Temples of Siem Reap

After discussions with our guide John, we decided to skip the 5am pickup for the sunrise trip to the Angkor Wat and instead go for a much more civilised 7am pickup.

We explored 3 of the approximately 300 temples in the Siem Reap area. The three we saw, Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and Bayon were quite different from each other which made each one fascinating.

Angkor Wat was the largest and most imposing of the temples. It took 37 years to construct and the workers didn't think of themselves as slaves, rather they were 'warriors for god'. An amazing complex...

The next temple, Ta Prohm, is in a very lush setting. Much less restoration has been done and this temple appears to be losing it's battle with Mother Nature...

The next temple, Bayon had about 50 towers each with four faces - totally amazing...

In addition to the towers, this temple had an extensive wall of carvings depicting everyday events of the time.

Exiting this temple we stopped to admire one of the gates - a rather grand entrance!

That night we went out for some local food. In addition to the yummy Amok curry, we sampled some Khmer grill which was cooked on the BBQ in the street.

Our final day was spent trying to fit everything into our suitcases. Will enjoyed his last swim in the pool and we went for a Tuk tuk ride to make sure we had purchased everything we could possibly need (and a lot that we won't).

We had a final farewell drink with our lovely guide, John and our driver Mr Ang then off to the airport for the trip home.

It's been a wonderful trip to two amazing countries filled with people who enjoy, and are grateful for, the simple pleasures of life, despite the horrible times and adversities both countries have faced.

If you get the chance, go to these places for their beauty - the natural, the man-made and the daily smiles and warmth these people create for themselves. You will be confronted by the atrocities of war and evil regimes as well as the injustices of poverty. In return you will experience the true human spirit that never gives in to gloom and really just strives for a peaceful existence with family and friends.

These people accept that we don't get to choose where we are born or how we will die. They demonstrate that it is in the living, the doing, the working hard, the helping others and enjoying the simple moments that make life such a gift.

Thanks to everyone who has made this trip possible from the organisers, guides and drivers to our loved ones at home who have held the down the fort - Noeline, Denis, Jack, Daniel and Din.

Lots of love from the travellers,
Diane
Celie
Gemma
Camille
Will and
Naomi

Siem Reap, Cambodia

After our morning flight from Ho Chi Minh City we arrived in Siem Reap, Cambodia. We are met by our very colourful guide Ly Heang (or as some Australian tourists nicknamed him - John). Strangely enough he too took an immediate liking to Will, who is 3 months older than his own son. Accompanying him was our driver, the quiet but lovely Mr Ang.

After a quick check in to our hotel - The Royal Empire we were off on our half day tour of Siem Reap. Our guide Toung in Vietnam had taken the time to warn us about the Cambodians, in particular their penchant for deep fried crickets, scorpions and tarantulas. John told us this was not on our itinerary as such but if we wanted to swing by a local village he could certainly arrange something. Will was definitely up for it.......NOT.

The contrasts between Vietnam and Cambodia were discernible. The cyclo was replaced by the tuk tuk, which worked better for us as this meant we sat in a carriage pulled by a motorbike, not by pedalling man. Motorcycles were still a major feature of the landscape but the roads were perhaps not as empathic to the western derrière.

What did strike us though was the significantly greater poverty. We drove from the comfort of our beautiful hotel along a river where rundown shacks sat side by side. In one part John told us that the government is progressing to Phase 2 of moving the slums away from the city centre.

The single storey shacks subtly changed to being on stilts as we approached Tonle Sap Lake - the largest inland lake in Asia.

This lake swells 10 times in size each year and though we were visiting as it was receding the main road was still underwater.

We again took to the waters and went through the floating villages which included a floating school and Catholic Church. A large number of people live on the lake moving around as the waters fluctuate.

After managing to miss the rain, we headed back to Siem Reap and visited an artisan school where students learned traditional skills such as silk embroidery, lacquer and silver work, wood and stone carving.

That night we enjoyed a buffet dinner and traditional dance (Apsara) show. The dancers were remarkable with many different moods being created from fighting to playful flirting. Celie loved having her photo taken with the dancers at the end of the show!

The Mekong Adventure Continues

The horses dropped us at a small village where we sampled the local honey and fruits, while listening to some traditional musicians.

Next, what was initially challenging was the most spectacular of experiences..... A canoe down the Mekong. Celie was incredibly proud of herself for getting onto the boat......no mean feat.

Then back onto a bigger boat and back to port and to the hotel. Later we set out to explore the night market but we were a little early. So we decided to head to the 5th floor of the Rex Hotel, a beautiful rooftop garden overlooking Saigon. Then back to the night market for a spot of shopping, before retiring early for our flight tomorrow morning to Siem Reap in Cambodia.