Cambodia Part 1

I have arrived, sent out a quick bulk email yesterday although I realised today I missed some important people off the list like you Kath and a few others so I apologise for this as it was a very rush job!

Well leaving NZ was a very emotional time mum and niks suprised me at the airport where Jez was dropping me off, arrived in Bangkok late at night and negotiated a bus instead of a taxi to downtown Bangkok, where we found our hotel after a short walk, it was super nice up on the 8th floor, a/c and all the other bells and whistles! We then had a quick poke around the markets and then basically hit the sack before getting up at 4.30am to head back to the airport.

Flying into Cambodia, the breakfast meal served was cooked duck, not something airnz would serve I'm sure! Cambodia looked very flat and dry as we flew in, and when we arrived nothing could quite prepare us for the heat which sits around 36-38 degrees in the daytime and about 6 degrees colder at night! Also the traffic is just a nightmare on wheels, there are no road rules to speak of everyone drives fast and weaves in and out of traffic heaps of motorbikes piled with mum, dad and two kids, in fact the mbikes outnumber the cars probably 3:1!

Have so far been to the VSA office, checked out our hotel which my room is up 4 flights of steep steep stairs and has a nice bed, and tv and fridge plus some marginal air con which is a huge help even if it is marginal! This morning anna and I looked around the market place, basically a hub of hustle bustle, people shouting and pushing and trying to buy the best and cheapest deals altho everything is pretty cheap anyway a watermelon is 1000 riel about 25 US cents!

Food here has been interesting, basically you just have to get over it, everyone says dont eat/drink ice but every drink is served with it, and similarily we have found when you order vegeterian meals apparently shrimp don't count as meat! Although I will say I had an amzing green curry last night for a minimal price and it was the best I've ever had!

Communication is hard, but very essential basically here in Phnom Penh English is semi understood, but in a very misunderstood way if that makes any sense at all!

Ok must be Anna's turn to jump on the net, I will post some photos later on today or tomorrow, Miss you all, Miss NZ, but having a fab time!

Love fi