……..is a drink you can have at a restaurant/bar called The Red Piano in Siem Reap and as you have probably already guessed it’s named after Angelina herself.  I was so tired the other day after returning from the temples of Angkor that I forgot to mention that the movie, The Tomb Raiders, starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Craft was filmed around the temples of Angkor so she is quite popular in these parts.   I think, but I’m not sure, that one of her children may have been adopted from here or maybe it’s the other Madonna that adopted a child from Cambodia……..something else we’ll have to google.

In any case this place has been quite lovely, totally enjoyable and relaxing…….so much so, it’s kind of hard to go…..but go we must!   Apparently in the 1960’s Siem Reap was extremely popular among the rich and famous and then for about thirty years plus it struggled.    You can certainly see the aftermath of their struggle represented by many disabled people on the streets(from land mines, partly) and also a great deal of poverty that does follow you, wherever you go.  In spite of this, however, it does seem to be coming back  in full force because of what Cambodians, and the guide books, refer to as the 8th wonder of the world………the temples of Angkor, and also no doubt because of the resilience of the human spirit.  

On a  lighter note their claim to fame was experienced this morning as we were sitting having coffee and all of a sudden these tuk tuks came racing in and people were scurrying about.  There was loads of excitement and we weren’t able to figure out what was going on….and then we noticed the cameras and I looked at one of the waitresses who said in crystal clear English “the amazing race”!  One after another a tuk tuk would pull in, young people would jump out and get their card stamped and off they went……….so for any of you who might be followers of that program keep an eye out for us in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Once that excitement was over Marilyn and I decided we needed to treat ourselves so she went for a reflexology treatment and I for a pedicure.  Jim, of course, already had seen Dr. Fish(that’s what the fish cleaning your feet are called) so he went for a swim.  After those treats it was time to leave and get our tuk tuk to the airport as the plan was to fly back to Thailand and see what might be awaiting us there.  Everything went according to plan which means the Cambodia “sim” card is no longer valid………we’ll touch base next from Thailand!