CAMBODIA - Kaoh Kong and Sihanoukville

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New day , new Country.On the bus I  met two Aussie guys  who'd done the border crossing berfore. That came in really handy as they knew exactly where to go and someone they knew who runs a guesthouse  waiting to pick us up , so we didn't get ripped off by the taxi drivers.

On my first full day there we had a walk round the fishing village . That was an eye opener. I saw real poverty for the first time since South Africa.Ramshackle wooden shacks perched on stilts over the river. Yet the kids were all giggling and smiling when they saw us.

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The guys , Paul and Alan were friendly but did nothing to dispel the stereotype of the blue collar Aussie male.They come here every year and have a 'girlfriend ' while there here from the local 'chicken farm'.Hard drinking , they laughed at me having a banana shake while they knocked back the lager!

The next day it was back on the bus to the coastal resort of Sihanoukville.It's not a huge distance but it took about 7 hours , mainly because it involved four ferry crossings. These were a lot of fun with us squeezing onto decrepid looking boats , one of which was three longtail boats roped together. Things are changing rapidly though . Bridges are being built that will make these boats redundant , so am glad I made the trip now.The only losers might be the people who make a living selling food and drink at every river crossing.

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The beach resorts are geared towards the backpacker market - cheap and cheerful. Apparently this too may soon change as the big Companys look for new markets and Sihanoukville is rumoured to be the next ' big thing'. The beaches don't measure up to the splendour of Thailands finest , and as there is little else to hold me here have decided to move on.