The glamour of international work....
Many moons ago, well, 1999, I had just moved to Bangkok for work. All was going swimmingly (literally swimmingly in sweat!), when I was asked to go to Cambodia to help with the installation of some IT gear, all expenses paid etc. I would like to see Cambodia thinks I, so why not. I should have known better.....cue landing at Phnom Penh a few days later - not forgetting that was in the days before it became 'stylish'.

Straight out of the airport we go and straight in to a group of armed men who halted the taxi with the intent of thuggery. Oh bugger thinks I, there goes all the gear, but it turns out the guy who met us at the airport was some local big shots son, so they all back off after a few words but I still require an underwear change. Next stop the hotel. I was not expecting much, and I certainly did not get it. Shower or bath ..no. Bullet holes in walls and windows...check. Grenade shields on the windows, check. Toilet ...nope. Electric..kind of. A 15 watt naked light bulb. And a bed. From 1950. With blood stains (presumably from the previous victim(sorry - guest) getting shot). Either way, it was better than being outside with the gun gangs around where it was rumored kidnapping / ransoming was a frequent case. The rooms was secured by padlocks and actual 'door handles' were non existent. I could see the outside world through the bullet holes and the insects in that room were unreal. I still have no idea what some of them were. I slept on the tiled floor - as that was at least clean. All this for the princely price of 15 USD per night.

Apparently at that point in time this was pretty much the best place to stay for safety....I was so happy to be badly sick 2 days later and get flown out...only to find out that two weeks later the building where we had been working was leveled in an RPG attack. I guess they were not happy with their new IT gear.

That was the crappest, darkest place I have ever stayed in - but I am told it is much much better now.
(twunt, Thu 4 Dec 2014, 8:15, 3 replies)

alright Paul Gadd

(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Thu 4 Dec 2014, 8:23, closed)

I seem to have your face

( rofl harris, Thu 4 Dec 2014, 12:16, closed)

This made me lol more than it should have done

( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 4 Dec 2014, 13:46, closed)