Monday, May 01, 2006

Siam Reap





Well the bus ride to siam reap was fine but we had an interesting stop where there was some sort of part that busted inside around the front left wheel. So we stopped there while the tour guide and driver did some severe auto work and the farmers came out of their houses and the kids were amazed with digital photogaraphy (as i still am sometimes) and we arrived at the bus station which of course is 5km out of town. So we grabbed the tuk tuk driver and after a few tries to some places, we got a room in this pretty psh place but it only ended up being $7 a night, with tv, fridge aircon, my own room for 2/3 nights. we got a sweet deal as we had asked for a 3 person room but it was taken until the next day. So then the next night, the next night when the hotel guy went to ask the lady if she could move to a smaller room as she was by herself, she started crying. no joke, i felt bad for the hotel guy. so one more night with my own room, this time with 2 single beds, hehe. The last night we got the 3 person room, hehe. Well amid all the hype and the insanity of people trying to sell you stuff, angkor wat and the surrounding temples and palaces are really quite amazing. Just being there is pretty special, some serious energy going on there, so much history and just trying to think of how it was built with such primitive tools, etc... We hired the tuk-tuk guy to take us around all day and it was 2 full days of touring around and you could prolly spend another 2 days to see what i missed. maybe even 3. So the first day we took in Angkor wat, angkor thom and a few others. We then caught the sunset which was really nice but really crowded. We returned that night and went out for dinner at the same place again. We were there 3 nights in a row, but Pou and Bunthy were really good hosts and it's so much better when your known and welcomed in like friends. Plus they had reall good food, a hige menu and happy hour from morning to late night, which translates into all the time. Sweet. the first night we went right across the street to this place called angkor what? (maybe one of the worst bar names ever) for dancing. But there was only me lauren, stef and this american guy so we went to bed early... maybe 2-3am. The next night, these 2 swedish girls met up with us as well as Andy, this english geologist that i had met in laos and we went to Zone one, the big disco out of town. Now this was a sight, so 5 of us, and this group of 4 other tourists and these three hilarious dutch guys and then 300 cambodians, hehe. There was for the most part, techno dance, which was extremely loud but then every once and a while, it would calm down and there would be 3 slow songs in a row. Awesome. so we danced up a storm, had to represent the foreigners. So after getting some really late ingfht food, we got back to the hotel at 4am. and since the tuk-tuk was picking us up at 5am to take us to watch the sunset, then we just stayed up for the hour and hoped right on. Brought lots of water, some fruit and of course some sunglasses, hehe. to wear all the time. It was kinda cloudy but it was still pretty magical just being there and taking it all in. After that we tour around the larger area until 12, when we returned to the hotel to sleep until 6pm, ahh i love air con sometimes. We woke up and guess where we went for dinner? That's right Angkor Famous, same as the 2 nights before. we were joined by the dutch boys, the swedish twins and 3 more swedish girls. More great food and more 2 for 1's and then when it was apparent that they wanted to close soon, maybe 12:30-1am, we went across the street again but ths time there were actually other people there dancing as well. Another great night and very little sleep before my 9:30 flight to bangkok. I'm now in bangkok, did lots of shopping today, good but got ripped off a few times. Love the thai comps though, a great change as you might have noticed i'm all caught up for photos too, hehe. Now i'm gonna prolly go get a massage, try to see some peeps at this bar and then head to the airport for my 20 hour journey home, ouch, i know. 7 hour layover in shanghai... shanghaiya doin. hehe.. then get home at 10:30am and will sleep, sleep, mmmm... well that conlcudes my journeys for now, thanks for everyone who tuned in i hope you enjoyed it and i'll see you soon or next time. i'm outro