Bloody Tourists!

tourist: noun
a person who travels for pleasure (that's us that is!)



We arrived at the Day Inn Angkor Hotel absolutely covered in browny-orangey dust following our eventful journey from Phnom Srok. But, not more than 1/2 hour later, we were clean and successfully disguised as rich tourists!

I didn't realise how much I was in need of a proper holiday and I have absolutely revelled in the novelty of the anonymity of being just another Western guest at the hotel in Siem Reap. It was a beautiful hotel; perfect actually and Ruth's treat which made it even better! We happily grazed on the complimentary breakfast each morning, treating the buffet a little more like an 'all-you-can-eat' opportunity! While I have been reacquainted with my hair-straighteners, we have also made the most of the air-con room and hot shower as well as the wonderful swimming pool in the garden surroundings! Lush!

We enjoyed 5 days of relaxed sight-seeing, doing what tourists do best and all just 2 hours drive from my dusty hot village. It continually amazed us that this very developed city was even in the same country as Phnom Srok!

As well as visiting the infamous temples of Angkor, we took part in other touristy activities including a night of traditional Apsara dancing at the theatre, shopping at the very tourist-friendly night-market and succumbing to a $30 (oops!) advertised sunset boat trip on the Tonle Sap which became a complete disappointment. Granted, we got to see the amazing floating village of Chong Kneas, but we learnt the hard way that money can't buy a sunset (see picture below!) and that what's described as a 2-course meal isn't always what we would recognise as a 2-course meal! In fact, we didn't do too well with sunsets or sunrise at all while in Siam Reap. We hiked up Phnom Bakheng (very steep hill with temple on the top), following a trillion (approximately) other tourists with the same, less than original idea, got a great view but another cloudy sunset!

We also got up at a ridiculously early hour the following morning to witness an equally disappointing sunrise over Angkor Wat! We amused ourselves taking photos for a while and managed to get back to the hotel before breakfast finished! Result! There are lots more photos on Facebook and even more on disk (oh imagine the slide show I could give on my return to England...).

The temples of Angkor Wat were breathtaking. We had a day ticket and a friendly tuk-tuk driver and got round to see all the main ones. Being Khmer New Year meant that we joined hundreds of Khmers at the temples' busiest time of year which made for an excellent atmosphere. The photos really don't do it (or me) much justice. The fact that they were all built between the 9th and 14th century, are all so well preserved and many hidden amongst forest just as explorers would've discovered them really was awe-inspiring. Some of the temple ruins would even make exceptionally iconic film sets for the right script!

As well as being a tourist for a while and spending some quality time with my ghd's, it is a great treat being with my big sister! Not only has she brought me some new underwear, she also packed very lightly so that she could fit in my wish list of things I'd left behind. I have a 'new' pile of clothes from the bags I left behind (although 2 white tops now have a delightful raspberry ripple effect after being washed with a pair of new pink pants - doh!), some gifts from family (THANK YOU!!!) and without saying a word, she acts as constant reassurance that I have in fact developed something resembling a tan! - oh, and did I mention my hair-straighteners?