Article on traffic in Phnom Penh

• In a city of 2 million people, 4 people die on the roads every day and 75 are injured.
• $116m is the cost of the traffic accident, which is equal to 3% of Cambodia's GDP
• National Geographic ranked Phnom Penh as the second least livable city in the world

Full article here if you're interested.

Ramblings of a tired man

I'm in my hotel room in Vientiane, capital of Laos. I've spent the last 45 minutes cursing my air-conditioner for the high pitched noise, only to discover that it's actually crickets outside.

I desperately need a haircut but have been working (and playing) so hard over the weekend that haven't got round to it yet. I've also developed a Phnom Penh Paunch (artist's impression), the result of eating out for every meal for 3 months and taking absolutely no exercise (because it 35c+, there are no pavements and, oh well, I'm lazy!). Consequently I look like one (or both) of those hairy bikers.

I discovered a Swedish Baking House round the corner (how random?) and bought some Kokosbollar, a favourite while I was in Sweden. I'm waiting up till 11:30pm when my partner George (OK, actually GEORGINA!) gets in from work in the UK.

That's it!

and some more...

More holiday pics

Vietnam Holidays!

I have spent the last week in Vietnam having a great holiday with my friends Nils and Turid. Snorkelling, exploring villages on beautiful little islands, lots of food... well, you know the routine...

Not dead, just busy

Super hectic after 2 weeks unpaid holiday, one week management retreat, one week back in the Phnom Penh office then off to Vietnam on this Saturday for a week's unpaid holiday then back to Cambodia at the weekend and then off to Laos for ten days after that. Phew. And the requests for proposals and objectives from management keep on coming. It's good though. Back to it. Bye!

Sat in a cafe

I am sat in a cafe and in the last ten minutes I have seen:

• a police car with 2 adults and perhaps 8 kids in in, none wearing seatbelts
• A child on a motorbike carrying a 4 foot x 4 foot clothes hanging rail
• A motorbike with three people on it, one of them holding a saline drip bag high up on a bamboo pole.
• Two people on a motorbike carrying a bicycle
• A family of five on a moto