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Leaving the island of Koh Rong was a toughie, I could've spent weeks hanging out on its beaches. But there are things to do and see, and this week especially I feel we have had our share of Cambodian culture. A bus took us back to Phnom Penh, it was another standard bus, hot, sweaty and uncomfortable, and of course late to depart and arrive. However I have to give Rach her dues, she seems to be taking most things in her stride these days which is making it hard for me to find amusing things to write about!
The one thing she has been fighting against from day one is mosquitoes, it's a daily battle, she applies generous amounts of repellent and tries to cover herself up, but like a fat kid loves cake, the mosquitoes love Rach. Me on the other hand swans around half naked, spraying on a dab of repellent when I can be bothered yet the mossies don't seem interested.
We were in Phnom Penh for two days in order to visit the Killing Fields and the S-21 prison. This is the dark side of Cambodia's history, which ignorantly We knew little about, which is shocking once you understand the atrocities that took place here only 30years ago. Back in the 70s Pol Pot was head of an dictatorship which led to mass genocide, slaughtering 21% of Cambodia's population including women and children, the vast majority without the use of guns as bullets were too expensive! You end the tour at a 50 foot Stupa housing a glass pillar containing a fraction of the human skulls found (there were thousands of them). From start to finish the experience is horrific and sad, but the story has to be told so I'm glad that we went and at least a little less ignorant now.
Another long bus journey up to Siem Reap, I find most of these bus journeys take so long because the driver stops a lot for his passengers to get food, but the food on offer is always disgusting, mostly dried fish. On one such stop we were lucky enough to find a stall that seemed to sell western style baguettes. As we approached the counter I noticed quite a few old begging ladies milling about, the poor old dears with their gummy teeth and bent over posture, I give one 100 riel the equilvent of about 5p but she seems uninterested in my gift, her eyes are on a bigger prize... you see these old bag ladies have still got a bit savvy left, as we bite in to our lunch and the food hits my stomach I instantly realise I've made a mistake, I open the sandwich to see a filling what I can only describe as dog food, and it smells like dog food and I imagine that it tastes like dog food, it's dog food for sure. Im not stupid enough to take a second bite, I palm it off to the nearest old lady who has now turned to Gollum, eyes glazed and mouth watering in anticipation. Rach tried to persevere, convincing herself that it was just a course pate from Sainsburys but after the second bite also tossed to Gollum.
Siem Reap is where the world famous Angkor Wat temple is, the largest religious temple in the world, hidden for centuries in the think Cambodian jungle. We hired a tuk tuk to take us there for sunrise. On the way the driver smashes into a dog which nearly topples us as he zigzags across the road trying to regain control. When we get there we position ourselves on a wall to wait for sunrise, within minutes we are flanked either side by hundreds of Japanese tourist flashing their cameras and loudly jabbering to each other, not quite the romantic setting I imagined. But as the sun begins to slowly rise, Angkor Wat becomes more visible and silence follows. Once again on our travels we have been lucky enough to be part of a remarkable moment. The temple is truely inspiring. As we walk around the different temples, my mind boggles at the size and detail of them.
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mum what a varied and educational time you are having. dad will be very pleased! I have fond memories of Angkor wat but like you not fond thoughts about the mosquitos. I was also badly bitten and was thankful I had malarial tablets. I shall never forget the queues waiting outside the hospitals at five in the morning - parents with their sick children who had malaria. I don't remember the old women but there seemed to be young women with deformed children begging around. all of it is shocking and upsetting. looking forward to next blog from thailand
Jemma Johnson JAMIEEEEEEE!!!! OMG we are all missing you so much back here at Wendell! You look like you are both having the most amazing time! You look great...travelling has worked wonders! Hope you're keeping well. Sorry it's taken so long to get in touch...we have been MEGA busy (as you can imagine). Talk to you soon. xx
Emma I am going to Cambodia on September this year. Besides Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam are also listed to be visited. But still I have a question about a hotel you might have seen during your visit in Siem Reap. I booked the following hotel: Tara Angkor Hotel. You know if it is a good hotel? I heard good stories about it. What are the best attractions to visit in Siem Reap and in the surrounding?
Lisa Hello Emma, I read your message and wanted to help you, because I have been in Siem Reap a lot of times. The Tara Angkor hotel is a beautiful hotel and is ideally and conveniently located, Tara Angkor Hotel is situated only 6 km from the Angkor Wat Temples, 15 min drive from the Siem Reap International Airport, a few minutes stroll to the Angkor National Museum and a short ride to the city town center with an array of Cambodian souvenirs, shopping and culture. They have a few promotions that you can make use of if you haven’t booked already: Last minute bookings, summer sales, early bird promotion or Angkor temptations. Of course there are a lot more, but have a look at their website. It is not that far to the Angkor temples that I would advise you to see for sure. I would say, grab yourself a 3 day pass and find yourself a decent tuk tuk driver to take you to the farther ruins and for a drive in some of the outlying villages. If you’re up for it consider renting a bike and checking out Angkor Wat on your own. There’s a lot to see and do so a lot depends on your time and budget. A few temples I would strongly suggest you check out besides Angkor Wat itself are Bayon Temple, Angkor Thom and of course Ta Prohm just to see the amazing tree. The Banteay Srei temple is farther out of Siem Reap but has a very different feel than a lot of the others. If you want to do something else as well, you can visit the day and night market. I can really recommend these attractions. If you need to know more, let me know.