19th February. Day Trip To Cambodia.

Vietnam is like a chocolate box Switzerland or Austria compared with Cambodia.

We head west to the border through a vast expanse of green rice paddies stopping only to pick up an official. We are then ushered through the checkpoint, no passport or visa required, directly to the new casino which is conveniently right up against the border. The arrangement helps to avoid any unpleasant local sights.

This supposed Las Vegas style enterprise has more in common with Tijuana, it occurs, when we pull in at the rather underwhelming 'International Border Market', half a mile further on.

"Very very cheap!" says Isabelle's dad gleefully as we squeeze through the baking, fly-blown market, assailed by women with babes-in-arms, as the dust from the street swirls around with a mixture of plastic litter.

This is a pretty miserable place and not at all quaint I remark of the condition of the locals as we slip effortlessly back into the comfort of the air conditioned Toyota.

Brother-in-law Ayk still claims that this represents civic pride compared with his recent Bangladesh experiences??