No money, no honey.

I'm now in Cambodia, we had a very eventful few weeks in Vietnam. I'd definitely say to anyone that plans to travel South East Asia, 'forget everywhere else, head straight to Vietnam'

I've had a very educational last week. When we arrived in Saigon we went to the war museum and saw all the gruesome photos. Oh and learned a lot. The following day we went to the Cu Chi tunnels which are all the underground walkways/hideouts built by the soldiers in the war. We went inside the tunnels and they are tiny, and very hot. We also got a good tour around all the different traps that had been set in the ground. I didn't feel 100% confident that they had actually got around to digging out all the traps but no one else questioned it so I pretended I didn't care and slyly stuck to the paths. I didn't want to portray any wimp like traits.

We left Vietnam the day after and headed to Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. The first day we went to see the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum a.k.a - torture prisons, which were truly horrific. The Cambodians have managed to leave everything exactly how it was, the walls are covered in blood stains, the cells and torture equipment are all still there, in place. The only difference is that they have filled some of the rooms with pictures or stories of all the people that were tortured and killed. That brightened things up.... NOT.
To really top off our previous few days we ended with the killing fields. Basically, it's exactly what it sounds like. Fields for killing. Anyone who knows a lot about the Vietnam/ Cambodia war will know all about this but for those of you who don't: - people were taken from the aforementioned prison, in the dead of night, to these fields where they were killed and buried, some not killed, just buried, in mass graves. It's very eerie, even though all the bodies have been dug up, there are bits of clothing sticking out of the ground from where the rain has brought it up. Oh and on top of that there is a big glass memorial full of skulls and bones.

On a lighter note, I learned how to Kite surf in Vietnam. It is so much fun I could've quite easily put travelling to an end and stayed on Mui Ne for the rest of my time/ life. The only problem was (I say "problem") that some days there was no wind and I couldn't stay there just waiting around.
We've also been sailing, I sat at the front. It wasn't till near the end that I realised I had been acting as everyone else's shield so I came off looking like a drowned rat whilst everyone else was bone dry. Deceiving "comfy" seats.

Cambodian people seem a lot more full sized if you know what I mean. Everywhere else we have been the people are very small and skinny, I was beginning to feel like a giant. The Asian girls love Lordan. Everywhere we go they burst into fits of giggles and stare and point. I'm assuming its because of him. If they're laughing at me then I've really misunderstood.
The young children speak perfect English too. On the rare occasion that I've managed to look past their cute, smiling, innocent, clearly not very well off, dirty faces, and say no I don't want, what will essentially be my 64th friendship bracelet, especially when I can see you haven't put half as much effort in as you could have. They will offer to rock paper scissors me for it?? It's like someone has informed them that I cannot resist a good game of Roshambo !!!!

I'm getting a bit annoyed about the fact that the entire time I've been away, I have only found one place that sells Salt & Vinegar crisps. The thing is, I can understand that certain things aren't available in Asia, I really can. However, when one walks through a supermarket, I say supermarket, what I mean is someones front room, in a shack, with a mattress on the floor where maybe 5 people sleep, anyway, when one is perusing the shelves and sees flavours such as Pad Thai, shrimp, spinach, beef stir fry, seaweed, fish, squid, cheese and onion, ready salted and even bbq pringles??? I'm sure you get where I'm going with this. They have no excuse.

Take care. X