Angela Green and Charlotte Dyer are currently on VentureCo’s four month Indochina Venture.

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Empires of the East expedition diary: Update Two Angela and Charlotte write... Our next destination was Kep, a small seaside town although now a shell of its former self. Kep endured a lot of devastation during the Civil War so there remains many derelict and soulless buildings which were once fashionable hotels. Fortunately there is now evidence of tourism picking up with attractions such as rock climbing, caving and island hopping in this area. The next days excursions took half the group to Rabbit Island and the other half rock climbing. Predictably most the girls chose the island trip with the promise of a good beach. A long boat collected us from the pier and we then braved the rocky sail across. Before setting down on our beach towels we thought we should at least do some exploring. We followed the coastal path round which took us to local fishing spots and beaches lined with coconut trees. As you would expect the rest of the morning was spent indulging in the warm sea, our rest and relaxation being briefly interrupted by a herd of meandering cows! Our next destination, Sihanoukville, was on the south coast and our first trip was to Ream National Park, located a short distance outside of town. We hopped onto a long boat and travelled down river to a very scenic and deserted beach at the mouth of the river. Local tour guides cooked us the best lunch yet, which included barbequed barracuda fish. The tour took us through part of the national park including a bit of jungle, offering a rare sighting of mangroves. Our return journey by boat was eventful as the motor failed a number of times leaving us drifting into the unknown! With a stroke of luck the motor managed to chug it's way back to shore. We celebrated our epic survival that evening at our local haunt, the Yellow Monkey, with some well-earned bevvies! The next days excursion took us to three islands by boat. The first activity included snorkelling and an unsuccessful attempt to find Nemo! We then jumped to shore at the next island; again very undeveloped with a few beach huts and small bar. I’m sure in years to come these islands will be packed with backpackers all fighting for beach-huts, but for now it is still possible to appreciate them in their natural, undisturbed beauty. The group also challenged itself to a game of volleyball and group Frisbee, much to the amusement of the locals who also joined in! So all in all a great week exploring the south coast. We set off back to Siem Reap tomorrow to begin our four week community and development projects. Our aim is to build three houses from scratch, as well as undertaking a number of research projects. It is certainly going to be physically challenging but the rewards, I’m sure, will be much greater. Next was the first week of the development project. Our first task was to build a house for an underprivileged family - a widow with five children. To start with the locals sacrificed a pig to bring good luck to everyone working on the project. Candles, incense and the pig's head were put on a shrine overlooking the project site. By the time we arrived, some of the local builders and monks had constructed the main support frames of the house. We soon joined in and helped where we could. The girls worked on constructing the walls made out of palm leaves and strips of bamboo and the boys helped by shifting materials to desired locations, sawing pieces of wood and nailing down floorboards. To say thank you for our work, some of the local community prepared some Khmer food for us which was seriously tasty. Besides constructing and completing a new house, we also helped renovate an old house and took opportunities during breaks to play with the children. Over the last few weeks, certain members of the group have also got to know a lot more about Cambodia's natural world. We have heard geckos actually saying 'gecko' when calling their mate, been attacked by vicious mosquitos, and in some cases been welcomed into our room by cockroaches, mice and grasshoppers. Outside in the wild, some people have seen snakes, spiders and various insects. Overall, it's been a fantastic week for the group, knowing that we have helped improve the lives of two families. Click here >> for Khmer lessons and temple visits with monks Click here >> for Visiting Sihanoukville and project work begins... Click here >> for building work and Siem Reap Click here >> for lessons with the monks Click here >> for blessing ceremonies as the building work ends... Click here >> for Phnom Penh and sailing the Mekong Name: VentureCo Address: The Ironyard, 64-66 The Market Place, Warwick Click here >> for details of this placement Click here >> to see all of VentureCo's placements Click here >> to email VentureCo Tel: 0845 344 7523