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Published: February 15th 2009
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Here we are, in a brand new country. Actually the flight was so short - barely one hour - we hardly had time to complete all the necessary forms before we were touching down. Siem Reap's airport is one of the cutest we have ever seen and brand spanking new. I guess it has been built to accommodate the hoards of tourists who are flocking to this place to see the temples which, from the looks of it, are the number one tourist attraction at the moment.
I could go on and on about the the wonderful sights we are seeing, but it is just as easy for you to Google Ankor Wat if you want to know more.
The tour guide/blogger is sick with a cold and bad cough and has been this way for the last few days. Bad timing as we have so much to see and do here. The extreme heat is not helping. I don't think we have ever experienced such heat. Even sitting by the pool is hard work for me.
We decided to spend our first day at the sights with a guide so that we could get a good sense
of what we were seeing. It is a good thing we did because "Sam"seemed to know a few side entries and spots where we could actually take the occasional photo without lots of visitors in the picture. We also spent 8 hours out and about our first day, staying out in the midday sun while most people were having lunch, so we could get some peace and quite. Much too long in the sun!
A Don story!
We purchased 3 day passes for the temples and were warned to look after them well.Things were going along nicely with me looking after the passes. However at the end of the second day we came to one site and I just didn't feel like climbing any more stairs so Don took his pass and went in alone. He then put it in his pocket and forgot about it For some obscure reason, when we got back to the hotel he decided to rinse out his shirt. On the way to the swimming pool I said 'ÿou really should give me back your pass'. A look of horror crossed his face and he ran back to the room and retrieved all the
wet small pieces. He dried them up and stuck them together with tape.
The next day we tried to go to the temples again. After much discussion and passing around of the offensive ticket it was decided that Don could only visit one site and no more. We elected to go back to Ta Prohm, the Jungle temple, and take some more pics. This suited me really as I was too sick to care.
By the way, Martin and Tordes, it's about the steep steps. You didn't exactly mention that there are lots of extremely high stone steps and stairs. I had to give up on some, it was simply too hot to make the effort.
A Diana story!
When we booked our hotel room several months ago the special offer included an evening of traditional dancing complete with a dinner buffet. We chose to do this on Valentine's Day (it is the 15th here now). I told Don not to get his hopes up as these so called 'free cultural evenings are usually a wash'". We took my camera.
The restaurant was large with a lower level and a balcony area which is where we
sat. The buffet consisted of a Chinese, Korean and Japanese corner - this should tell you everything. We were the only white people there. The dancing was actually very good and we wanted pics but guess what! I had taken the chip out of the camera earlier in the day so I could down load onto the blog and had not put it back in the camera. Don is not happy with me at the moment.
I don't feel in a position to comment on Cambodia at the moment because Siem Reap is such a tourist town it certainly is not typical of the country I am sure. Maybe after we have been to Phnom Penh. We will travel there by bus tomorrow (16th)
Just think - there are two good things about blogs:
1. You do not have to listen to all our stories when we get home
2. You do not have to read them if you do not want to and we will be none the wiser
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Christian
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Happy Valentines Day to you too!
Love your pass Don!! Gotta keep that one for the scrap book!