……..and never thought I would be saying that after our kidnapping by a tuk tuk driver in Bangkok, remember that?  We hardly do as we have met so many neat ones since that time and the good thing is those bad memories get replaced by the good ones, thank the Lord.  The same is true for some of those nasty moments in Northern Vietnam……they seem so long ago that already they are a vague memory.  Marilyn says not that vague, at least the one where we were thrown off the bus…….Jim and I agree.  Today was great so we’ll pick it up from there.

The wake up call came at 4:30 a.m. when our tuk tuk driver arrived at the hotel to take us to the temples of Angkor for the day.  When we arrived downstairs shortly before five he was out shining up his tuk tuk and it was sparkling as we headed out.  The roads were very busy, mainly with tuk tuks and motos and bikes as watching the sun rise over Angkor wat is quite the tourist attraction.  It was only a ten-fifteen minute drive and without a coffee or a bit of bread and butter we were guided off toward the temple for a fifteen minute walk after we arrived.  From there we sat around what best can be described as a pond and watched while a few hundred other tourists arrived and set up their cameras for the 6:25 sunrise.

Many years ago I learned from a client that “you can plan the event, but you can’t plan the outcome” and that lesson has been very useful over the years, and it was again today.  As we sat there for over an  hour it became increasingly obvious that we were not going to have that ‘stunning moment’ because there was a cloud cover that was going to prevent us from actually seeing the sun.  We were persistent, however, and ‘people-watched’, as they watched us, and then saw a sliver of the sun rise up with the clouds”………..and then it was over.    Might sound like a waste of time, but actually it was quite pleasant and gave us an early start in the cool hours of the morning to do our exploring.

Back to the tuk tuk we went to be transported off for coffee/tea/breakfast before we began our day to discover the temples of Angkor.    There’s no way I can tell you about them that will do justice so I’ll quote the Lonely Planet guide again as they describe the temples as the heart and soul of Cambodia.  “The temples of Angkor are a source of inspiration and national pride to all Khmers as they struggle to build their lives after years of terror and trauma……..Angkor is one of the world’s foremost ancient sites………abandoned to the jungle for centuries, the magnificent temples are set amid the region’s oldest national park, with towering trees….” and the grounds are magnificent.  If you want to know more then google the temples of Angkor……the ones we explored were Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphuon, Terrace of Elephants and Phnom Bakheng.  Of special mention was Ta Prohm which has been swallowed up by the jungle and the roots of giant trees which are causing it to crumble.  And last, but not least, was Angkor Wat  itself which is described as the mother of all temples and it is believed that it is the largest religious building in the world.  The day was spectacular and my fingers are getting tired so get “googling” if you want/need to know more.

After a great day at the temple we returned to Siem Reap and went for a bite to eat, and a cool one as the temperature was in the mid-30’s and without the support of the tuk tuk driver I’m sure I would have passed out from the heat and the humidity.  Marilyn and I were interested in a foot massage from all the walking and thought our feet could use a break….but then thought we would save that for another day.  Jim was encouraging us to go see Dr. Fish!   It’s basically where you put your feet into a large fish tank and hundreds of little fish swim around and chew off all the dead skin…….while you sit there squirming/laughing because it’s so ticklish.  He tried it and loved it, but it really wasn’t for us…….we’re holding out for the more traditional variety.   Well must go as I’m pooped after what was another fabulous day in Southeast Asia…….hope all is well and spring is there to stay!