Templed and Tired Out

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We arrived in Siem Reap with about 5000 misquitoes to bring along with us from PP. The bus was loaded with bugs and at 7am no one was happy to get on the 'malaria bus' however... when in Cambodia!
Siem Reap is a little more of what I expected it to be... a little less developed but in the works with hotels popping up everywhere, dirt roads with dust blowing, tiny shack side road shops and houses with people riding bikes and motobikes. Getting off the bus was a feat that I conquered quite well considering how I feel about getting harassed every 5 seconds. We arrived and the bus was literally swarmed by people with signs for their hotels, tuk-tuk drivers screaming at you to go with them, whispering in your ear free this and that, cheap price for lady, they wouldn't let you get your bags without poking at you... the entire group on the bus was extremely irritated and we all needed to just have some breathing space. Hopped in a tuk-tuk with the man who spoke the least and held a sign saying he didn't want to be bothersome etc! The hotel we are at is in a quieter area but close to everything. We happened to meet up with a guy we met back in Halong Bay so we stayed with him and 2 other girls here. We went to get our tickets for Angkor and to see the sunset which every other tourist was doing as well. It wasn't the nicest day so there wasn't much of a sunset. The next day was a full day of Angkor and the temples! We got up at 4am and hopped on the worst bicycles ever... no gear changing! It was pitch black and a bumpy, scary ride at 4am on bikes with no lights! Made it to Angkor for sunrise and then spent the next 12 hours on the bike touring around the park. We must have biked for at least 25-30km, not to mention all the walking and hiking once you are insde the temple grounds. It was an exhausting but also very intriguing and satisfying day of having the opportunity to see these temples in the current state they are in before it is so run down by the tourists and reconstructed for these purposes. It really makes you think what we were and are capable of as human beings to create such works of art.
So after a long long bike ride back to the hotel we had an amazing Cambodian dish for dinner (Vegetable Amok) and if you are ever in Cambodia and visiting the temples of Angkor I suggest you go to Star Rise Restaurant and order up one for yourself! We have been back a few times (I am not going to tell you how many in 3 days) but the food is absolutely amazing... almost as amazing as the temples!hahaha
In bed at 6pm for a nap and that was lights out!
Out today to check out the market scene and maybe do a little shopping. But more of a day for rest and relaxing before our FLIGHT to Laos tomorrow morning!!! I am so excited not to have to get on a bus!! woooohoooo
Sorry for the length but some of you are bored at work and want something to read and I have a lot to say!
Miss you and see you in less than a month!😊

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