwards we met Ken at a cool bar called Bar Havana. One drink led to another and we ended up staying out until after 11pm, taking in a superb meal. I had Veal with goose liver and Lynn had a salmon steak. By this stage we had all moved on from beer to wine, so we were well on when we got back to Ken and Gwen's. It was a really nice evening and it was great to catch up with Ken and Gwen. The conversation flowed even more freely than the drinks, which will come as no surprise to anyone that knows Gwen!

Thursday 30th August
Oooh we were a little rough this morning when the alarm went off at 5.50am. Lynn, Gwen and I were going on a day trip to the island of Corregidor. Ken dropped us at the docks and we got a rather plush boat out to the island with some other tourists. Corregidor has played a huge part in Philippine history and is the place where General MacArthur uttered his famous word 'I shall return'. This was during World War 2 when the Philippines and the Americans were fighting the Japanese. The Japanese took over Corregidor and Manila while MacArthur was away, but 3 years after he reluctantly left Corregidor, he reurned, true to his word and brought reinforcements to banish the Japanese and return control of the Philippines to the Philippanese.

It was an interesting day. We're now back at Gwen's where we have had tea and cheese and toast to nurse our hangovers and keep us going until dinner. It will be an alcohol free night tonight and an early one as Lynn and I are getting up early tomorrow morning to head to Boracay Island for 2 nights, courtesy of our fantastic hosts Ken and Gwen! We have promised to repay them by taking them out for dinner and drinks on Monday.

Boracay's beaches sound like they could be even nicer than Haad Yao beach! So we are a little excited.

Stay tuned for more news in a few days time. Also, any football fans can check out my tribute to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer blog.

Love
Murray and Lynn
xxx

Before I go on to update you on what we have been up to I must use this blog to say how sad I am to hear that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has retired from professional football. After all, this blog is supposed to reflect my thoughts and reflections during my year out.

Solskjaer is one of my all-time favourite players - professional, deadly in the box, unselfish, passionate, thoughtful and the man behind the best feeling I have ever experienced. Allow me to take you back to a warm night in Barcelona on May 26th 1999. Manchester United were playing Bayern Munich in the final of the European Champions League. Bayern were 1-0 up and United had taken a bit of a battering in the second half, they were lucky not to be a few goals down. United bounced back and had a decent last 10 minutes but with 90 minutes showing on the electronic scoreboard directly across from where I was sitting, the Germans thought they had won it. I was clutching on to my scarf, praying for a break. I didn't want to go back to the UK and face the stick I'd get at work if United lost. Surely it was meant to be. United had already won the league and the FA Cup and had the chance of a historic and unprecedented treble. My good friend Phil had managed to get two tickets for the game only on the 24th and my good friend Tel's son was born in the early hours of the 25th allowing him to be at the birth and then head off to Barcelona. We'd even managed to get from Glasgow to Manchester for our flight in Phil's beat up old car.

A miracle happened. United won a corner. Schmichael, playing in his last ever game for United, charged up field leaving his goald exposed. Beckham swung the corner in, the Great Dane caused confusion in the defence, Giggs swung wildly at the ball, it feel to Teddy Sheringham who turned the ball in. OH TEDDY TEDDY - 1-1!

There was complete bedlam all around me. Grown men were crying. People were literally rubbing their eyes in disbelief. 3 minutes had been held up for injury time, 3 minutes to win it, the European Cup, the treble. The Munich players were on their knees, United sensed they had the momentum to win it and within seconds another corner had been won.

Beckham, who was outstanding all season setting up a remarkable 22 goals, swung the ball to the nearpost, Sheringham won the ball and flicked it on with his head and there at the backpost was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to turn the ball into the net and win the European Champions League and the treble for Manchester United Football Club. I will never truly be able to explain how I felt at that moment. The best drugs in the world could never recapture it. Sheer adrenelin, emotion, relief, passion, joy.....really I can't describe it. I burst into tears of happiness and was pulled into the seats behind me to celebrate with people I had never met before. Fans all around were hugging, kissing, looking to the heavens. I ran into the isle to find Phil who was sitting just along from me, our eyes bulged with delight as we embraced and climbed over a barrier to get to the very first row of the Nou Camp!

We literally could not believe what was happening. The celebrations were absoloutely brilliant. Every player had their song sung. 'Sit Down' by James boomed around the Nou Camp. Sir Alex lifted the cup and was then lifted on to the shoulders of Wes Brown and Raymond Van Der Gauwe right in front of us. As I said before, I think it was destiny. It was Sir Matt Busby's birthday, what a present!

So Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was responsible for a feeling I don't think I will ever experience again. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will forever be in the hearts of United supporters around the world. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a legend. He has not had an easy time of it since, bar a season he had on the right wing keeping Beckham out of the team. He has had 3 or 4 knee operations, yet he has battled back, kept his head down and carried on doing whatever Fergie asked of him.

Last season he repaid Fergie's faith by scoring 11 goals, including two against Celtic in the Champions League. He fell in love with United, the history of the club and the tremendous supporters and the club and the supporters fell in love with him. Needless to say he will live on forever as part of United's history.

LONG LIVE OLE!

Hello all

Not a lot has happened since the last blog update. We've not moved very far from Bay View Bungalows, situated on Haad Yao beach in Ko Phangan. Bar a 2 hour thunder storm last Friday the weather has been glorious and after 3 hours in the morning sunshine I thought I'd better get some shade and use that as an excuse to update the blog.

We're both glad that we've stayed in the one place for a week, rather than run around trying to check out all the beaches or take a boat over to another island. We have been reliably informed that Haad Yao is the nicest beach and I can't disagree - it is postcard perfect. Powder white sand, crystal blue waters, no pumping techno music, we have a lovely infinity pool in our resort, all is well!

As Lynn is currently finishing her PADI open water diving course I've had quite a bit of time to myself the last few days and I've used it very constructively to compile a list of 100 of my favourite songs of all-time. The only rule was that each band/artist was allowed only one song, so that the Stone Roses, Beatles, Stevie Wonder and New Order didn't dominate proceedings. It's listed below. You'll recognise some and not know how the hell some of these artists are but download them and check them out.

I should add that I have also been out a run along the beach the last two mornings and spent considerable time in the swimming pool and sunbathing just in case you were thinking the list had taken me two full days! It may take a while to get rid of my t-shirt tan, but we have time on our side.

Lynn will be writing her first blog tonight or tomorrow after finishing her PADI course. I went out on the first day but kind of freaked out, diving isn't for me. I'd only went along at Lynn's request and said I would give it a go. Lynn has a number of challenges to complete to get her certificate - it's been pretty tough going and we may be celebrating tonight! We'll also be having a drink tomorrow night as our good friends Colin (Wigs) and Nichola get married. For the first time we may feel a little homesick as it will be a great day and night.

On Sunday we fly to Kuala Lumpar and on Tuesday to Manilla in the Philippines to stay with my Mum's friends (and ours) Ken and Gwen Coughlan. We are looking forward to mince and tatties!

1) going back to my roots - ritchie havens
2) you set the scene - love
3) temptation - new order
4) don't leave me this way - harold melvin and the bluenotes
5) don't let me down - the beatles
6) like a rolling stone - bob dylan
7) just can't get enough - depeche mode
8) come together (farley mix) - primal scream
9) nothing but a heartache - the flirtations
10) one to another - the charlatans
11) only with you - beach boys
12) looking for you - garnet mimms
13) you - spanky wilson
14) you - george harrison
15) move on up - curtis mayfield
16) just walk in my shoes - gladys knight and the pips
17) soul at sunrise - juggy
18) california soul - marlena shaw
19) bad weather - supremes
20) time will pass you by - tobi legend
21) jump - van halen
22) you got the love - candi statton
23) my love is your love forever - isley brothers
24) groove is in the heart - deelite
25) like a prayer- madonna
26) she bangs the drums - stone roses
27) all i need to get by - marvin gaye and tammi terrell
28) i want you back - the jackson 5
29) rez - underworld
30) belfast - orbital
31) son of a gun - vaselines
32) everything flows - teenage fanclub
33) higher ground - stevie wonder
34) come on feel the illinoise - sufjan stevens
35) shooting star - the mamas and the papas
36) sunday morning - velvet underground
37) sound and vision - david bowie
38) nowhere to run - martha reeves and the vandellas
39) la femme d'argent - air
40) since i left you - the avalanches
41) slide away - oasis
42) i wish i never saw the sunshine - the ronettes
43) it's a shame - detroit spinners
44) break on through to the other side - the doors
45) i can feel your love - felice taylor
46) wrote for luck - happy mondays
47) i believe in miracles - the jackson sisters
48) first big weekend - arab strap
49) legal man - belle and sebastian
50) hurt - johnny cash
51) atmosphere - joy division
52) do i love you (indeed i do) - frank wilson
53) there goes the fear - doves
54) better the devil you know - kylie minogue
55) killing smile - death in vegas
56) unfinished sympathy - massive attack
57) golden path - chemical brothers
58) do you realise? - flaming lips
59) make me believe in you - patti jo
60) hopipolla - sigur ros
61) she's a rainbow - rolling stones
62) i am a rock - simon and garfunkel
63) all or nothing - small faces
64) long after tonight is all over - jimmy radcliffe
65) the bottle - gil scott heron
66) there is a light that never goes out - the smiths
67) standing in the way of control - gossip
68) sweet child o mine - guns'n'roses
69) tracks of my tears - smokey robinson and the miracles
70) if you want me to stay - sly and the family stone
71) mr tambourine man - the byrds
72) sometimes always - jesus and marychain
73) fade into you - mazzy star
74) walk on the wild side - lou reed
75) i'd give anything to see you - mick ronson
76) there she goes - the la's
77) till the end of the day - the kinks
78) funky drummer - james brown
79) seven days too long - chuck wood
80) i'm bound to pack it up - aluminium
81) bittersweet symphony - verve
82) sit down - james
83) losing my edge - lcd soundsytsem
84) and i was a boy from school - hot chip
85) being around - the lemonheads
86) nothing ever lasts forever - echo and the bunnymen
87) young folks - peter, bjorn and john
88) stop your crying - spiritualized
89) dry the rain - beta band
90) john belushi - broken family band
91) little fluffy clouds - the orb
92) wish you were here - pink floyd
93) music box - ruth copeland
94) once in a lifetime - talking heads
95) yes it's you - sweet charles
96) teenage kicks - undertones
97) tired - futuristic retro champions
98) just a little misunderstanding - the contours
99) hey lisa - david holmes
100) S0S stop her on sight - edwin starr

It's definitely time to chill, relax, take it easy, veg, lie on a beach, go for a swim, a walk along the beach, read a book, listen to music, eat, drink and do not much else!

We've been travelling for a while now and Vietnam and Cambodia were pretty hectic. We covered the length and breadth of Vietnam and raced through Cambodia. Thankfully we are now in Ko Phangan, an island in Southern Thailand for some much needed r&r. Read on for an update on what we have been up to.

August 11th - Saturday
After writing the last blog update Lynn and I proceeded to get pleasantly pissed in Cambodia's capital city. We went for a meal down by the river before returning to the lakeside area and playing pool before meeting a lovely Scottish guy called Paul who is travelling to roughly the same places we are. It was nice to hear a Scottish accent and what's more Paul is a Motherwell supporter! What are the chances?

We had quite a few beers and the West Ham v Man City game was on in the background, so it ended up being around midnight when we got to bed.

August 12th - Sunday
We checked out our $3/night guesthouse at around 11am and went for brunch at a nearby lakeside cafe/bar. JT picked us up at 1pm and we headed off to our limousine bus! The bus was better than a lot of the buses we have been on but calling it a limousine service was maybe stretching things a little too far.

The bus to Siem Reap took 5 hours and we stopped off for a 20 minute break on the way. We spent the time reading, dozing and listening to music. When we arrived in Siem Reap our new guide Sky (a friend of JT's) was waiting for us at the bus stop with our names on a card - oh to feel important and wanted! We were quite pleased that we had arranged this in advance as the bus stop/station didn't have any street lighting.

We checked into the Bacca Villa guesthouse, pushing the boat out to a $15/night room with warm water, a fan, air conditioning and satellite TV! We were too tired to bother wandering around so had a nice meal at the guesthouse and then retired to our room to watch the Manchester United v Reading match, kicking off at 10pm local time. It finished 0-0, Reading defended well, Rooney got injured and nothing else of note really happened.

August 13th - Monday
Sky was picking us up at 9am, no rest for the wicked. We had breakfast at the guesthouse and then Sky picked us up to head to Angkor. We bought a 3 day pass for $40 each, giving us plenty of time to wander round (or be driven to on Sky's tuk tuk) all the temples.

We started off at Angkor Watt and I have to say that it is very impressive. I wonder if some of the flats being thrown up around Glasgow will be around as long as this gem of a place. The intricate detail that covers every inch of stone is just staggering. After climbing to the highest point we bumped into a Scottish guy called Paul and his French wife Laura. After meeting no Scots for ages we had now met two in the space of a few days. We arranged to meet them at the Warehouse bar in Siem Reap later that night.

We then headed to Angkor Thom, which contains Bayon - probably our favourite temple. I don't want to bore you with all the details about the temples - needless to say there is a lot of history involved and to be honest you probably have to see them with your own eyes - do a google search for Angkor Watt or visit www.flickr.com/photos/murrayandlynn - although our photos don't do it justice.

I should add that we did visit the temple where Tomb Raider was filmed, sadly Angelina Jolie was nowhere to be seen. We bought a cd from a band playing outside, every member had at least one limb blown off by landmines. They smiled and we chatted to them as they showed us how to play their instruments, I was particularly impressed with one guitar like harp instrument.

After a wet shave and a number 4 all over at a local barbers we headed into Siem Reap to meet Paul and Laura. You cou8ld order beer dispensers for your table so we didn't have to go to the bar all night. Had a great night and the conversation flowed easily - nice couple.

August 14th - Tuesday
I thought I heard something in the distance but I tried to ignore it, it became louder and louder until I realised it was our alarm clock and remembered that we had agreed to meet Sky at 5am to go and watch sunrise over Angkor Watt! I lay in bed half hoping that Lynn hadn't heard it and that I could return to my sleep, but she had, so we got up!

It wasn't the most amazing sunrise I haev ever seen but it was memorable. Thousands of Japanese and Korean tourists had been bused in, and soon after the sun came out they were bused out again - bizarre, didn't they want to see any of the other temples?

After and early start we ended up being back in Siem Reap at 11am. We went straight to sleep! We were shattered. The other temples we saw today were on a smaller scale than yesterday but still fantastic to view and explore.

We wandered into town when we woke and had some lovely club sandwiches ay Le Grande Cafe before wandering round the market and Lynn bought a white long sleeve top. We went for another snooze before heading back to the Warehouse Bar to meet Paul and Laura again. We decided to go to the Khmer Kicthen for food and wine and it was very nice although my soup was incredibly spicey.

We then headed to a bar for a few more beers and to watch a live band that played everything from The Beatles to Phil Collins with a bit of 'Country Roads' thrown in for good measure. Got back to hotel just after midnight, exhausted after a long day.

August 15th - Wednesday
Got up at 8am, very tired! We met Sky at 9am and headed out towards the Cambodian Landmine Museum and the furthest away temple. The sun was shining (indeed it was roasting every day we were in Cambodia) and the Tuk Tuk sped along some country roads creating a pleasant breeze.

The Cambodian Landmine Museum was very interesting. The statistics were staggering. Again, there is too much to go into here so check out http://www.landmine-relief-fund.com/

The museum is run by a guy who actually used to lay the mines during the 70's (he was forced to). He has now adopted 25 kids and claims to have defused over 50,000 mines! We both bought cool t-shirts.

The Bantrey Srey temple was worth the trip, very nice indeed. When we got back to Siem Reap we got dropped at the old market and then went to the Temple Restaurant for a late lunch. It was lovely - Amok Fish (the best), Chicken Curry and Pork in Cambodian spices with rice. We shared it between us and it was without doubt the best meal suring our time in Cambodia.

At night we went for a 4 hand massage - two gorgeous Cambodian girls rubbed oil over my body and gave me a fantastic time - don't worry, Lynn was lying just along from me having exactly the same thing done to her!

We came out refreshed and recharged. We bumped into Paul (Motherwell fan) and had a quick drink with him before heading back to the guest house as we had promised Sky we would attend his English class that he runs. It was very intersting with kids, teenagers and young adults all attending and we read and answered questions on a 'young Picasso' and a 'young Mozart'. We met Sky's 'friend' Rebecca who recommended a restaurant called Dead Fish for dinner.

Dead Fish is a cool place and if you ever find yourself in Siem Reap you should head there - although don't get too drunk as there are crocodiles - I kid you not! The upstairs section was split over several levels and you could look down into a croc pit - with no barrier! Very dangerous and we stayed well away from the edge.

August 16th - Thursday
Long lie and then off to airport for 1pm flight to Ko Samui via Bangkok. We arrived in Ko Samui at 4.30pm and immeidately decided to head to the less commercial island of Ko Phangan as there was a ferry at 6.30pm. ON the ferry we read a local guide and decided to head to Haad Yao in the North West, well clear of the full moon party crowds in the South East that play techno and trance - the last thing we needed after 5 weeks intensive travelling.

I'll update the blog again shortly as I am pretty tired. Just had a great day chilling on the beach and intend to do the same for another two days at least!

So it's goodbye to Vietnam, our home for one month! We didn't intend to spend 4 weeks in Vietnam but we were really taken by the country the longer we spent there. Highlights for me include - the boat trip and overnights stay in Halong Bay - watching an electrical storm with a bottle of wine from the roof of the boat was unbelievable, Hoi An - just an exceptionally beautiful town with a lovely quiet beach, the Easy Riders motorbike tour and hanging out in Saigon.

A special mention must go to the museums in Veitnam. The photographs that document the war are just mind-blowing. Vietnam is on the rise but the shadow of a war that ended 30 years ago is still hanging over it. Unexploded bombs and landmines still claim victims, people with one arm/leg beg on the streets of Saigon, kids are born with horrific side effects from the Americans use of Agent Orange. It really had an impact on me.

I've read two fantastic books on the war. One called 'Chickenhawk' written by an American helicopter pilot that is brutally honest, incredibly well written and a book that places you right in the heart of the battlezones. Secondly I am reading a book on the Cu Chi tunnels that the Vietnamese guerillas used to live in and fight the Americans. The book contains personal accounts of tunnel action from Viet Cong guerillas and American 'Tunnel Rats'. It is a gripping read.

We're now in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh and we've had a whistle stop tour today with a brilliant Tuk Tuk driver called JT. We went to the Tuol Sleng Museum - originally a school but transformed into a prison and torture centre in 1975 by the brutal Pol Pot. Between 1975 and 1979 it is estimated that up to 3 million people were killed in acts of genocide under Pol Pot's regime - the pictures at the museum were sickening. The vast majority of Cambodia's educated people were relocated to the countryside and killed - by gun or yby being beaten to death. Some were thrown into mass graves while still alive. After the museum we drove 14km out of the city to the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek (get out the film Killing Fields for full details). This was the scene of mass graves and there is a huge temple dedicated to those that lost their lives in such a terrible manner. The temple is filled with the skulls of those that died. The museum and the Killing Fields were a very sobering experience.

Vietnam and Cambodia have suffered so much. As the Viet Cong escpaed to and hid in Cambodia the Americans also heavily bombed Cambodia - it is estimated that there are still 3-4 million unexploded bombs littering the Cambodia countryside. The Americans really f**ked up a lot of SE Asia. Looks like they are doing the same to Iraq, turning a blind eye to the situation in Sudan/Darfur.

After the Killing Fields we were going to go to the Palace but it was shut for lunch so I asked if we could go to an Orphange instead. I had seen a flyer in the pub we had breakfast in this morning. JT suggested visiting a different one that he had read about, it looked after kids affected by HIV and that he himself wanted to visit. We took his advice and headed to the orphanage, stopping off to buy 50kg of rice for $25, 3kilos of fresh fruit and 10 mini footballs for the kids.

When we arrived at the orphanage we were greeted by the president Voeut Kenh and thanked for our gifts. The kids were busy colouring in some Winnie The Pooh sketch books that had been donated to them. Some of them looked really ill while others smiled when I caught their eye. Some of the kids that were really ill and had lesions on their arms and legs that looked really sore.

After a chat with the volunteers and staff we made an official presentation of our gifts to the kids who seemed to perk up quite a bit when I opened the bag with the mini footballs. We got our picture taken at the presentation and the kids all sat down and were each handed some fruit. The children were very obediant and well mannered. The president told us that they had a daily/weekly routine so that their minds could be taken off other things.

After the fruit the balls came out to play and pretty soon the room became a little chaotic with balls flying all over the place. I played football with one young guy who must have been 7/8 and he showed some nifty footwork. Sadly he'll never get to play for a team. I then played catch with two girls. one around 10 and one of about 5. They found it very funny when I got hit in a certain sore place and I pretended to fall down and roll around in agony. Lynn joined in and soon we were keeping quite a few of the kids entertained while the rest of them chased balls about all over the place.

We both felt sorry for one kid in particular as he was lying down and hooked up to a drip. His big brown eyes looked soul-less and he never smiled at all. He was too weak to get up and play with the other kids, to take part in the presentation picture, or really do anything. I think he knew his time was almost up. The president told Lynn that 5 other kids had recently been transferred to hosptial to be given medication to ease their suffering during their final days.

So it's been a thought provoking and sobering day in Phnom Penh, but one that we'll always remember. It was great to bring some smiles and laughter to some kids that were desperately in need of it. The museum and Killing Fields have really left us a bit speechless. This happened only 32 years ago.

Anyway - lets move on to something a little cheerier!

Tomorrow we get a bus (a limousine bus) to Siem Reap at 2pm and we will then spend 4 nights there before catching a flight to Southern Thailand and some beaches! Hurrah!

Other news - we arrived in Cambodia after a 3 day tour of the Mekong Delta that was not spectacular but great value for money - $33 each including accomodation and quite a few meals, as well as help with Visas and the border crossing. As we journeyed by boat into Cambodia the last leg of the journey in Vietnam saw kids that lived with their families on the river wave to us from ashore, this trend continued into Cambodia and was a very pleasant way to cross the border.

Last night we stayed in a $3/night guesthouse on the lake and had a BBQ dinner. Just what we needed after 3 days of travelling. It will be nice to chill in Siem Reap, a town with a population of around 100,000 and the closest town to the amazing Angkor Watt - one of the most inspired and spectacular monuments ever conceived by the human mind and one that has left every traveller we have met raving about it.

So I'll update you all in a few days time.

Take care - I'll also upload some photos on to FLICKR if I get a chance later or tomorrow before we get our bus.

OH - and a special congratulations to our good friends Kenny and Maarjorie who got engaged recently. Well done Kenny and very well done Marj!

After a c