Yesterday marked 6 weeks since we left England and it's hard to say that I have been missing home. Although Dubai, our first stop, was the entire opposite of dreary Stowmarket, the novelty of leaving home was present throughout.
What we did manage to eat in the searing heat was amazing; authentic Pakistani food, shake-shake burgers and the best guacamole, all washed down with still lemonade.
Our first nights in Thailand were eye-opening. Bangkok lives up to the hype, Khoa San road was just as described on The Beach. There is always a horrible smell in the air wherever you go, a mixture of sewage, rancid eggs and cat piss.
We headed South as soon as we could; a night bus to Surattani to catch a boat to Ko Samui, an 18 hour journey which Noah had his passport stolen on. Despite the stress, we managed to have a good time on paradise island.
On Thursday 2nd October we arrived in Cambodia, noticeably different from Thailand because of poverty. We zoomed past shacks and shelters with anaemic looking cows tied to the building. Children with no shoes or shirts, playing in dirty lakes, yet everyone seems content.
The first thing we do in Siem Reap was the temples, a German named Michael from our dorm asked if we wanted to do the big circuit in a shared tuk-tuk, we agreed not knowing it would be a 10 hour day trip starting at 5AM. At the very last temple, I sat at the bottom and spoke to one of the locals selling temple rubbings. There are countless Cambodians at the temples selling useless things; bracelets, scarves, flutes. I always attempt to have a conversation with them - weed out information about their day, their families, not just how much they are selling a bottle of water for.
The man selling the temple rubbings was Mr. Huon Sokheng, he spent all day trying to flog the art work to make money not just for his wife and three children, but also for the small English classes he ran for orphans. I know this wasn't a bogus story because later in the month I met his wife, three children and also the classes of the Helping Orphans and Arts Association (H.O.A).
Next was Phnom Penh, most vivid for me because of the cat cafe but also the killing fields and S21. I began the day ignorant of Cambodian history and ended having learnt so much, it was a very peaceful yet powerful experience that I will never forget.
Soon we made our way to the coast, Sihanoukville, no where near as luxurious as Ko Samui, but still an adventure, lemon ice tea included.
Now we are back in Siem Reap, teaching at H.O.A in the evenings as volunteers, soon to be travelling over to Vietnam.
