Bye Cambodia. Day 5

Last Buffet Breakfast at the hotel. Since we just had the mornings before we had to catch the airplane, we just hung around Siem Reap. We visited the local temple right next to the hotel. Then, as we were walking back to the bus, we saw a wedding going on at the park.





Then we were taken to Artisan's Angkor, where the government has set up a program for people to learn the different art crafts of Cambodia and then allows them to go find a job on their own or stay with the school to continue learning and working. I was to immersed in this cute little dog that was playing on the grounds to pay attention to the mini-tour.




Lunch and then to the airport. At the airport, we were all checking in, but I needed to pee. But there was a sign outside the woman's restroom indicating that they were going to clean it and it would be a few minutes. 30 minutes later, we are all lined up waiting to pee. Finally, someone comes out at another door, notices us standing there and simply moves the sign.... there is no one cleaning in the restroom. Anyways, I finally peed and we got on the plane and arrived at Ho Chi Minh Airport again. Our wait time there was like 5 hours, so we just chilled at a restaurant and had some food. Then home...ahh, home sweet, Taiwan.

Sunrise, then going back in Time. Day 4

Ahhhh. 5am wake up call. That was fun. We all gathered at the bus bleary-eyed to go wait for the sun to rise at Angkor Wat....with, everyone else in Cambodia.

Then back to the hotel for breakfast (no time for nap, unfortunately), but nappy time in the bus for a longer bus ride to our first stop: Banteay Srei. (Citadel of the Women) This place was truly pretty. The carvings were awesome. (Of course, said to be carved by a woman because a man's hand is not fine enough! Ha!)





Then to...the Crematorium! Pre Rup (Turning the Body). It's not nearly as morbid as you would think. Just another ruined ruin. =)





Then off to lunch. Where they gave us this free complimentary liquor.....Deer antlers, yum.


Hotel, for our complimentary nap. Then we were told we were getting special treat! Afternoon Tea. It was in this beautiful Resort and the pastries were delicious.





Then back on the bus for our last three ruins:

Preah Ko. This is apparently, the oldest temple found to date. They are made of sandstone. There was actually school for kids at this and the preceding temples and they begged for donations for their school as well as for candy. =)


Lolei.




Bakong. I like this one. The elephants were cute. They got smaller as you got to the top so the top one was a super cute baby elephant. Someone had tied a rock to it's back and it looked like it was working. A lot of the elephant's legs had broken off and restoration had put them back on - they all looked like they were wearing leg warmers.





On the way home we stopped by a local arts and craft area where they did leather carving and cloth work. All the kids were hard at work. They looked sad. My brother donated some money and this hat and scarf.

Then we headed to a buffet dinner which included a Cambodia dancing show, which was interesting. Then we got to take a tuk tuk home.




After we got home, the tour guide took me and my brother and my brother's girlfriend out to eat some Balut. I couldn't bring myself to do it, but my brother dug in with relish. We also had some shaved ice and some fruit shakes. Then we wandered around some in the night markets. We didn't have much money, so we didn't buy anything further.

Headed home and slept. Tomorrow will be our last day in Cambodia.

The Mother of All Things Temple: Angkor Wat. Day 3: Afternoon

After a relaxing swim, back onto the bus (this time in my new pants!) and off to Angkor Wat. This place is huge, to say the least. And the crowds were huge as well. The temple met it's expectations. The only disappointment for us was that we wanted to see the bas relief titled "Churning of the Ocean of Milk", but the majority of it was being renovated and therefore was covered.
This poor monkey was wandering around searching for food. He found and apple. Then a tourist decided to touch him..and he bared his teeth and lumbered away.
At the top! Finally! There was about a half hour wait to get to the top funeral area of the king. I think I need to start building my tomb now, or else, it'll never get done.


Heart tree - it's actually 3 palm trees grouped together.
Monkey army...these bas reliefs were quite vicious.
Me and my mommy. =)
Heading into the main area of Angkor Wat.

Dinner then we had our full body massage at the spa that night. It was nice, not as painful as it usually is for me although I was still screaming in my head. We called it an early night as we were to be summoned bright and early to see the sunrise at Angkor Wat the next morning.

More temples you say? Can it be? Day Three: Morning

And the morning arrives and we get ready to go. I am wearing my only other pair of jeans as my new pants have not been bought yet. =) This time, we are going somewhere super special, the place everyone sees in the movie...Ta Prohm. This temple is well known for being highly in the process of being reclaimed by nature and it is quite striking.




Then off to Ta Keo. This little temple was unfinished, but it did teach the archeologist one little thing about these temples. They were built IN FULL before decorations were placed and carved. Pants! New pants!






Thommanon and Chau Say Tevoda (two little temples who complement each other).






Then....ugh. Shopping. Ricky's Gems. They lured us with promise of coconuts. The coconuts weren't that good. The jewels were worse. And worse of all, they showed us pictures of native Cambodias mining the jewels, which I'm sure they were paid NOTHING for so the big man could get rich. They trapped us into a room, I refused to buy. We did go across the way to the market to pick up more random stuff. Durios. Wow. An oreo with a Durian filling. They aren't as bad as you might think. =)

Then to Tonle Sap Restuarant for buffet lunch (ugh) and nap for the other and swim for the kids. This time, there was a foreign man in the pool with kids teaching them to swim. Cute. One little girl didn't want to swim so she feign injury. The man ordered her out of the pool and to go dry off. Was funny to watch.

I like the "Some Snakes" and "Sandle Woods". =)

Ate so much, split my pants, literally. Day Two Afternoon

After a lovely swim in the pool, we got ready to head out again to...more temples! Yay! We were told there were steep steps so we probably wanted to change into long pants so no one could look up our skirts. So, I put on my jeans and used the scarf they gave us as belt as my jeans have gotten loose lately, but I haven't had time to go shopping for new one and I headed out the door. This afternoon we would be touring Central Area of Angkor Thom (Great City) by minibus.

First stop: Bayon. This was really impressive temple. We spent quite some time here exploring all the different faces, but first...some really skinny cows.



Next stop: Baphuon which was heavily under reconstruction, so just a few pictures from the outside.


Then to the Royal Enclosure and Phimeanakas. Here is where we get into the fun parts. The stairs to most, if not all the temples are steep and incredibly narrow. I, being a short being, must clamber up practically on my hands and feet. On my way down, I must almost sit on my butt so I don't fall off. Who knows why so narrow and steep, it is what it is. Well, my jeans are not stretchy...and I was sweating like a buried Hawaiian pig and sticky....and that's when the great rip occurred.....(on my way down from the Royal enclosures....no comment). We did buy me a new pair of pants to wear. =)


Anywho..the Royal Enclosure dumps us into the Terrace of Elephants where they did their Elephant fighting. It's an impressive terrace with many bas reliefs of Elephants and statues of Snakes and Lions everywhere.


Then, at the behest of the kids (me, my brother and his girlfriend), we begged to see the monkeys. So, the bus took us to see the monkeys "at work".

One last stop to see the sunset at what is probably the most famous spot, but which proved to be the most annoying one to see a sunset at: Phnom Bakheng. This spot includes a climb up (or by Elephant) and then you can clambor up to the temple to see the sunset. There were already about a billion tourists camped out there by the time we got up there, so, we took some picture and came down. It was a beautiful place though.




Back to minibus --> our bus --> Dinner at King Court Restaurant. Then home. That night, my group decided to head over to the hotel spa and get ourselves a one hour foot massage. =/ That hurt, but my feet were very much better the next day. Why?! With the knuckles...

Can't say they didn't warn me about climbing them stairs....


Sexy, I know...

I love this sign in all the toilets...why, in god's name, would you stand on the toilet and squat?!?!