Siem Reap, Cambodia

The time has come for us to leave Thailand. It was hard saying goodbye to all the Tuk Tuk's and the ping pong shows, but fear not my friends, we will return at some stage! After all those emotional farewells, we eventually got on the boat destined for Surathani. From there we face a very very very long bus trip to Bangkok and then another very very very long bus trip to Cambodia. How will we keep ourselves entertained? I think I might wreck Jason's head and act like a big kid (ok, a very very very big kid) and ask him every five minutes, 'Are we there yet?,' Are we there yet?,' Are we there yet?,' Are we there yet?,' Are we there yet?,' Are we there yet?' What an experience we've had getting here. We definitely brought the whole meaning of 'The Big Adventure' to life! First we got a boat from Koh Phangan to Surathani. From there we faced a 12 hour bus ride to Mad Bangkok. Luckily enough we got one of the fancy VIP buses. You have to travel in style! After a two hour wait in Bangkok, we were on our way to the Cambodia border, this time in a minivan. I don't think anything could have prepared us for what was to come. Our driver left us at an unofficial office. When we got off the bus, there were a few men offering to sort out our visas for Cambodia. They were part of the bus company we had booked from and even though we knew we were paying a little bit extra for our visa, it was all being done for us. If we didn't go with them, we would have had a bit of a walk to the border and we would have not had a bus to Siem Reap, which would have cost us more in the long run. We then had to go through customs and then to passport control. It was such a long process. Next time, we are flying in! I'm putting my foot down. The onward journey from across the border was an experience. It all started off good with normal roads that you would expect. Before we knew it, we were travelling on a dirt road. The bus couldn't even drive straight. Some experience! I don't think I will ever give out about Ireland’s roads or even the footpaths ever again. Eventually we got off the bus and on to a Tuk Tuk, except this Tuk Tuk was attached to a motorbike with our bags hanging out the front. Kathrin thought it was the best thing ever. She was like a big kid. So, all in all we have spent the last day finding out what it is to live 'The Big Adventure!' In our guesthouse, 'The Backpackers Hostel', the staff are very friendly. Our Tuk Tuk driver, Sam is a really guy and he gives us good advice on things to do and not to do. After we got settled, it was time for some food and a few drinks. We found a really cool bar on Pub Street called 'Angkor What?', a really funky place with graffiti all over the walls with really good music. There is a really nice atmosphere in Cambodia. Everyone is so much nicer and it's so much more relaxing. You still have Tuk Tuk drivers looking for business but once you say 'No' then they go away, unlike in Thailand, and they are actually much more friendlier. I have really bad memories of Tuk Tuk's and Thailand, so hopefully Cambodia might change that! The main tourist area, Pub Street is filled with markets and lots of bars and restaurants. It's a really nice area. This morning we decided to go for something a bit different, an Indian breakfast. The food was amazing, but there was so much of it. It was definitely something different. If you’re tired of your morning fry or cornflakes, try an Indian breakfast! Kathrin has really gotten me into ginger tea. It's so nice, really good for you and such a simple drink. It's only hot water with fresh ginger chopped up small. If you haven't tried it already, you really need to try it! One of the reasons we decided to go travelling is to learn about other cultures and what better way to understand Cambodia's then at a food buffet with traditional dancing. The costumes and all the different colours used were impressive, but that was it. There was a story behind it all, and maybe if we knew what the story was, then we might have enjoyed it more. It wasn't of a high standard and there was not a lot of energy. I don't think Kathrin was too keen on it, but she did promise me she would bring me to a traditional Swiss dance show. Apparently its better than what we saw. I guess everything is better over there, after all, it is where the Alps are! Kathrin, I'm holding you to that. We said we would bring her to 'River Dance'. I really hope she enjoys it! Maybe a few (ok, a lot) of drinks are required beforehand! You cannot come to Cambodia without visiting the world famous 'Angkor Wat', which is the largest religious monument in the world. We went first thing in the morning for the sunrise. It was spectacular and it's probably one of the most amazing things we have seen so far. The main temple in the complex, Angkor Wat, dates back to 1125. The detail that went into building it, and the fact it has lasted all this time is truly amazing. All the stone carvings all over the temples are incredible. 'Bayon Temple' is also really impressive. It's filled with carved faces, facing out in different directions. They are said to be based on a combined image of King Jayavarman VII and Buddha, and are truly breathtaking. It's sad to think that when the Khmer empire fell, this spectacular complex was abandoned for centuries, only to be rediscovered in the jungle in 1860. As we went exploring through the temple, we noticed some bats who had taken up residence there. It was certainly cool to see, well until a bit of bat piss fell on me. Lovely! On a nicer note, we came across a young monk. Myself and Jason got talking to him for a while. He was a really nice guy. He even walked around part of the temple with us, which was really nice. He even insisted on us taking a photo with him, which is a cool souvenir to have. Leaving, he gave the two of us a piece of chewing gum each, which was really nice of him. The next day we went to an orphanage. What an amazing experience. The kids were all really well behaved and very mannerly. They all seemed happy even though they don't have very much, which is a credited to the woman (aka mum) who looks after them all. The orphanage depends entirely on donations and volunteering work. There are certainly some amazing people out there. The kids range in age from 2 to 16. At present there are 30 kids of whom they look after. What's really nice is that they try and keep families together rather than splitting them up. They each get two hours of lessons each day, which mainly consists of English. To be fair, there English is really good. As gifts for the kids, we gave them a skipping rope, a bowling game, a bottle of bubbles, pencils, blank paper and colouring pencils. We also made a contribution to the running costs of the orphanage. It's a really good cause. I really enjoyed visiting all the children. Later on, we went to enquire about horse riding. Unfortunately, there wasn't a horse there that could take my weight. So while Jason and Kathrin were horse riding, I will go back to the orphanage. That evening we had an 'I'm a Celeb' experience. Ok, there were no annoying celebs! Thank God. For dinner, the two of us enjoyed crocodile, shark, kangaroo, ostrich and frog leg to name but a few. Surprisingly, they were all really nice. There wasn't much chicken for Jason, but I'm sure he got over it, eventually. The next day, while Jason and Kathrin were horse riding, I went back to the orphanage. When I got there, Chai, who is 15, was in the front working on some math’s problems. Just like the other kids, he is very keen to learn, however, they do have days where all they want to do is just play. Most of the other kids were inside on computers. The boys were playing a video game and the girls were listening to music. It was really nice to see them smiling and laughing. The work everyone does to help these kids is commendable. Later on, we all returned to 'The Lost City of Angkor Wat'. It is a fascinating place to visit, especially at the height of the empire. Still to this day, there is a whole lost city under the jungle which archaeologists are still working on. I think it would make a brilliant movie. It could even be the next 'Lord of The Rings'. There was one temple we all wanted to visit and that was 'Ta Prohm Temple'. This temple is unique as there is a huge tree growing in the middle of it. It's stunning to see and it is very symbolic as nothing is more powerful than nature. After we go, nature will claim back what is rightfully hers. We also visited other temples including 'Baphuon Temple'. There is a nice walk to the temple, which is raised from the ground. As we got there, the heavens opened, it was like being back home. We followed some monks to shelter, taking refuge in some archways, where we had great views of the temple and the grounds, which looked extra special in the rain. We ended up staying there for a while, before we went exploring the temple. The three of us ended our tour watching the sunset over Angkor Wat. It was a sight to see! Though it was very cloudy, it was still nice. It’s an incredible place. On our last day, we spoilt ourselves. I got a full body scrub, finished off with an amazing lotus bath and a gem stone facial. It was amazing. My favourite was when they put peelings of mango on me. It felt amazing and the smell was incredible. But the best part of the day was a ride in the ‘Rock and Roll Tuk Tuk’. It was so funny. The guy had a computer where we could choose our own songs, fans and disco lights. He was such a friendly, happy guy. If you come to Cambodia, you should take a ride in it.

By Andrew

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