Temples of Anker Wat Day 2

Our next day in Siem Reap was much the same as before apart from we hired bikes and managed a good 26miles around the temples, going back to Bayon and buying a drink from our friend who had approached us the day before and exploring more temples further away.

One image we had seen many times before heading to Angkar was that of a tree roots completely smothering a temple door. Once we had found what we were looking for it was almost ruined as there were so many people selling and hassling us as normal; however in this annoyance one little girl, no more than six came up to us and asked if we wanted to buy 10 bracelets, just as I went to say no, she continued to count to ten in English – impressive for a girl so young, then count to ten in Khmer, then continued non-stop in Spanish, French, Chinese and German… Needless to say we brought some bracelets!

Once we left the image we had searched for, it was unfortunate we couldn’t take it in more. As we looked through our photos it really is an incredible sight!

Steen had heard of one temple he had really wanted to look for (because it mentioned something about feeling like Indiana Jones!) however after a long day, his stomach took over and once he had stopped talking we knew it was time to head back and have some food!

Siem Reap and the floating village

We arrive at our hostel called Sam So Guesthouse and are greeted by a lovely lady called Mrs Samso. She shakes our hands, as we introduce ourselves and has the kindest smile. As we stay at Sam So, we come to really love Mrs Samso, Mr Samso and all of their staff including their tuk tuk drivers! This guesthouse has the friendliest, most helpful staff we have come across. They are constantly smiling are gueinelly happy to help. On the last day, Mrs Sam So seemed very sad and told us that someone had written a bad comment on trip advisor about her. Out here, trip advisor is their number one selling point and with the being number one accommodation for 2013 she was disappointed this has happened. Once we had wifi we put the greatest feedback we could and on telling her she hugged Ems and told her we will be missed and we had made her day!

Anyway… On to sightseeing!

The first day we went to a ‘floating village’ about 15 minutes out of the city. This place is like somebody has taken a town and stuck it in the middle of a lake! Everything is floating and they have to catch a boat from A to B.

Kids playing a kind of bowls, but instead of bowls they use old flip flops! 

Chaing Mai to Bangkok to Poipet to Siem Reap (On the roads from Mad MaX!)

Our little truck from Chiang Mai arrived at an out of town gas station where we would pick our sleeper bus up from.  My eyes locked onto a new large VIP bus parked, and I thought this is going to be a comfy journey J …  How wrong I was, as we got of the driver directed us away from the large modern bus towards an small old beat up bus parked just outside of the garage forecourt, I made my way on quickly to try and secured two seats together for me and Ems.  As we set off, already feeling cramped up in the little seat, the guy infront of me lowered his seat all the way back… so now I was cramped up, had to have my legs stuck out to the side to as I couldn’t fit them behind the seat… All my positive thinking went out the window, as I had an internal bitch fest at the unfairness of it all and tried my best just to fall aspleep so it would be over sooner.  A few uncomfortable hours later, we stopped and I asked the man infront if he would be OK to sit in a spare seat to allow me some leg… He did and the rest of the trip went in a peaceful slumber

We arrived in BK early hours, got a taxi to the massive sprawling bus station (Same one I had visited early when headed to the bridge over the river Kwai).  The bus we had hoped to catch all the way to Siam Reap was full, so instead we caught one to the border and would arrange transport from there.  The trip to the border was uneventful and a long 5 hours!  Eventually we arrived at the border, being dropped off on the edge of a roundabout and being told to walk the last 800m to the border.  We navigated our way past all the Thai touts assure us we had to get a VISA from them at hyped up prices and made it. 

Wow what a difference an imaginary line in the ground makes… on the Thai side it was official, clean and well organised… Then we dropped into the Cambodia side, not a great deal of border control more felt like we had just walked onto the main street of a town.  There was rubbbsh everywhere, no proper road to speak off just a sand blasted road, with the odd food vendor plying their wares.  We got directed by our very own personal escort along the route passport check, VISA and finally entry card a 2 hour long Q!!! 

The only picture from the border, and doesn't Ems look like she is having a great time! What I missed to catch on the pic was a women grabbing EMs boob before running off laughing!!

As soon as we had our entry cards we were rushed onto a waiting bus, making a 5 min journey through the town to another bus station.  As soon as we stepped off we were assailed by 3-4 different people trying to organise us onto busses or taxis.  I had thought as we had already travelled for so long we would opt for a taxi (2 hours instaed of 4).   Three different people shouted over us, about price and something about we had the whole back seat.   Both of us were just, yep fine what ever here is the money. 

They led us out into the dusty forecourt, where a beat up old silver/grey car pulls up, nothing to say it’s a taxi or anything other than someone’s personal motor.   Not really caring anymore we just jump in the back, onto the old leather seats, with no noticeably seat belts :-/  The driver jumps in and off we go… for about 2 mins, he suddenly stops in the middle of the road, gets out, locks us in and walks off. 

Now let me lay the scene, here we are just arrived in a foreign country, the roads are just dusty mud routes, all the buildings around us are old and crumbling with corrugated extensions bolted on.  The locals we do see peer at us in what seems equal curiosity and suspicion.  Now suddenly we have left the security of the government and have been left on our own in the middle of the street…  All of a sudden a police/military bike stops just behind us, and takes up what can only be a guard position… Finlay our driver re-appears has a quick exchange with police and hands him some money and then gets back in and heads of.  Phew now we are on our way…. Not quite yet…  instead of heading to the main roads out of town he seems to be taking us further in, we bump along uneven roads, we approach a cross road, on our left is an even more rubbish strewn, and pot holed road.  At we bounce along Ems turns to me and says “I don’t feel very safe” I give her the best reassuring smile I can muster and squeeze of her hand as I notice over her shoulder is a line of 3 men on motorbikes, all wearing balaclavas blocking the road, their eyes glaring at us, I decided not to bring this to Ems attention as we thankfully turn left…  We drive a short way down the road, everyone we drive past curiously peering at us.  We come to a stop and again our driver has a quick exchange some money changes hands and a young couple head towards us with bags… Ems starts to move up so they can fit in, both of us looking at each other and mouth “WTF is going on”, but instead of getting in the back both of them squeeze in the front passenger seat.  I now recall the guy telling us we get the whole back to ourselves.  And that is how they stay for the whole journey.

However the excitement of the journey doesn’t stop there, as we get onto the main road we get a taste of highway driving Cambodia style… Which mainly includes driving down the centre of the road playing chicken with every on coming vehicle… 2 nerve racking hours later we arrive in Siam Reap whereas always we are dropped of near some tuktuks, who rip us of for the short final ride to our hotel.  26 hours after leaving Chiang Mai!

FESTIVAL OF LIGHT

We had managed to extend our stay in Chiang Mai as we happened to be there during a major festival called the festival of lights, when everyone in the area release 1000’s of floating lights.   We booked transport and headed to a large field an hour away which was the biggest area for the festival.

What an experience this was, neither I nor Ems could help putting our events organising hats on here as it was such a crazy experience.  We picked up a large floating lantern and followed the crowd.  Everywhere people where letting lanterns of into the sky, some with fireworks attached, all around us people where letting rockets and bangers off, no care as to where they ended up!  As we carried on it got busier and busier, crowd got more compact.   Along the edges where food stalls, but there was no way of stopping as you were pushed along by the crowd. 

We eventually managed to break away from the mass, and headed to the river bank to let our lantern off.  

The majority of people were heading to a central point, where the official lantern point was and at the allotted time after a huge rocket was let off, 1000s and 1000s of lanterns in one great mass went streaming into the sky!!! The sheer number was incredible, the sky blotted out their tiny little lights!

The next evening we had booked transport to Siam Reap, Cambodia and as we travelled along the highway, you could see all along the city skyline 10s of 1000s of lights being let of from a 1000 rooftops it was a peaceful and mesmerizing view…

Jungle Trek Day 2

We woke early as the sun was rise over the hills, leading to a spectacular view of the morning mist hanging over the tops of the jungle.   After a breakfast of toast and jam (Paleo has pretty much gone out the window out here :-/  ) we headed of back into the jungle.  After a couple of hours trudging through the now very wet jungle we came to a small stretch of river in between two waterfalls.  We all took the opportunity to wash the dirt of travelling of us and to cool down a bit… And wow did we cool down, Mountain Rivers are not warm!!!   

There was a not massive 8 meter jump from one waterfall, however all the jumps I have done before I have known there is lots of clear water and no dangerous rocks…. Here I had seen some other guy’s jump, so I roughly knew where to go but not exactly.  But been competitive, I wanted to be the first from our group to go, so I climbed onto the ledge, Ems ready for the great photo opportunity.  I walked to the edge peered over, I could just see the water crashing down, a great mass of frothy water marking the bottom… taking a deep breath, I lunged out into mid air… My heart in my throat, falling like a rock with just enough time to think “God I hope I don’t hit any rocks…”  Suddenly im in the water roaring water and bubble all around, kicking towards the surface… Wow what a rush, Incredible (Jump of waterfall… done J

I looked up Ems looking at the jump, I could see she wanted to do it… but to much thinking time waiting for me to go… Not this time but next waterfall it would be her turn (that’s what I love about being out here, there is no rush, always the next amazing adventure around the corner!

We dried of and headed of towards the elephant camp.  Always wanting to do a bit more, I had opted for a second jump, however this time when I entered the water I went much deeper… Ems said afterwards she started to worry as I didn’t surface.  Obviously as Im writing this I did surface, but the pressure ended making my ears pop.  As we travelled to the camp it wouldn’t clear and I felt worse and worse, at one point when I tried to clear it, I nearly passed out… Luckily I was sat down and managed to hang out but boy did I feel shit!!  We got to the camp, and we went and fed the elephants, you can feel the suction on your hand from their trunk as the grab the food… Amazing!!

OOOOOOHHHH A bit of a stretch!!!

After this we got to have a ride on the elephant, with no seat, which was a bit of stretch for my flexibility but was incredible!! The trainer took the elephant and us around a large route, instructing it with loud shouts, and when the elephant couldn’t see his trainer it would start looking around to try and find him again (I should mention that each elephant has only one trainer, so they form a strong bond with each other).   As we navigated around, we where both in awe of how nimble this giant creature could be, we would go down steep, windy narrow tracks that didn’t look big enough for it to put its feet let alone manage to walk down… Incredible!!! What ever we went across, river mud, rocks and managed with ease. 

I first saw this and I thought hilarious.  However as I watched more, with how other people where treating him, I just felt great sadness for him.  He had a cuddly toy as his companion and two English guys kept grabbing it which caused him to go mad at them.  I couldn’t help but think that its captivity on his own must have driven him a little crazy L

Final stop for jungle trek was a lazy cruise down the river on a bamboo raft.  Neither me nor Ems where that excited about the prospect of this… as it had started raining again as we left the elephants.  However we finally convinced ourselves to go, and we where pleased that we did, as shortly after it stopped and cleared up.  The raft was just a big square of bamboo poles with chairs set to sit on, it was controlled by two young lads one front, one rear with long poles to push us along.  I had a go at steering this as well (my second boat), with Ems and the two German girls humming the tune to Indian Jones… Very cool J  

So the jungle trip was done, we headed back to Chiang Mai… What an amazing couple of days!!