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Published: January 12th 2007
Hello everyone,
Sorry it has taken me so long for an update but the computers were crap in Cambodia for downloading photos so I decided to wait until we arrived in Bangkok... I just hope I dont forget anything now! Its been a whirlwind 5 days in Cambodia and I will do the blog in two parts.... Only 3 more sleeps until we come home - I cant believe it has gone that fast! Wow! There are 3 pages of photos with this blog... I apologise in advance but I tried to cull it down and this was the best I could do!
When I started this blog in Siem Reap This is what I had to say (although now my feelings are somewhat mixed) : "What can I say!? If you ever want to experience an amazing culture then Cambodia is your destination... while I absolutely loved Thailand, Cambodia had a special something.... The best way I can describe my personal experience is in Thailand I felt that most Thais were a little 'óver' tourism.... Cambodia however is a different story altogether, probably due to the tourism being such a new thing.... The people have had one of
the most horrific recent events of violence, bloodshed and genocide that could ever be imagined, and really have nothing to their names, yet they are smiling, eager to please the people bringing money into their country and are just of the most beautiful nature! I absolutely love it!"
My feelings changed and were all over the place by the time we left.... Phnom Penh having an effect on me unlike any other place... I will get into PP more in my next blog though.
Siem Reap is a wonderful place... so in your face with the poverty, rubbish and beauty that it is an assault on all your senses, much more than what I experienced in Thailand... everyone is so lovely... happy to have you in their country... and the kids are, while desperate, just so adorable that you want to pack them all up in your suitcase and take them home! I spent about $50USD the first day on bracelets, silk scarves, silk tablecloths, postcards and drinks... I just couldnt say no and once you buy off one, another 20 crowd around you begging for you to buy off them too! Lets just say I picked up
a trucklod of gifts! Hope you all like bracelets and scarves! Hehehe!
Day One - Temples and lots of unplanned shopping! Argh!
We decided to have a sleep-in and skip the whole sunrise thing on day one after a huge day of travelling... Heath was also not feeling too well so we wanted to take it easy and pace ourselves! Marom picked us up around 8.30 after a gorgeous brekkie of local plunger coffee and omelettes (Did I mention our guesthouse rocks?!) and we set off for a days of temples... the plan was not to get caught up with the little kids that I had read about who beg for money or try to sell you stuff.... hmmmm ok well it was a plan ok?!....
First stop was Angkor Thom which was really gorgeous (and huge). It consisted of a group of temples which I wont name as there were 7 of them! This was followed by Angkor Wat (the most famous of all the temples).. by the end of Angkor Thom I had already bought bracelets and postcards, and been conned out of money by a 6 year old playing 'tour guide', and
Angkor Thom
Heath in one of the many door framesit wasnt even lunchtime! Angkor Wat was amazing.... it was huge from a distance and even bigger up close.... There is a set of REALLY steep stairs that gets you to almost the top... with a big fat sign reading "Climb at your own risk!". Heath headed up so I could take some happy snaps and did it with ease... "Come on up Reety its fantastic up here" He didnt need to ask me twice... up I went... forgetting I am not great with heights but too excited to think about it..... well I might not have been thinking about it but my subconscious was... 3/4 of the way up I started to shake, my heart suddenly went out of control and I started getting really dizzy.... I tried to block it out as I was caning it up the stairs.... all of a sudden I couldnt go any further... luckily there was a ledge right where I stopped which I promptly crawled onto and tried to calm myself down... I cant believe that happened still... it was a real panic attack that came out of nowhere....
The only problem was I was almost to the top and I
Angkor Thom
Me in one of many poses was frozen... there was no way I could make it down or up! Heath had to come down and help me up the remainder.... where I was sitting on the ledge where some big blocks that went to the top next to the stairs so I crawled up there... a few minutes later I calmed down enough to take in the views.... WOW! It was so gorgeous and so damn high! Argh! Only problem now... how to get bloody down! Yikes.... I really didnt know how I was going to do it until we ran into a guy who was having the same problem (only worse!!!)
There was a stairway on the other side that had a slippery metal rail, but hey, a rail was a rail (where we came up had nothing) and so off Heath went, leaving me to contemplate how to get down! With this other guy in mind I decided to be the brave one so we set off down together, me first guiding him down and it wasnt too bad once I got over the first step! The sense of achievement after was fantastic.... from there we went across the road for a quick
Cute Cambodians
they asked me to take their photo then afterwards demanded money! gits! lunch where I was accosted by 20 children all trying to sell their stuff. I fell in love with one little girl who I bought some bracelets off and she gave me the sweetest little postcard which she had written on while I was eating lunch.... I will take a photo for the blog!
After lunch we went to more temples. At one temple Heath had the urge to do No 2's and there wasnt a toilet in sight... he went for a walk with a packet of tissues... very very funny. I was praying someone stumbled across him but it wasnt to be. Luck was on his side!! All up on day 1 we covered : Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom (incl the Bayon and a heap of smaller temples), Srah Srang, Banteay Kdei, Preah Rup, Ta Prohm and Preah Palilay.
For dinner we headed to a lovely Khmer restaurant in the same street as the Villa called The Sugar Palm. The food was stunning. We had spring rolls and chicken satays for starters (the spring rolls were made from rice paper and were stunning) followed by a Beef with Chilli Basil and Chicken with Banana Flower Salad.
Again both meals were stunning. The meal cost around $25 including a couple of drinks!
Day 2 - Stunning isolated temples!
On Day 2 we decided to visit some of the less busy temples and we are so glad we did. We were pretty exhaused from the day before so took it easy and only 'templed' from 9-3. The first temple we went to turned out to be my favourite... Banteay Samre .... It was stunning and I could of stayed there all day. After we headed to Banteay Srei which was small but very stunning too. We had a packed lunch from the Villa for lunch so we ate near this temple before setting off for the afternoon.
In the afternoon we visited Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som & East Mebon. Of these Preah Khan was my favourite. Very quiet, over-run by jungle and crumbling everywhere you looked but very stunning! We finished up for the day and headed back to the Villa for Happy Hour (cocktails only $2! Chocolate Monkey was the best!). We were so buggered that we ate at the Guesthouse. Heath had an open steak sandwich and I had
Nachos! Yum yum! After dinner I had an oil massage in the room (poor Heath got tossed to the bar for an hour) and then a good nights sleep! We had an early start in the morning!
Day 3 - A way too early start!
It seemed like a good idea at the time but I think I forgot how much I hate mornings. We decided to use our last day to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat, which meant a 5am start! Argh! It was freezing on the back of the tuktuk on the way out (are we really in Cambodia!?). The sunrise was very beautiful apart from the thousand korean tour buses all screaming over each other as the sun rose. What happened to experiencing the moment?!
Afterwards Marom dropped us back to the guesthouse where we had breakfast and waited for the bus to pick us up for the 6 hour trip to Phnom Penh. We were really sad to say goodbye to Marom. He is a true champion! Such a lovely hardworking guy! On Day 2 he was even lovely enough to take us to his house and show us! He
Our little tour guide!
This little tacker approched us and dragged us around the temple telling us stories pretending to be a tour guide. Very cute until he demanded $5 - he got $1 and a pack of chips! :-) is married with a 13yo son, and they all live in one rented room. Its moments like this that you realise how lucky we truly are. What is so humbling though is how happy these people are...
If you are ever in Cambodia I urge you to contact Marom as your tuk tuk driver. You can contact me for his details, as I dont have them on me right at this moment. He was able to borrow a friends car on Day 2 as we went to a few temples that had pretty bad roads. He was a real sweetheart.
Rude people on 6 hour bus journey's!!!!!
We left on the 'limousine bus' at 8.30am. It cost $10 (compared to other companies at $4) ad I would hate to see what $4 buys. We were in the tightest squeeze ever seats from hell. What made it worse was when we got on the bus and went to sit in our seats the two (french) ladies in front of us had put their seats right back.... now in Thailand/Cambodia the seats go sooo far back that they are laying in your laps with your knees wedged
in their backs... but they didnt give a flying hoot. They turned around with glares as we squeezed into our seats (which were small enough with all seats upright) and being the chicken shits that we are we didnt say anything ... just looked at each other with the all too common "are they serious!??!" raise of the eyebrows and started laughing... only to get another death stare from in front! The english couple behind us were saying "we cant believe it you have to say something" and we are saying "I cant believe that they can be this rude"... Eventually the english couple moved to the empty seats behind them and we took their seats (see the photos!!!)
We couldnt believe it though when at the halfway break another french couple got on the bus and asked if they could take our 'squeezy' seats... the ladies turned around, smiled at them and put their seats upright! The nerve! Maybe they had read the famous Reety blogs and were doing their country a favour! I swear it is only happening to us, although the english couple were quick to confirm it wasnt just us that was experiencing this 'rude'
Angkor Wat
the most famous of the temples problem in our travels.... argh! We are not alone!
We arrived in Phnom Penh around 2pm and a short tuk tuk ride later we had arrived at our next hotel 'The Billabong'. Another great choice if I do say so myself! :-) For $37 USD we have a pool view room on the 1st floor with minibar, tv, aircon. The pool area is fantastic and we are right in the centre of PP. There is a little contruction going on next door but those things dont worry us. It might for some. The room is on the small side but we like it. It is cozy and perfect for a short stay. We had a late lunch and lazed the afternoon away getting ready for a big day tomorrow at the Killing Fields and S21.
I will wind this blog up here as its already long enough... stay tuned for our time in Phnom Penh... Love to you all... see you soon!
Love Reet & Heath xxxx
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anonymous
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Another great blog, thanks Reet. The pictures are stunning!