Cambodian delicacies I have yet to sample

1. Not-quite-hatched or just-hatched baby birds in a tandoori-like red paste.
2. Crispy-fried cockroaches.
3. Crispy-fried crickets.
4. Indeterminate grub (fried).
5. Black beetle (appears cooked but some are still alive and kicking).
6. Slightly larger bird (but smaller than a tui) roasted and orange-coloured.

We came up the Mekong River by boat today and crossed the border into Cambodia, arriving at Phnom Penh around lunchtime. It's a beautiful city laid out by the French so it has wide tree-lined boulevards, as well as attractive colonial buildings with big verandahs and balconies.

After a leisurely lunch (mmm....amok chicken) we went to the Royal Palace. Quite a lot like the Grand Palace in Bangkok. The highlight was the silver pagoda, which has a floor made up of over 2000 silver tiles each weighing 1kg, and a solid gold Buddha (90kg) covered in over 2000 diamonds, the largest of which is 25 carat.

The current king was at home in his residence today but did not invite us in for tea. The king is 53 and single but unlike the guides in Vietnam, who will tell you at great length about the king's countless girlfriends, our guide seemed quite reticent about the existence of any royal girlfriends. Later we found out that the king used to be a ballet dancer and was educated in France :)

After visiting the palace we walked down by the river, which is where we saw the street vendors selling the cockroaches etc. Just looking at people in the street, you see a lot more children (and adults) missing limbs and begging than in Vietnam - the legacy of landmines, I guess.

We had early evening drinks at the FCC (foreign correspondents club) which was the hangout for journalists during the war, a lovely old colonial building with open verandahs and ceiling fans looking out over the river.