T he momentum is building for the upcoming solar eclipse on October 24, and

the temples at Angkor Wat are definitely going to be where its at. Key questions

on everyone's minds are: who's going to be flogging the "eclipse goggles" to

watch it, where's the best place to hang a hammock for those who can't find a

room, and how much gunfire will there be during the several minutes when the sun

disappears?

There may be a flotilla of boats heading up the Tonle Sap for

the BIG event and travellers are advised to make plans early.

Fast boat

service to Siem Reap has been running smoothly of late. At $25 a pop, the trip

takes about five hours. If the weather is bad you can expect to meet some heavy

seas once you reach the lake. The boats are generally crowded, air-conditioned

and Chinese epic Kung-fu videos are shown to entertain the passengers. Nervous

Nellies should sit by the doors as the safety exits are sealed shut.

New

rules in Siem Reap are causing some consternation. All barangs are required to

give their names at the dock upon arrival and list where they will be staying.

The authorities have also banned foreigners from renting their own motos. Only

government-approved moto drivers are allowed to ferry tourists around the

temples.

Love always blossoms but does the knot ever get tied? In Anthony

and Kellie's case the answer is yes - finally! It all happened on a mountain top

in Italy. Tony went down on one knee, professed his undying love, whipped out

the Alderson family heirloom - a jewelled ring - and the rest is history.

Wedding vows are planned for a bungee jump from a helicopter above the scenic

New Zealand mountain resort of Queenstown sometime in '99.

A friend in

the U.S. reports that it is now impossible to call Cambodia using a credit card.

After a recent attempt to use one, the caller was told that "Cambodia has been

shut off due to major fraud." After further inquiry it was learned that Cambodia

was the first country in the world to have been summarilly given the chop. The

call was eventually made, but only after 232 quarters were dropped in the

slot.

Route 4 is rapidly becoming one of the wonders of the world for

motorists in the Kingdom. Progress continues full speed ahead.

However,

businessmen are grumbling that tolls have increased on the route to

Sihanoukville from about $20 per trip up to $30. The only other problem is that

in the last four weeks the KR have been sneaking on to the highway at night and

depositing fertilizer bombs.

Keep your eyes open for large craters,

although they are apparently getting filled in by mid-morning.