hello from cambodia

I'm pleased to say that I've made it into Cambodia safe and sound. This message is being sent from Siem Reap near Angkor Wat. It's a lovely hot day, the sun is out, and so are the locals. It's utterly fantastic to be here.

The journey from Bangkok yesterday was a lot of fun; an experience. It took 13 hours by bus. Bangkok to the border towns (Aranya Prathet in Thailand and Poipet in Cambodia) was a simple speedy air-conditioned bus ride, but once into Cambodia itself I felt like I had entered a different world (and time).

'This is the sort of place I came out here to see,' I thought to myself, not knowing quite what to make of things, or how to feel about the strangeness of Cambodia.

Cambodia is much less developed than Thailand, and it is immediately obvious.

The first thing that's really struck me is the quality of the road networks. There are no tarmac covered roads - anywhere - just pot-holed red soil tracks. Most of the time it is impossible for vehicles to go above twenty kilometres an hour, and what would be a short journey takes five, six, seven hours.

It's small: geographically, and in terms of population.

There's more obvious poverty, and the country's turbulent recent history is evident in big billboards which read, 'turn in your guns.'

The landscape is very different. The north-west is flat and open, at times reminding me of the East Anglian fens, but with scattered palm trees. Calm rice paddies stretch endlessly towards the horizon, moving with the wind. It's very simple and very beautiful. There's the green of fields, the red of the road, and the blue of the sky.

About six hours into the Cambodian leg of the journey, as my bus began the slow process of overtaking a heavy goods lorry, I felt the same sensation a tortoise must feel when overtaking a snail. We made it to Siem Reap in the end, rolling into town early evening, and all things considered the journey could have been worse.

Having woken up here this morning, refreshed, and having taken a look around, I'm very taken with the local area. The town centre is distressed, beautiful, and developing fast. There are well spaced tree-lined boulevards surrounding the centre, and there's a river running down the middle. Down these streets and by this river walk busy Cambodians, ready to smile and talk if you make eye contact.

I'm taking it easy in the town today and tomorrow I plan to begin a three day assault on Cambodia's biggest attraction - Angkor Wat, the largest religious building on Earth.

Full name: Kingdom of Cambodia
Population: 14.8 million (UN, 2005)
Capital: Phnom Penh
Area: 181,035 sq km (69,898 sq miles)
Major language: Khmer
Major religion: Buddhism
Life expectancy: 52 years (men), 60 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 riel = 100 sen
Main exports: Clothing, timber, rubber
GNI per capita: US $380 (World Bank, 2006)
Internet domain: .kh
International dialling code: +855