SIEM REAP (ANGKOR WAT)

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Left Phnom Penh early yesterday morning after a little drama from Glenda. She couldnt get her safe to open the evening before and reception had promised to have someone there at 6.30am to open it for her as we being picked up at 6.45am to catch the bus. Well at about 6.46am someone does arrive to open it, but after our transport that is waiting for us with a van load of people!!! Bus leaves the station right on the dot of 7.30am, certainly punctual. Not a great deal of leg room but not too bad. Get given a wet towel, pastries and a bottle of water for breaky. I had sorted out with the hotel to pack us a breadfast box, so we also had fruit and bread with jam. So at least Kyle wasnt going to starve on this trip!!!!

The trip took 5 1/2 hours and was very interesting if a little scary on the odd occasion. Had a couple of close calls when passing another vehicle (well I thought they were close calls) and one we nearly ran up the arse of another truck, missed it by millimetres! We were sitting in the front of the bus and saw it all!!! Scenery was interesting, and the time really flew by.

Had organised transport for when we were to arrive and that was waiting. Hotel had done a small stuff up and had all 5 of us squashed into a camery with all our gear. The whinging one was whinging!!!! Hotel seems ok, nothing speccy, but clean enough. We are in a villa around the pool, Kyle was spose to sleep upstairs but it is so bloody hot that will be unlikely (no a/c). Dumped our bags and headed into town. We are on a clay road full of potholes! Phnom Penh is so different. When it rains the road will be a disaster to walk on!!!

Town seems ok, takes about 10min to get there (we didnt get lost this time!) Lots and lots of restaurants and bars. Organised a tuk tuk to take us to the visitor centre at 4.30pm to get passes for tomorrow and also to go and watch the sunset at Phnom Bakheng. No dramas getting pass, had to wait about 10min so we could go and watch the sunset for free (our pass starts tomorrow). Wow, where did all these people come from! On the way up to the Phnom Bakheng it is about a 15-20min walk up hill. There were hoardes of people. Got up the top sweating our box off, hope this sunset will be worth it!!! Nope.....no colour and just lots of people.

Earlyish to bed as tomorrow we have a vehicle waiting to take us to do the temples at 4.30am for the sunrise over Angkor Wat. Got to Angkor Wat at 4.45am, a tad too early, its pitch black!! Can't even see Angkor wat at that time! 5.15am is well and truly early enough! (When most of the people arrived!) Again, the busloads of people keep arriving. Sunrise...again was disappointing, maybe would be better in the dry season. Some ok light I guess if your a mad photographer. Len spent hours taking video with the camera (hopefully I won't be made to watch it!). Spent time walking through, and then went to Angkor Thom and Bayon. Enjoyed Bayon (the temple with all the faces) but my favorite was Ta Promh. Its the one that Angelina Jolie did with Tomb Raider. (Not that i've seen the movie, but I've heard about it!) Kyle and I had a great time climbing around. Took some great photo's, just hope they look as good on the comp as they do on the camera.

Lunch, and massage this arvo. Thunderstorm this afternoon and its been bucketing down for the last hour. Thankfully this afternoon we are not out in it!!

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Comments

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love it
tracy you should write a book, love it cant wait for next episode, plus very jealous, what is the humidity?????