Day 70, which is lost to sickness

Our bodies did not appreciate the Cambodian food we ate last night, some unwelcome news which was expressed through our bowels. I have been worse hit than Paul, and when we put on our CSI: Cambodia hats we concluded that the culprit was the mango salad, which I had ordered and Paul only sampled.

Oy vey. The NHS website reports that 30-50% of travellers to the developing world get diarrhoea, and that the main cause is faecal matter contaminating food through poor hygiene. How delightful, the Cambodian Soup Kichen should really mention their special seasoning on the menu. We're unable to eat much at the moment, but when we do eat we eschew anything that isn't sealed in a packet and manufactured overseas. Dorito crisps, Laughing Cow cheese and M&Ms might not sound like the healthiest meal, but faced with either figuratively or literally eating crap I know what my choice is.

We had planned for today to be a day of rest anyway, having exhausted two of the three main tourist attractions in Siem Reap (the floating villages and the temples). We don't plan to partake in the third main attraction – sex tourism – which is just as well as our hotel strictly forbids it. They even have a special sign forbidding it on the fridge, next to the “No Smoking” sign and the sign advising you not to bring grenades into the room. The hotel welcome book goes even further, advising (in among information on room service, breakfast and the mini-bar), “4. Sexually exploiting a child is a criminal offence in this country. Therefore only your own child who has checked in and travelled with you is allowed inside your room”. Healthy country.