Here Be Beasties

So I’ve just been to the bathroom to get a bottle of water, it’s 2am and as I walk through the door my face is entangled in a web….

In the corner of the room lurks the biggest spider we’ve seen since we left. A huge beast, at least 15cm in diameter. We don’t go in for killing things but this one is now hiding behind the toilet and it could have been Etholle finding it. This could be the thing which ran across my face a few days ago whilst I was sleeping. There’s no way to catch it, Chantelle heard my “man scream” and suggests “getting it in a glass”. The problem is that the thing is so quick it would be impossible to catch and the last time a drinking vessel of sufficient girth existed was during the Roman Empire. So I’m afraid to say it was either him or us…..

It only took 20 minutes to wear him down, quite literally. A quick Google informs us that he was a Thai Cane Spider, they lurk in bathrooms and not venomous. I’d like to say I feel sorry for him, but this was an epic gladiatorial battle which could only end in his demise. So to all the other beasts trying to catch me or my family on our journey, remember “I am Spartacus”

Catching up with the blog and relaxing!

Been a bit busy over the past few weeks, had friends and family with us for a month or so and have now decided to take a holiday! We’ve left Cambodia, been through Bangkok (a bit tired of the place now, so only spent one night in transit), stayed 2 nights in Ao Nang and we’re now back on Koh Lanta. We were surprised at how nice the island is when we stopped here with Rach, Chris and the children a couple of months ago, so intend to spend at least a couple of weeks here by the sea.

Etholle will be knuckling down to work at her lessons and blog, so expect many updates from us all as we catch up with the past few week’s activities.

Next move will be Malaysia to meet my parents and travel with them for a month.

Time to sit back and relax 🙂

An evening with Den’s family

You may have met Den, Chantelle’s friend from her masters course. Den is studying in Worcester and has spent a couple of Christmases with our family in Bredon. I think we’re slowly Anglicising him, he has  been to two pantos at the Roses Theatre in Tewkesbury!

We met his mum, Maly, and sister, Lyda, last year when they visited the UK and they were kind enough to take us out for a meal in Phnom Penh.

Etholle and Maly.

Den’s new Niece!

Good company and great food – loads of it and far too much for us all to eat. Thank you again Lyda and Maly!

(Den, we were well looked after!)

The Killing Fields

Visited the Killing Fields in Choeung Ek just outside of Phnom Penh. A really well run site with audio commentary and a good balance of history and interviews. Reminded me of Auschwitz on a smaller scale, but then you learn that this was only one of 300 such sites operated by the Khmer Rouge. It’s chilling to think about what happened here, the fact that it was only in the 1970’s, and criminal that the Khmer Rouge were represented in the UN many years after Pol Pot’s regime fell. I only took one photo, that of the memorial.

A few days in Phnom Penh

We all caught a local luxury bus to Phnom Penh so see the Cambodian capital city. Luxury probably means that it will actually be able to complete the journey over the potholed and ripped up roads. Good value accommodation with a swimming pool, the only downside is that the economy here runs on the US Dollar, which is just sad. When you take currency from an ATM you are given $100 bills and very few places want to take them as most meals cost about $2 each and you can get a beer for 50c.

Spent an evening on a boat on the river (the Mekong and the Tonle Sap) to watch the sunset. A big river with the main city one side and mainly small villages on the other. The only other scenery is the half finished building projects, typical of a lot of Cambodian cities!

One of the few pictures of all 3 of us!

After a mutinous uprising we replaced the captain with one of our own.

Then she was overthrown by Captain Alice (it’s like Game of Thrones)

Gaz, not too comfortable with the change of captaincy.

Pretty cool sunset for a capital city.