A nightmare journey

Wednesday 3 July

Today we travel from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to Siem Reap, Cambodia, famous for the stunningly beautiful (so my son tells me – he's been there) and long-ago abandoned temple of Angkor Wat. Our hotel recommends that we travel by “luxury” minibus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, as it's a faster journey, and reasonably priced. The journey will take about 6 hours, leaving at 8 am.

We say goodbye to Sariff and the other employees who've been so kind to us at this hotel. This is good hotel in many ways; the staff are really helpful and friendly, and the rooms are at first viewing clean and well-furnished, but a few pending DIY jobs (especially plumbing ones) would make me a little reticent about recommending this hotel to others.

We have to change rooms because my initial delight at finding we have a bath with a plug, soon turns to consternation when I notice, as I run the bath, water seeping rapidly from under the bath panel. On closer inspection, there is a huge jagged hairline crack in the bottom of the plastic bath.

The water runs away to a drain in the floor so it isn't a huge problem, but when I decide on a shower instead, the bottom of the bath feels very unsafe indeed. I don't think it will take Reg's weight, despite the fact that his trouser belt has decreased by 3 notches since we've been travelling. Not only could we have foot-through-the-bath, but Reg could be injured. We ask to change rooms, which of course entails us packing up our luggage one more time! As if we don't do this enough!

In the new room, the kettle doesn't work (which doesn't matter for us, because we have our own, but would be important to other guests); also the blind won't pull up, which means we are in semi -darkness even in daylight; and there's another outstanding plumbing job. The water from the washbasin gurgles straight out of the plughole into a waste paper basket, placed strategically underneath.

As we leave, I report these problems to the hotel receptionist, a really lovely young man who had to give up being a monk in order to support his mother and younger siblings. His father died under the Pol Pot regime. He looks concerned about what I'm telling him, but he doesn't write anything down. I think, perhaps the jobs will get fixed, perhaps they won't.

We didn't give the decision to travel by minibus as much thought as we should have done. How will they fit in all our luggage, especially my trusty suitcase? The luxury minibus arrives, and we are the first to be picked up. We manage to fit our luggage into a small area at the back of the minibus, but I don't know where the other passengers are going to put theirs. Apparently there will be 12 passengers.

We are taken to a tour office where we are transferred to another minibus; not as new, but comfortable enough, for a minibus – you don't expect much legroom. The driver and his mate struggle to fit in the luggage of all the passengers, as ours takes up the lion's share of space. I feel really guilty. Fortunately some of our fellow travellers are travelling light. The driver seems stressed - he has targets to meet; he has to be in Siem Reap on time.

We get talking to a Cambodian man who is travelling with his wife, who is Taiwanese, and 3 daughters. The man was 10 years old when his father, who was a business man, felt he was “next on the list” to be arrested by the Khmer Rouge regime, and feared for the safety of himself and his family.

“My older brother ran away before the rest of the family left Cambodia,” says our fellow-traveller. “We never saw or heard of him again, He must have been captured by the Khmer Rouge.”

The Cambodian man tells us that he and his father and mother escaped to America, where they picked up the pieces of their lives. This is the Cambodian man's first time back to his country of birth in 35 years - since the day he left. He said it was a very emotional time for him.

As the journey continues Reg becomes concerned about the speed at which the minibus is travelling. At first we have to travel very slowly because of roadworks, and a steady stream of traffic. We stop for a 20 minute break at the half way point for the comfort of passengers. Now, on the 2^nd half of the journey, there's not a lot of traffic on the road, but the surface is dotted with potholes in places, and the minibus is travelling at over 60 miles an hour (says Reg checking his sat-nav on his phone). Not only does the journey feel very unsafe, but I'm not a good road passenger at the best of times, and the bumps and jolts are making me feel travel sick.

We are glad to arrive in one piece, and vow not to travel by minibus again if we can avoid it. We should have taken the coach.

A tuk tuk driver sent by our hotel is waiting for us at the bus terminus, with the name “Reginald Parker” held up in front of him; what a wonderful sight! This hostel/ hotel has 5 stars on “Trip Advisor” and we can see why. It's in a beautiful leafy setting, it's clean, the staff are great, and there' s a restaurant on the premises. And a swimming pool. And free tea and coffee 24 hours.

Our room (on the ground floor for once – whoopee!) is spacious and tastefully decorated. The curtains open and there's no plumbing problems. Well done, Reg, on choosing yet another brilliant place to stay.

After having a late lunch and settling in, we book our tuk tuk driver for 5 am the next day, so that, along with other tourists, we can, we hope, see what is supposed to be an amazing spectacle - sunrise over Angkor Wat.