IT HAS been a busy week for pals Esther Amery and Leigh-Anne Crossley who are on a charity bike ride across South East Asia.

After their visa scare the girls are safely cycling through Cambodia having reached their £2,000 target.

Esther, pleased with the news, said: ‘We posted our challenge on our Facebook page and we were met with an extraordinary response.

‘Within a few hours we had hit our target of £2,000 and the donations still kept coming.’

Talking about the week’s adventures Esther said: ‘We arrived at our checkpoint of Phnom Penh after a morning of glorious cycling.

‘The scenery was beautiful, the roads were adorned with incredible temples and we were constantly greeted with hello as we passed through the towns.

‘We were both excited to spend the day in Phnom Penh visiting the historical sites of the Killing Fields and Toul Sleung.

‘It was harrowing to visit these sites but vital for our understanding of the genocide that took place here just 40 years ago.’

The pair had to make a big decision when they arrived in Phnom Penh as this was one of the places they were going to do some voluntary work with children.

Esther explained that they chose not to volunteer because after researching projects they found out that children are usually used as an instrument to get money out of tourists.

The teachers would like to thank the readers of the Mid-Devon Advertiser series for taking an interest in their journey and those who have sponsored the girls.

Visit www.justgiving.com/Esther-Amery for more information or to donate money.