To recap I left Free the Bears on Friday and flew to Siem Reap on Saturday morning, I really could have just stayed another night I'd say..I loved Phnom Penh and Phnom Tamao and Free the Bears....ok I LOVE CAMBODIA! Did not think I would become so attached in such a short few weeks.
Kurt arrived on Sunday morning after prancing me into thinking he would miss his flight which I wasn't impressed at then but now I can laugh because he's waaaay too good at being able to pull one over on me! Siem Reap is vastly different to Phnom Penh it's so much less chaotic and busy, it feels almost sleepier though being the city that ALL the hotel giants plant their big hotels, it's all big, beautiful 5 star hotels and not nearly as many guest houses and hostels though in saying that the staff everywhere are just as personable and polite and wonderful anywhere you go.
A lot more shopping and handicrafts plenty of opportunity to barter and to be honest now that I can count 1-20 in Khmer I seem to be winning the bartering they say "8 dollar" I say "boun" (4) they laugh and say "ok" then continue on in Khmer before I stop them to say I didn't know anymore than that.
On Monday we did a Moto tour with 'Siem Reap Moto Tours' and it was a little nerve racking at first with my not knowing how to operate a two wheeled vehicle on any kind and Kurt being the master of dirt biking in my eyes. Bless him he was so patient no screaming down the roads at high speed but at a leisurely pace that I could follow until I was more comfortable.
Side note: Kurt just informed me of my 'blogging face'....described as facial contortions while my brain goes crazy trying to recall things.
Anyway I managed to somewhat master the Moto and is was a ridiculous amount of fun going through the ruts on the red roads, dodging pot holes, negotiating sand which nearly tossed my off my bike a couple of times and to my astonishment held it together and recovered LIKE A BOSS!
We stopped at a couple of quiet villages and met some local ladies who were weaving baskets using grasses, the ones they use to cover food on the table, they take one full day to make and $5 to buy at the market. Makes me wonder where the ones we get at home are made and how, machinery or hand made?
Everywhere we went children ran and waved, screaming "hello!" and with all my skills I managed to not fly off the bike when I waved back ;) apparently they rarely see westerners out that way and I'm not surprised, we were really out there! We rode for 2 hours to Beng Melea temple just as every single tour bus and car was headed in the opposite direction (just as expected). For the first temple I was seeing I was surprised just how massive the complex was! Built in the 12th century in memorial for the king and built of course by the king (no surprises there). Some had been destroyed during the war though a huge amount of it remained standing in all its glory. It's beautiful to see the jungle reclaiming what once belonged to it, vines growing from the ground up over and through the structures. Our guide took us off the path whether that's actually aloud or not I'm not actually sure BUT as this was the King's memorial and unlike Angkor Wat I'm sure it was almost aloud but not quite aloud for reasons of personal injury if it occurred, though I'm thankful he did take us around because I wouldn't have seen half of what we saw though I won't be attempting that at any other temples.
We stopped and tried some Palm juice which is alcoholic and tastes like " KAPOW!" and then ok time to jump on the motos. I tried the most sugary of sugar cane juices which is like "KAPOW!" hope your ready for a nap in an hour...
Cruised through the red roads and jungle, past the 100 year old Palm trees and rice fields across some crazy Dr Seuss bridge which I didn't succeed very well at (have a look when my videos are finished on my YouTube channel). Despite how annoying and surprisingly slippy sand is I had fun trying to negotiate those paths too, all part of the challenge and happily I feel like a have a new skill :) don't expect me to go jumping on a Moto in Phnom Penh though....I saw enough tourists covered in bandages and heard horror stories of doctors scraping off the scabs and re bandaging the wound and obviously then they wouldn't heal :(
All in all though arrrrgghhhhh AN AMAZING DAY!!!!! Had so much fun, so stinky and grubby but I definitely recommend it :)
we looked so pretty checking into the STUNNING 'ANANTARA Angkor Resort and Spa' with a beautiful welcome and as is the custom they gave us facewashers scented with lemongrass on checkin for refreshment...they were given to us white and we gave them back red with dust, dirt and sweat. Cannot believe this place!!! Gotta love those work perks!!!
Sugar Cane Juice
" I think I can, I think I can!!"
Too hot for Kurt
First temple 'tick' :)
Total 'Long Way Round' moment ;)
Kurt's riding style
