After the wedding of the year and spending three weeks across England, here, there and everywhere we were looking forward to returning to Asia. We spent two nights in bustling Bangkok attempting to overcome the jet lag and then we flew to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
We were collected from the airport by a tuktuk driver and taken straight to ECC school. The school was fifteen minutes out of the city centre in a small village. We were welcomed by Polly, this crazy dutch chick who was the volunteer co-ordinator while we were there. We were quickly involved in the ECC family and the following day I started lessons and Billy started finishing the new classrooms.
ECC school is an non-profit school that was founded by ‘Mama’ in order to provide english lessons to the local families for free. Some families in rural areas cannot afford the $1.50 monthly fee for public school so ECC school is their only access to free education. The school relies on volunteers as teachers so there was a constant turn over of people leaving and new people arriving. All of the work the volunteers do relies on donations and we saw first hand the difference it made so if you do have any spare cash please help them out: ECC Donation Page
By the start of the new week we’d settled in well, the classroom was coming along nicely and Billy had also been given an advanced class. We spent just over three weeks at ECC, teaching lessons, planning lessons, painting the newly plaster boarded classroom (thanks to Billy), playing games with the kids and enjoying the other volunteers’ company – especially when we went into the city centre at the weekend for a well deserved beer, or three. 
El managed to catch up with us in Siem Reap one weekend too. It was lush seeing her and passing on Lynn’s card! It was the last time we’d see her in Asia (much to our disappointment) but we know we’ve got a new buddy wherever in the world we all are..
It was pretty devastating saying goodbye to the kids and Mama and her family. We felt like we really made a difference and left our mark on the Siem Reap community. But our adventuring called and we met back up with Lou, Ashley and Cas. We rented some bikes for sunrise and set off to Angkor Wat; the largest religious monument in the world. It was originally constructed as a Hindu temple but slowly transformed into a Buddhist temple. There is several different temples within the site, all just as fascinating as the other. We started for sunrise so by midday we were pretty knackered (especially being on those bikes) and headed back to the city.
We left Siem Reap the next day and made our way to Battambang where we rode the bamboo train, Billy lost his flip flops, we were pestered by kids wanting us to buy bracelets off them before making a swift exit and on to Kampot. The journey was one of the slowest bus journeys we’ve ever taken. At times we only managed 30km in a hour! But it was worth it when we arrived. Kampot was based on the river and a super chilled area. We spent a couple of nights in the city centre eating some great food and then moved to a guesthouse on the river.
We took a couple of motorbikes up Bokor mountain to check out the derelict casino and the view over the coast line but before we set off we didn’t realise how cold it was going to be at the top so we didn’t spend long before heading back down to the warmth of Kampot.
We also took a tuktuk up river to Arcadia hostel where we spent a day playing in their river water park which included a slide that flings you into the air and a large inflatable where one person lies on one side and two people jump on the other, sending you flying into the water.
Sihanoukville was next for a couple of days until we booked a boat over to Koh Rong. There wasn’t much happening but we had a few beers on the beach one night and we thought we were in the middle of a hustle. The kids sell bracelets on the beaches and are always asking you to buy one or ten (if you’re Louie) but they are renowned for pickpocketing. When you get talking to them and ask where they’re from they almost instantly reply in a broad Scottish accent ‘I’m from Scotland’. So while we’re finding out that these two eleven year olds are from Glasgow another two approach from the other side – everyone is checking to make sure their belongings are in their pockets at this stage and then before we know it a lady from the table behind us starts up a conversation with Cas and Ashley is no longer at the table. Before Billy, Louie and I could panic Ashley returned and explained how she was at the toilet and the kids soon got bored and left.
Koh Rong was absolutely beautiful. We stayed a ten minute boat ride away from the main area and we had our own deserted beach but unfortunately our time there was dampened by bed bugs and sandflies. We still managed to enjoy the gorgeous sunrises, read so many books and have a few games of volleyball. Back in the main area we stayed in a bed bug free zone and enjoyed a couple of chilled days and the epic super-moon before Billy’s birthday.
For Billy’s birthday we decided to join a boat trip that took you around the island to go snorkelling, fishing, for a BBQ and to a 7km white sand beach to watch sunset. The snorkelling was pretty poor after what we’ve experienced elsewhere but the whole day was unreal. There was six of us; Lou, Ashley and Cas were with us with an Irish fella we adopted for the day – also called Lou – plus another ten on the boat. We took a crate of beer on board and we also got given some as well as fruit, food and ‘whisky’.
We thoroughly enjoyed the day playing in the sea and drinking in beer and before we knew it we were docked at Long Beach where we were fed and watched the sun melt into the sea – definitely one of the best sunsets we’ve seen. After the sun had set we set off in the direction of the pier but we were super lucky as there was no moon so it was perfect conditions for seeing bioluminescent plankton. The boat stopped, we got into the water and the light on board was turned off and then it was the most magical thing we’ve ever seen. Bioluminescent plankton lights up in a similar way to fireflies.. so imagine hundreds of them in water. And then above us there was the milky way perfect for all to see. When you didn’t move the water was black – there was nothing to see but as soon as you splashed, kicked or moved the sparkles returned, and then you looked up and the stars were twinkling away. Apparently it was even in my hair – I always wanted to be a sparkle princess. Of all the things we have done in the last two and half years this definitely makes it into the top three. We could not have asked for a better end to an amazing day.
Before we headed to Vietnam we paid for a three month visa so we could spend the most time here possible and enjoy ourselves! The bus journey to Ho Chi Minh City was long but our good mate Holly had very kindly invited us to stay at hers. We entertained her ever so lively kitten while she was working but we managed to catch up for food and drinks later! Unfortunately it was only for one night but wherever we end up next we’ll fly out of Ho Chi Minh so we get to annoy her and Matt for another couple of days!
We’ve now spent just over four weeks in Hai Phong, the third biggest city in Vietnam. We’ve been teaching at a centre in the city and trying our best to get out and see the area on weekends. We took a trip to Cat Ba Island one weekend and that’s where we’ll spend Christmas with Louie and Ashley. We currently have no plans after NYE but that’s the way we like it to be so we’ll post an update of what we get up to soon.
We wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a fabulous New Year! Take care and stay happy..
Lucy & Billy
geordieandthegiant 