On the western shore of the wide Mekong River, a world away from the hustle and bustle of noisy Phnom Penh, the tiny town of Kratie slumbers. The small handful of visitors it receives tend to drop by for one of two reasons: either to see the dolphins, or to catch a night's sleep on the bumpy road down from Laos.

Warning: This entry concerns the consumption of enormous spiders by your friendly neighborhood hedgehogs. If you are disturbed by spiders, you may not wish to read this entry or see any of the pictures within. You have been warned...

When we first started planning our trip, we knew there were two main reasons for visiting Cambodia. First, to visit the mighty Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples located near the town of Siem Reap. And second, to visit a museum called Tuol Sleng located in Phnom Penh.

Most travelers tend to pop into Phnom Penh just long enough to see the major sights, get the bejeesus scared out of them by the traffic, and move on. Not us. Ever the lazy, slow-moving hedgehogs, we spent 13 days there.

A fellow traveler writes to ask, "We were shooting for a budget of $40,000 - but it looks like we won't have much more than $30,000. In a year, do you think this amount is feasible? Is it more expensive out there or less than anticipated?"