We hadn’t arrived at our destination yet and already we had a mini mishap. While checking into the flight for the fourth and final leg to Phnom Penh, I realized that I'd forgotten my iPad on the previous plane.

Egged on by the others I hurtled back towards the arrival gate only to be met half-way by a beautiful air hostess with my iPad. Disaster averted. Emirates are that amazingly efficient. 

Back in the air, and in spite of the incredible exhaustion, our excitement was peaking. As we approached Phnom Penh, I wondered, as I looked at the city lights sparkling below, that this city must have one of the most disturbing underbellies in the world and I couldn’t help but picture the packs of street children scavenging and begging in-between the rush-hour traffic.

  We were also a little anxious because we were bringing a lot of merchandise into the country, including computers, and Cambodian officials aren't known for their empathy nor their understanding, but surprisingly we walked through relatively easily possibly because Pel Sophorn, our partner here, was there to assist. She's a small woman, but I suspect she has quite a bite.

  What happened next is surreal, and I wouldn't blame readers for thinking that I'm making this up or embellishing just to add a little bit of colour, but as we headed toward the exit of the airport, Paula screamed "the children!", and I looked up from my trolley to see a group of children rushing towards us with flowers, banners and garlands and calling our names.

  Sophorn organised it so that we would have a welcome party made up of some of the children whose education we are sponsoring, plus a few extras for good measure. They flung themselves around our necks and we just dropped everything. If anybody was going to rob us, that would have been a really good time to do it. Gaby of course started crying, and Paula and Chiara had tears in their eyes (I had lump in my throat too… but I’m not saying). To say we were overwhelmed would be an understatement, and as a result, I didn't take any photographs at all (thank you Matthew!)

  But it just got better. Outside the airport, Mr Chhiv of LRDE (the kitchen for children) was waiting for us, and behind him stood one of the two tuk-tuks that we purchased through our benefactors (the second one will go to the SFODA orphanage) and it is with a sense of pride for the DO Cambodia team that I say that our tuk-tuk is stunning in shiny black and chrome.

  We quickly divided ourselves with most of the gang going off with the boxes and suitcases in a minivan toward our residence, Chiara, Katherine and I joined some of the children and hopped into the tuk-tuk for the ride home. To once more experience the contrasting smells and sounds of this city was fantastic!

  There was more hugging at our home in Phnom Penh and a fantastic Cambodian welcome dinner, but we have been awake for the best part of 30 hours and if we don't get some serious shut-eye, we're going to be useless tomorrow.

  To conclude: if tonight's welcome is anything to go by, then we should be heading for an emotional roller coaster ride here in Cambodia…