Siem Reap to Kampong Thom

Monday, 8 March

Up at 06H00, finish packing, thank goodness all washing, including cargo shorts washed yesterday are dry. The rolls Colin and Dylan had bought yesterday afternoon are dry, but I'm happy to have bread. Coffee works well - Stainless cup just the right size, add lots of milk to cool it down, very civilised cafe latte. The bus fetches us at 07H40. Some other tourists on the bus too. We drive around the Wat Bo area, picking up more people from guesthouses. Move over to the proper bus for the trip and leave at 08H45. Start with journal again. Not very interesting countryside, very flat, brown grass and a village every now and then, that looks like all the others. Dylan had asked the driver in Khmer to tell us when we got to Kampong Thom and he'd said he would, he had also checked our tickets twice. When Colin said he thought we were in Kampong Thom at 11H00, Dylan and I said it was too early, as the trip should take 3 hours. As we left the village, Dylan asked the driver whether that was Kampong Thom and he said it was. Dylan flipped and asked why he'd not warned us. The driver stopped the bus along the road and got off like he was going to remove our luggage. He came back on and asked a Cambodian girl to tell us we'd have to take a tuk tuk or moped back into the village. I asked how much it would cost and she said $1 each. Dylan was insisting that the driver pay the tuk tuk driver, but I didn't think that would happen. I wanted him to turn the bus around but he said the bus couldn't turn around! Eventually I said we should just go. There was only one moto driver waiting next to the bus, we discussed our options in the blazing sun when another moto stopped. It was clear we'd each have to get one with the backpacks and day packs. Dylan flagged down another moto and we each got on. Clearly these moto drivers are used to transporting all kinds of things and goods. We weren't sure where we would be staying, but made a choice and were going to have to walk there from where the motos dropped us off. They decided to stop in front of the Arunas Hotel, which Colin said was on the list of recommended guesthouses in the guide, so we went in. The double room for them was $8 and my single was $7. I went up to check the rooms and they were very comfortable with fans. The showers/toilets were in good nick. Only cold water, but that's no problem in this heat.

I'm craving fruit and fruit juice, so buy 2 mangos from a stall downstairs, however, I'm very disappointed to find that they were hard and sour. We find out later that the locals eat them like that, dipped in sugar! Not a taste I could get used to.

We freshen up and meet downstairs to go to the Sambor Prei Kuk complex. The motos are $3 and tuk tuk $15. It was very hot at 12H00, so we decide to take a tuk tuk. Kampong Thom is a small town and there's nothing much to see except the main street with lots of small businesses, a few guesthouses and some small hotels. The road is not tarred, it has lots of bumps, so we get thrown around a bit. We pass lots of houses made of wood, plaited grass on plots of 20 x 30M and 20 x 40M, a few cement ones (one can clearly pick up who is more wealthy here). There are hayricks in some yards and farm animals, chickens, dogs (mostly unkempt, dusty, often mangy and skinny - like the cows), this is a difficult place to live, for people as well as animals - all just eking out an existence. The landscape in between the villages is cream coloured because of the dry grass. There is jungle beyond, obviously cleared here to create the crop fields. Every time a truck or car passes, we are covered in red dust - this happens every 10 minutes. There is a distinct pecking order on the roads: biggest vehicles (trucks, buses, cars) have right of way, they just hoot and everything else gives way, then the tuk tuks, then motos and lastly bicycles (tuk tuks and motos also hoot every time they pass something, so there's a lot of hooting). It is amazing to see what the people fit onto a moto: often 3 people, quite often 4, with the baby right in the front. The things transported on the motos include piles of baskets, 4 piglets in a wide metal cage behind the driver, a large dead pig in a reed sling behind the driver. There are lots of overloaded small trucks. I'm fascinated by the small primitive Chinese tractors with the long handlebars like a chopper. They have wooden platforms in place of a trailer, where the rider and passengers sit and the goods are packed and they transport steel, wood, building materials and bags of provisions. We pass through Alsu village, established in May 1995, the people are very poor and their houses and stalls are so dusty from the traffic passing through.

Sambor Prei Kuk is 30 kms north of Kampong Thom and it takes an hour to get there. We are all disappointed that the sanctuary towers are all so ruined. There are lots of them, we enter from the East at Prasat Sambor Prei Kuk and see 5 towers, at least it's a bit overcast and the sites are in a forest, so quite a bit of shade, still hot because there's no breeze, so very soon we're sweating like pigs again, especially inside the towers. Prasat Tor is also very ruined, as well as Prasat Neak Pean. One can just make out some decorations over the lintels and on a few of the outer walls on some of the towers. We walked around there for 2,5 hours and then decided to go back to the tuk tuk. The towers are in a forest in a big area. Colin had programmed the location of the tuk tuk into his GPS and was confident we were heading in the right direction. After 20 minutes we ended up on the main gravel road, turned left hoping to get back to the entrance. The trucks and vans drove by and we were left in dust clouds. After 5 minutes Dylan said he was sure we were going in the wrong direction. Colin was still trying to get a bearing with the GPS. We turned around and welked back along the gravel road to the path from which we had emerged and carried on and finally got to the entrance where our tuk tuk driver was waiting. We were soaked and very happy to see him. Drove back to the Arunas Hotel, taking lots of photos along the way. Had a welcome shower and washed my hair when we got back.

We walked around the area next to the river before supper, not very pretty I must say and not much happens here. I think mostly local traders and local people come into this village. We had supper in the Arunas restaurant downstairs - Angkor beer, Coke, Dylan had rice and sweet and sour pork, Colin rice and port and bell peppers and I had rice and pork and veg, very tasty. The drinks came from their fridge but were not too cold, so Dylan took some more and put them in the icecream chest freezer, much to the amusement of the Cambodian waitresses. I didn't want to have a late night, so we just walked to the night market which was starting up and bought 3 hard and dry bread rolls for R1 each. Dylan and Colin wanted to go out so I had another shower and started journalling. I was watching the TV in my room while journalling and was fascinated by a Cambodian soap opera where the girls (all gorgeous) mostly spoke in a breathless, gentle sing song style, slightly similar to Chinese. Dylan and Colin came in just before they went out and changed the channel for me (remote didn't work) to AXN. The Amazing Race was nearly finished. I then watched So You Think You Can Dance at 22H00, while writing. Strange being in a foreign country, watching a Western TV show. Went to sleep at 00H00, had to get up at 07H00 the next day. It was most pleasant with the fan blowing over me.

Last day in Siem Reap

Sunday, 7 March

Up at 05H30, shower and wash hair. Have sandwiches upstairs, make Nescafe downstairs, but because it's in the Stainless steel mug, it stays piping hot. My hands are again sticky from the coffee creamer. Dylan comes down to find out why I'm taking so long, he's super polite, knowing I'll throw a fit if he has anything to say about the coffee. We carry everything back upstairs, finally get into the tuk tuk at 07H30. We head off to Ta Prohm - the temple I have been most looking forward to seeing. Enormous kapok? trees grow from the terraces and walls, the massive roots clinging to the walls and prising apart giant stones. It was constructed by Jayavarman VII around 1186 and was a Buddhist monastry dedicated to Prajnapormita and would once have housed a statue of this deity in the image of the king's mother. As a working monastry it accommodated 12,000 people who lived and worked in th grounds and another 80,000 people wer employed to service and maintain the complex. The monastry supplied provisions and medicines to the 102 hospitals that Jayavarman built around the kingdom.

It is already getting hot when we get there at 08H00. Pon had said that there is only one room with a tree growing in it, so I'm apprehensive that I'll be disappointed, but I'm not! There ar loads of interesting trees growing through and on walls. Unfortunately lots of other tourists also start arriving and it becomes a situation of everyone waiting to pose with various trees, in addition to trying to find quiet and empty spots to photograph. We pretty much walk through all the doorways into the many different courtyards and take hundreds of photos. Then even more people start arriving and making a lot of noise, which didn't go down well with me. Dylan had gone off on his own. It was getting very hot at about 09H30, so I went back to the entrance, found Dylan and Colin said I wanted to go back in and try and capture the atmosphere of the place, but find it impossible, with the arrival of a large busload of Japanese tourists, all talking at the tops of their voices. I decide to leave and feel robbed that I didn't get the experience I wanted - will just have to relive it through the photographs. Left at 10H00, temperature is soaring.

Get to Ta Som at 10H15, very small Hindu temple, once a Khmer Rouge hideout, it was built by Jayavarman VII in the 12th century and dedicated to his father. It is quite ruined, which makes it seem like a mini Ta Prohm. We leave after half an hour and get to Neak Pean at about 11H30. Just beyond the entrance gate we see two Aussies taking photos of the sky, turns out they were photographing a large spider in a web, so we take some too. Dylan decides he wants his hand in th ephoto to illustrate th size of the spider. I was rather worried it would decide to jump onto is hand! Neak Pean ("entwined serpents") turns out to be a series of 5 pools, dug by hand, joined by walkways with a single tower in the centre of the biggest pool. The most popular theory is that Neak Pean was built to represent Anavatapa, a mythical Himalayan lake whose watrs had miraculous curative powers, it may also have been a spa with pilgrims coming to take the waters.
We are feeling tremendously hot at 12H00 and do our best to walk and sit in any shade there is. Dylan's getting good at telling the kids with the scarves that we're not interested - A-dtay means no. As usual the landmine victims are banging away on their drums, bells, etc, trying to collect money. We leave at 12H15 and get to Preah Khan 15 mins later. While photographing the entrance walkway, Colin shouts to me from 10 metres away that he needs my help now. He's got some red ants on him and they're biting. He had brushed against some leaves on a tree and they'd been on the leaves. We finally get them off and he's not much the worse for wear. Preah Khan was built by Jayavarman VII on the site of an earlier royal city, Jayasri and the king came to live there while he was restoring Angkor Thom after it was sacked by the Cham in 1177. The sacred sword is said to have been a weapon ceremonially passed by Jayavarman II to his heir and Cambodians still belive that whoever possesses this sword also holds the country's throne, a replica of the sword is still believed to be kept under lock and key at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. The site was used both as a monastry and university for a long time, employing over a thousand teachers and 97,840 ancillary staff. Inscriptions tell of a daily delivery of 10 tons of rice that would feed 10 to 15,000 people. It was consecrated as an interdenominational temple in 1191, catering to worshippers f Buddha, Shiva and Vishnu, plus a furthr 282 gods, the main deity being Lokesvra, made in the image of the king's father and placed in the central Buddhist sanctuary.

We wander around for about 3/4 hr and meet up afterwards at the exit, where we read some info boards. A small boy had collared Colin and Dylan inside and had rattled off a story in perfect English supposedly explaining the temple, which Dylan subsequently discovered was not true. We find Pon in the parking area and he says that's it for the day and he takes us to buy bus tickets to Kampong Thom from a bus company agent. We decide against the VIP tickets for $10. Regular bus tickets are $6, which get bargained down to $5. We say goodbye to Pon at Bun Nath and pay him his $15 for the day. He has to go to the police station tomorrow to report his missing tuk tuk licence, which we thought was a number on the tuk tuk, but then discovered it was his waistcoat with his name and phone number.

We discuss the travel schedule. I don't fee like a hot plate of food, just don't have an appetite in this heat. Colin and Dylan must have food, Dylan gets defensive when I tease him about enjoying the hot food in the hot weather. I have a King Cone for supper (bought previously at the supermarket) and Coke in the foyer while writing the journal. Dylan finishes downloading photos when they get back from lunch. At 20H00 go back out for supper. I'm really enjoying wearing the sarong and vest and slip slops after a hot day's sightseeing. It is just so comfortable. I don't feel like stirfry again, so we go to the restaurant where Colin and Dlan had had lunch, called Bar BBQ and I have a BLT and chips with a difference, the tomatoes being grass green. But it tasted good and th French Fries were soooo tasty. I felt like fruit juice and Colin convinced me to have a pineapple juice. I could taste straight away that it had water in it and ice, so I was worried about drinking it. The waiter said it was clean water, but I just couldn't enjoy it. I don't know whether it was mind over matter, but I started feeling queasy and said we must get outside. It could also be the Malanil malaria tablets I'm taking, together with the heat. Anyway, felt bettr on the walk back.

Wrote up more of the journal, catching up still. Dylan still downloading photos on Facebook downstairs. I finish packing at 22H30, have a shower and am washing clothes in the shower when the power goes off. Finish showering in pitch dark and then the power comes back on, go to sleep with ear plugs, determined to get a good night's sleep.

Second day in Siem Reap

Saturday, 6 March

Up at 05H15, showered and washed my hair. We had home made sandwiches with the bread, marge, strawberry jam and cheese (Dylan made a table by turning a drawer taken from the chest of drawers upside down and we covered it with a plastic shopping bag so there wouldn't be crumbs everywhere). His Swiss army knife came in very handy. Went downstairs with the coffee ingredients. The girl didn't understand at first that I needed boiling water, but I got it eventually. The outside of the Ellis Brown packet is getting quite sticky from the spilt milk powder and I made a bit of a mess trying to pour milk from the small box Colin and Dylan had bought at the shop, so I spent a good few minutes mopping up the table with the tissues used in Cambodia instead of serviettes. Anyway, finally had a small cup of strong coffee (used too much Nescafe, will get it right next time) but really enjoyed it with the cigarette. Pon, our tuk tuk driver met us at 07H15. We had decided to go back to the Angkor Wat entrance to photograph it in the morning light, but the sunlight was on the back of the complex, so drove on to Banteay Srei, 30 km Northeast of Siem Reap. Dylan and Colin were chatting non stop - not what I needed right then! I gazed out at the scenery, especially the early morning light on the Angkor Wat moat and the beautiful reflection of the trees along the edges. I asked Pon to stop so we could take some beautiful photos. Pity we couldn't stop for longer, I'm starting to feel we're on a strict timetable, which was not really the idea with this trip.

Banteay Srei was so pretty and small. Built of fine grained rose-pink sandstone, it's the most elaborately decorated of all the Angkor monuments. The decorations consist of floral motifs and Ramayana scenes. It was built by two local dignatories, Yajnavaraha - trusted guru to the king and his brother. Rajendravarman I granted them the land and permission to consutruct a temple. It was consecrated in 967 to Shiva, but not actually completed until the reign of Jayavarman V. The temple laout is relatively simple - 3 enclosing walls, inner moat and row of 3 sanctually towers at the centre.

There was no shade, the sun was beating down and very hot already at 09H00, also rather difficult to take photos without including other tourists, so we didn't linger too long. We had all walked around on our own. Dylan found me in the temple and I said I was ready to, he said Colin was at the back and I asked whether we could all walk out the front again. He disappeared to the back of the complex and I waited for them, then walked out the front entrance and waited outside some more. Then I thought they'd got involved at the back, so walked through the complex again to the back - they were nowhere to be seen. I followed a path around the complex, in the sun and waited some more, now wondering whether they were inside again, looking for me!!! I decdided to walk back along the main path to the main visitors entrance, thinking I would just wait for them at the tuk tuk - no way was I going to walk into the temple again. By this time I was fuming mad with the two of them. Dylan came running over as I got to the entrance and I went off at him for coming back without me. Colin was also quick to explain that they thought I would make my own way back. This was clearly an example of failure to communicate!

We had told Pon which temples we want to see for the day and he decided in which order to visit them. Next we drove to Kbal Spean, a 30 min ride. Got there at about 11H00, did a 1,5 km walk up through jungle to the western section of the Kulen mountains. Kbal Spean was used by the Khmers as a hillside retreat in the middle 11th century when they carved sacred lingas and Hindu gods into the black bedrock of the rive3r, the water flowing through would thus be blessed by the carvings before reaching Angkor. It took 40 mins to get to the carvings and we were very sweaty when we got there, even though a lot of the walk was in shade, it was very humid. It was so nice and cool next to the river and waterfall, but once again we didn't stay too long, as there were other sites to visit.

Dylan found another friend - can't help himself from befriending everyone he meets - this time French Canadian Pierre, who believes in travelling alone, then the Russian couple we had seen at Phnom Krom. Photographed masses of butterflies feeing on something on the ground.

The next stop was 12 km Northeast of Siem Reap, 30 mins away, the temple Banteay Samre. Got to the complex at 12H00, I wanted to see the temple before eating - just don't feel like eating in this heat and for some strange reason all their food is always hot, right throughout the day! An icecream would have gone down a dream, but sadly not available at the roadside eateries. We all have the usual noodles and beef, pork and chicken respectively. I'm so hot again after eating the meal in 40 deg C heat! the Coke is very welcome though - I'm living on water and fizzy drinks, too scared to have anything else. I'm desperately missing my Liquifruit grapejuice. The usual souvenir vendors try and convince us to buy dresses, T-shirts and scarves. They really are very sweet when they're not trying to sell you stuff. Mara, the eldest is 22 (looks 16) and other two girls sitting at our table were 16 and 8. Mara didn't know where Africa or South Africa are, so we showed her on a map in Colin's pocket diary. She wanted to know how long the flight was, she's obviously never been on a plane. The 8 year old pulled out a 5 kroner coin, asking whether we could change it. We said we couldn't as that was not from our country. Mara also pulled out 20 Norwegian kroner and Colin said it was worth $2.50. Mara didn't want to believe that Dylan is 30, so he showed her his passport. Mara says she went to school, but her family is very poor, so she now sells souvenirs. I asked her when her birthday was and she said they didn't celebrate birthdays as they couldn't afford gifts. I asked whether she has family or friends in Phnom Penh and she said no. Dylan said she should try and go to a city and get a bettr job, even it proved to be difficult. But I think she can't even comprehend ever being able to do that, so girls like her invariably live in one village all their lives, scraping a living and have too many children, or they make it to a city and often end up in the sex trade. Her mother had 9 children, her one sister already has 3 children, another has 2. She says she has 20 nieces.

It is very very, very hot by the time we walk across the road to Banteay Samre. Even though it's 40 deg C plus, it's quite pleasant walking around the site, as there aren't many tourists brave enough for this temperature, just a few backpackers. No inscriptions have been found to date the temple which was named after the Samres, a tride who lived in the vicinity of Phnom Khulen. The style of architecture places its construction in the middle of the 12th century, around the same time as Angkor Wat. Tales from teh Ramayana are depictred on various carvings, the sieve of Lanka, fight between Rama and Ravana and Rama mounted on Hanuman.

We move onto to East Mebon, which is a temple erected in 953 for Rajendravarman, designed by a Buddhist architect and consecrated to Shiva. The temple would only have been accessible by boat - the terraces were landing stages, now it's marooned in rice fields. The elephant statues were placed as guardians and all face outwards. Steep steps lead up to a terrace with the elephant statues. We don't hand around after East Mebon as it's so hot.

Drive to Pre Rup, the last temple of the day, get there at 15H30. Pre Rup means "turning the body" cremation ritual. It was consecrated to Shiva around 962, this state temple of Rajendravarman II was built primarily of laterite and brick (laterite being like solid koffieklip with holes like we have in Durbanville!). We take the obligatory photos and find some shade on the terrace to soak up the atmosphere, not too many tourists thank goodness.

We get back to Bun Nath at 16H00, have a refreshing shower, wash clothes, incl sweat soaked cargo shorts. Dylan and Colin have a beer downstairs, so I have the room to myself. Dress in sarong and vest - just the right clothes for this temperature. Start writing the journal in the foyer under the fan, about 4 days behind. Have to check some facts with Dylan. They come down after a shower and get onto the Internet. I log onto Facebook and start replying to people, as well as replying on Hotmail and get very confused about where to find messages to the different people. I had decided to create a journal on Facebook rather than send lots of emails and also because I didn't have everyone's email address. I also find I can't get onto Ning.com to correspond with my old schoolfriends because I had changed the Hotmail address to my work address and now the website can't verify my authority. So I askDylan to help me start the blog on Facebook and he keeps telling me to load my photos and write captions, which is what he does instead of writing a story. I say I don't want to load hundreds of photos, I want to write a story about the trip for everyone to read and will include a few photos. We have quite a row and Colin steps in and suggests that I start a blog on blogspot. At first I was negative because that meant registering on yet another system, but he registered it for me very quickly and uploaded a photo and I could see that it would work fine. Just typed an intial 2 paragraphs, replied to another 2 messages on Facebook, chatted to Illona and Michael Sparks on Facebook and then we go for supper later at 20H00, Dylan is clearly6 dead on his feet after only getting 3 hours of sleep the night before. Stop at the supermarket on the way to check out the sction and decide to go back after supper. Back to the usual eating place for stir fried meals, beer and Coke for me. Buy some water, ham for sandwiches for breakfast, a packet of plastic spoons and a Stainless steel mug for me for coffee. I am determined to find a way of having a good cup of coffee in the mornings! Have another shower back at Bun Nath at 22H00 as I'm soaked again. Dylan and Colin start watching the WP/Sharks rugby match on Supersport, but Dylan only stays awake for 5 mins.

Angkor Thom and Angkor Wat

Friday, 5 March

Up at 06H00, had another shower, washed all the dirty clothes in the tiny washbasin. Dylan's breakfast was an apple pancake and a can of sweetened Ideal type milk which he really didn't enjoy. I had a roll and jam - no marge - and a small cup of the most awful, cold, strong espresso type of coffee with a tiny amount of canned milk, quite undrinkable so I fetched the 2 Milk Maid containers of airline milk and added Ellis Brown coffee creamer which I'd brought with me, still undrinkable.

Found a tuk tuk driver called Pon and Colin negotiated a fee of $10 for the3 day.

Dylan and I had previously felt we should leave Angkor Wat for the last day, but Colin convinced us to do it on the first day in case the weather changed. Went to Angkor Thom first, 09H00 and already extremely hot, 32 deg C or so. They took photos at the entrance and printed our 3-day passes for $40 each.

Angkor Thom was amazing and in magnificent condition and stretched out in an area of 3 square km. It was established in the late 12th century by King Jayavarman VII, who was a Mahayana Buddhist. We spent 1,5 hours investigating the Bayon - official state temple of King Jayavarman VII. The Bayon rooms and carvings on the walls and doorframes are spectacular - definitely Buddhist. The number of tourists really bothered me, as it was difficult to take photos without including strangers. Dylan and I took at least 70 photos each, Colin took about 40. I couldn't find a quiet space to sit and reflect on the place.

When Colin and I walked to the elephant terrace at 10H30 it was scorchingly hot, at least 40 deg C and I was trying to move from any shaded area I could find to the next - not much available. The terraces form two sides of the perimeter wall of the Phimeanakas . Elephants adorn the whole length of the terrace and there is another one called the terrace of the Leper King, which we didn't walk to, as it was just too hot in the sun. The scarf vendors are as persistent as the vendors in Egypt, just with a sing-song begging tone, so Dylan and I bought 3 silk scarves for $5 - I'm sure we'll find more in Phnom Penh for less. We turned to the temple mountain, Phimeanakas (pyramid of steps on 4 sides). Dylan and Colin climbed the pyramid and I sat and waited on a chair in the shade. We walked to some trees and sat there for half an hour, drinking warm bottled water and trying to cool down. Colin bought some etchings of the carvings.

At all the major sites and particularly this one, there are always informal restaurants - each selling exactly the same meals at the same prices, usually for $3 to $4, but generally discounted, this time for $2. Colin had shrimp/veg and noodle stirfry, Dylan had chicken. It was so hot I didn't feel like eating a lot, so had chicken and bread, which I thought would be a piece of dry chicken on a piece of bread, but turned out to be chicken/veg stirfry on a roll, delicious. Dylan suddenly got up and disappeared round the back and came back 10 mins later, saying he'd just been sick, so we firstl thought he'd picked up a stomach bug, but then Colin said it could have been his malaria medication, which he'd taken on an empty stomach.

After lunch Colin and I walked to the Baphuon - a Buddhist shrine with a modern 20M seated Buddha on an ancient platform. Some Buddhist nuns were seated on mats and beckoned to me to go up. Colin and I wanted to put $5 in a Red Cross collection box, but the nuns asked us to give them the money. Then they gave me incense sticks to put in a bowl of sand behind the Buddha after I had bowed 3 times. Another nun called me over to her mat, tied some pieces of red wool around my right wrist, chanted an incantation, cut the tied ends and produced another reed plate with $2 in it, obviously requesting that I also put $2 in the plate. I couldn't help feeling I had been scammed just a bit. Then I decided that they obviously need the $7 more than I do.

We got to Angkor Wat at about 14H00 (not far away). It was very, very, very HOT - I'm sure over 40 deg C and all three of us were sweating like pigs. Angkor Wat is extremely impressive and much smaller than the Angkor Thom area, only 1 square km, including a very large moat on all 4 sides. The carvings are spectacular, but there were too many people to really absorb the atmosphere. Our tuk tuk driver later explained that this is not the busy season and the numbers of tourists are normally far greater! Angkor Wat was built for King Suriyavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. It's the only temple to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation - first Hindu, dedicated to Vishnu, then later converted to a Buddhist monastry. The temple consists of steps up to the Terrace of Honour, which is the gateway to the Gallery of Bas Reliefs, a covered corridor along all 4 sides of the first level, open on the one side.

On the Eastern side is the most famous carving called the Churning of the Ocean of the Milk - unfortunately closed for restoration - which tells the story of the Hindu creation myth. We did see another gallery of Haluman's army of monkey warriors fighting his enemies. Colin and I climbed the steps to the second level, the walls on that level are carved with numerous apsaras (celestial nymphs). We were surprised to find people queueing to go up to the 3rd level, as the guide books said it was closed. Thank goodness I had worn the Johnny Depp T-shirt instead of my usual vest. Now that I think about it, many people had stared at the T-shirt during the day, I think Johnny has many fans. We climbed the steep steps up and down, passing through 4 small Buddhist shrines around a central shrine with a reclining Buddha about twice normal size.

Found Dylan afterwards, chatting to two pretty Argentinian sisters, who were unfortunately leaving Siem Reap the next morning.

We had decided to drive directly to Phnom Krom, 20 kms to the south to see the sunset over Tonle Sap lake, so went there at 16H30, we were so hot and sweaty, it was ridiculous, I only sweated more in the jungle at Tambopata in Peru. We experienced many interesting views of Cambodian life and some rotten smells along the Siem Reap river which runs into the lake - the road follows the river. We got to the base of Phnom Krom (a hill +- 30M high) just after 17H00, climbed at least 300 steps, still in 40 deg C heat and +- 80% humidity, so we got to the top of the steps with seat pouring down, to find that we'd have to ascend a steep concrete road which wound around the hill. Halfway up we thought we'd reached the top when we saw a large Cambodian signboard, but then realised it was only a viewing point. We continued up the hill until we finally got the top at 18H15, Dylan and I totally exhausted and Colin saying he was happy to have been able to stretch his legs (he was sweating too!).

We sat down and had quite a few gulps of very warm bottled water. Colin went off to explore the buildings at the top, which consisted of a modern Buddhist monastry and Dylan followed. When I went after them, I couldn't find them. I didn't realise that this was a working monastry and surprised a monk with a towel around his waist - he was about to have a wash outside by scooping up water from a trough with a bowl. I smiled and bowed my head and walked past, then another monk in orange approached me in their sandy courtyard and produced a book in which I clearly was expected to write my name and value of donation - so I made another $5 donation for the day. I hope to get some good kharma! Another few steps led up to the top, where Dylan and Colin were waiting. Another 3 tourist couples joined us later. The view over the countryside was beautiful, hundreds of squares of postage sized different shades of green, depicting different crops in various stages of growth. We could just make out a small piece of Tonle Sap to the right, this is the dry season, in the rainy season the lake is much larger. The sunset was a disappointment, but we took photos of the countryside anyway.

We got back to the guesthouse at about 20H00, didn't feel like joining Dylan and Colin for supper They bought bread, marge and jam at the Star Mart, so we could have our own breakfast in the morning and I will ask the guesthouse people to give me some boiling water, so I can make my own coffee with the Nescafe, Ellis Brown creamer and sugar which I'd brought from South Africa. This is becoming the search for a good cup of coffee in Cambodia. Colin keeps telling me to adapt to what the locals do, which is drink lemongrass leaf tea, but I'm determined to start my day as it suits me! They had Asahi Japanese beer when they got back and watched highlights of some Super 14 rugby games. Colin and Dylan went off to Pub St at about 22H00 and it was great to have the room to myself. Colin got back just after 00H00 and Dylan got back at 03H00 (and suffered the next day, as he had to get up again at 06H00!).

So that was the end of the first day's sightseeing in Siem Reap.

(It's 20H25 now, probably 26 deg C, we're in Kratie now, about to have supper at U-Hong restaurant after doing the Internet thing. We're arranging a trip tomorrow to see the Irrawaddy dolphins and a Wat on the hill and a swim in the Kampi pools)

So, cheers for now, I'm sure I'll write some more tomorrow, seeing that we finally have time to relax a bit.

Luv
Tammy

Now 8.20 pm on Tuesday, 11 March in Kompong Cham, staying in a really interesting and challenging place right on the Mekong river.

The Internet Cafe will close at 9.00 pm, will have to type really fast and try and get as much news in as possible, wish I'd been more organised and had written more often. So much happens on trips like these, it took days just to catch up with handwritten journal.

Tuesday, 2 March, arrived Bangkok 5.30 am. Took a taxi to Sukhumvit Guesthouse, very nice, all three of us sharing a room, it has an aircon and fan! Very hot, thank God for the aircon and fan. We found the BTS (their metro train), went to the MBK mall and bought myself mens cargo shorts and some T-shirts, as I had been determined not too pack too much. Dylan, likewise needed walking shoes and we walked into lots of shops, but the shoes were all as expensive as in South Africa. I bought a Fuji digital camera and 8 GB memory card, now I'm ready to take lots of photos! Found a Tesco for potato chips, towel for Colin and bottles of water. Still couldn't find Dylan some shoes at the night market, I bought 2 T-shirts for R35, Dylan had lovely beef noodle soup called pho, R7, I had pork rice and bokchoi R8 and Coke.

As expected, the pillows were rock hard, so I was soooo pleased I had brought the mini down pillow, arranged it inside Chantal's pink travelling cushion and put it all inside a pillowcase, very comfortable.

Wednesday, 3 March

Up at 9.10 am, breakfast of toast and jam, VERY strong coffee, thank goodness I had kept some of the airline Milk Maid milk and coffee creamer. Bought bus tickets to Arunyaprathet, R50 each, will take 4 hours. More shops for shoes, expensive Paragon dept store has an Imax and will be showing Alice in Wonderland in 3D, must see that when we get back. More shops looking for Dylan's shoes, another mall, back to MBK mall, finally found shoes. Had a great meal in a local eating place - phad tai seafood for BHT 50 (R14).

Thursday, 4 March

Taxi to bus station. Got to Arunyaprathet border town at 12.30 pm, very impressed that the trip had only taken 4 hours, apparently the buses often break down. Tuk tuk drivers were waiting, asked a tout to get one to take us to Poipet border. After 5 mins the female tuk tuk driver turned off the main road into a driveway and stopped in front of a patio where tourists were being assisted with completing a visa entry form and health declaration by extremely helpful "officials". I said I'd never come across such a friendly reception by order officials. Then they asked that we pay them THB1,200. I said I didn't have enough Baht and that we were supposed to pay in Dollars ($25). They insisted we must pay them in Baht. Dylan walked around the corner and disappeared. I asked Colin to ask the official for his ID card, which was tucked into his pocket, Colin said he was apparently an agent. Our "official" flashed a passport with a Cambodian visa in front of us and said it was an official visa. Dylan came back and told us to gather the rucksacks and follow him to the Cambodian Consulate next door. The Cambodian consulate employee still wanted Baht, this time THB1,000, which we scratched together (just), as we'd not expected to have to pay in Baht. The tuk tuk driver (whom we had paid when we got to the "Visa Centre"was still waiting for us, very honest I must say. We walked back to where the tuk tuk was parked and those guys just wanted us out of the way ASAP, Dylan still wanted to warn the other tourists who were arriving, that this was a scam, but Colin said it would get ugly, so we left.

Extremely hot! Must be at least 38 deg C. Waited in a large room with about 5 Thai officials stamping out about 100 people, we were melting, it was so hot. Then walked a few meters in the boiling sun in Poipet to the Cambodian border office. Poipet is really a one horse town, with some very flashy hotels and a casino for people who mistime their arrival at the border and are forced to stay over. It's very dusty!

Then waited in a stiflingly hot room with about 50 other people to get stamped into Cambodia by 3 officials. Dylan always makes friends and found Swedish Philip to join us in a taxi ($20 - $30) to Siem Reap. When we left the building Colin said there was a free bus to take us to the bus station, where we could find a taxi. Wanted until the 30 seater bus filled up, a very chatty 25 or so year old stood cracking jokes in broken English and charming people until we got to a brand new building, about 8 mins out of town. Thought this was strange until we realised that they had brought us to their private bus station, for people taking the International buses!!! Another scam. Turned out that a seat on their bus was $9 and a seat in a taxi would cost $12, so we refused to give them any more money than was necessary and got onto the bus, which they promised would leave at 3.00 pm, but of course we had to wait another 30 mins for the bus to fill up, in a stiflingly hot bus!! I thought I was so organised, had packed the purple fleece jacket into my daypack in case the aircon got turned up and I got cold, fat chance! We were all quite hungry by now, ate the packets of potato chips, Dylan had the peanuts I had kept from the plane and drank LOTS of bottled water. We would from now on be carrying around lots of bottles every day.

Got to Siem Reap at 7.00 pm as the sun was starting to go down. Tuk tuk drivers were waiting at the depot and we chose one to take us to Bun Nath Guesthouse and if we didn't like it, we would find another one. We were furious when we discovered it would cost 5,000 Riel EACH to get into town. The tuk tuk was only geared to carry 2 people, but all 3 of us squeazed in, with the rucksacks and daypacks. Passed many very expensive hotels in National Rd before arriving at Bun Nath. Dylan and I checked the room, fabulous, aircon and fan, TV, bar fridge, lovely tiled floors, magnificent wooden banister going up to 4 floors. The bathroom was a wet room as usual, so if one showers the whole floor and toilet gets wet - no separate shower. Dylan found Supersport 1 and 2 on TV and found the highlights of the Twenty20 cricket, Cobras vs the Warriors, surreal.

Marvellous to have a cold shower, it's so hot one can't imagine having a hot shower - totally unlike me. After we'd all showered and changed into fresh clothes, shorts and T-shirts, we walked out and found Pub Street easily and checked out the restaurants before deciding on a small place on the corner where most meals of pho noodle broth with pork, beef, chicken or seafood or fried noodles and veg and pork/beef/chicken/seafood cost $1. Dylan and Colin had Lao beer and I had Coke, then moved to another pub and each had a draught beer for $0.50.

Will have to carry on tomorrow maybe, heading off to Kratie tomorrow morning at 9.00 am and hope to see lots of Irrawaddy dolphins there and try and chill after all the running around in Siem Reap.

I apologise for the blog being so disjointed, will get it into shape in the next few days.

Luv
Tammy

First attempt, the blog is still under construction

Hi everyone

This is just a quick hello from Siem Reap, it's taking a while to get to know how Facebook works, I've spent ages now replying to individual messages and it looks like they weren't sent and are lost in space! So my cousin, Colin set up this blog for me and I think it will work just fine. That's Dylan and me in a tuk tuk in Siem.

It's now 19H25 in a very warm Siem Reap, about to get some supper, probably pork and vegetable stirfry with noodles, my favourite, for $1. Must be up again at 06H00 tomorrow to visit more Angkor temples. Angkor Thom was splendid, Angkor Wat was huge and splendid, but just too full of other tourists to really enjoy.

Lots of luv
Tammy