Thailand & Cambodia April 2000 part 1

After the course week and the extra couple of days in Kata, 
Phuket, I went to see my Thai friend, Araya (see above left), 
who lives in Bangkok. Me and Araya shared the same kitchen
when we were both studying in Manchester, England. 
Me, Araya(Aya) and Simon, an English friend of Aya who works 
in BKK, went to have a meal on one of the river boats. 

Bangkok Airport (above). Me, Aya and Dope (Aya's friend) on our 
way to the neighbouring country, Cambodia for 4 days.    

At Phnom Penh (the capital of Cambodia) Airport, the 
first impression of Cambodia which was chaos
at the immigration desk. The happy immigration 
officer (see above left) was accompanied by 6-7 other 
officers who took care of the more than an hour long 
immigration process. It didn't help much that I paid an 
extra 10 US Dollars. Cambodia used to be a 
French colony, which is reflected in the architecture
 of the houses in Phnom Penh.

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh (see above left). 
Cute Cambdian girls who tries to escape the hot sun.
Some other children took a swim in the river, 
while their parents were fishing in a typical
Cambodian boat right beside them.

The three of us went a shooting range outside
 Phnom Penh on motorbikes (see above). I tried a AK47 machine gun. 
It was very powerful which frightened me in the beginning but 
after a few bullets I got used to the powerful recoil. 
I wasn't very good at shooting though, around 8-9 bullets
out of 45 hit the target.

I also tried throwing hand grenade, which was scary but very 
very thrilling.  For safety reasons the grenade was thrown 
into the water right next to me. 

On the way back to Phnom Penh, the chain of one 
of the motorbikes we were going on
broke and was fixed right away by the driver.

View from our very cheap tripple room in one of the few 
Guest Houses in Phnom Penh (above left). A crowded boat 
(see above right) on the way to a town, Seam Reap, in the 
north-west of Cambodia where one of the 'World's Seven 
Miracles' is situated, Angkor Wat, a huge temple area.

We were very tired, hungry and sun burnt after the trip 
on the roof of the river boat when we arrived to Seam 
Reap.  To the right in the pic are the Cambodian 
king and queen.