I rushed out of my apartment early on Thursday morning, remembering at the last minute to check my stash of foreign currency. I wouldn’t need kyat or ringgit on this trip, but some reliable riel: I was going to Cambodia. Unfortunately, when I later checked the wad of bills that I had grabbed, I realized that half of them were Lao kip. Confusion reigns.

I just returned this morning after spending four days in Cambodia; two in Phnom Penh and two in Siem Reap. Once again, my timing was rather bizarre; the day after I arrived, Thailand and Cambodia recalled their ambassadors to each country, a result of the latest idiotic episode in the Thaksin Shinawatra drama. Once again, politics rears its ugly head and the victims will be the citizens of both countries, most of whom could care less if Thaksin is appointed economic advisor by Hun Sen. In an ideal world someone would vaporize both “leaders” and let more intelligent people make the decisions … but that’s only wishful thinking.

In any case, my trip was great. I didn’t have too much down time, but I managed to see all of my friends, visit a few new sights, and make sure the kids I’ve been helping have enough money to get them through the next few months. More stories and photos in the days ahead.

Posted by dgilliland Bangkok