Collected from our hotel got a bus to the pier..short wait then a boat over to dansak port..bus to surrathani we we're pilled in the back with the luggage. Short wait some excellent cheap pad thai then a tiny tuk tuk took 10 of us to another bus station..to get the big bus.
Seats reclined it was nice and clean and it took us alllll the way to Bangkok. They gave us blankets but it was still pretty cold on there. Managed a good few hours sleep each. Dropped us off at the koh San road 5am..still mental. A taxi man tried to charge us 1200 bhat to the airport I was not in the mood for this. Gave him 500 that was my final offer. Bit of a mental driver but got us there in one piece.
Arrived at don meuang airport 5 hours early checked our bags nothing was tampered with probably the 400 locks we've got on there..checked in. Quick meal and a short hour long flight to siem reap. Flight was down as soon as it was up but getting a visa was actually really easy..going to need a new passport when we're back because mine is full!
Changed some money at the bank..it's so hard because they use riel and US dollars so the exchange rates go over my head a little. But of a mix up with the hotel they'd spelt my last name imyoe?? So obviously we didn't go to the man holding the sign. Few phone calls later we we're finally collected in a tuk tuk and taken to the hotel. Delightful little place okay 1 villa for £15. Headed straight for the rooftop pool for a relax.
The evening we started walking to pub street. Got very lost and ended up haggling with a tuk tuk driver.. Pub street is exactly what it says on the tin..some places have beer for 50 cent!!
Had some traditional Cambodian food amok which was delicious and then headed to the markets.
Food market was a little over whelming- was great to see but then I saw a lady gutting a tortoise an it's mentally scarred me.
Haggled for a new pair of elephant trousers and a vest. Managed to find a Cambodia pin with ease!
We then headed to the official night market over the river - I had a manicure and a pedicure for $5!
Booked our Angkor wat trip..I wanted to the there for sunrise which meant we left at 4:30am!
Our tuk tuk driver was called yin. Actually the nicest man on the earth!!
Drove in pitch black about 10k..he was actually using his phone for a light.
Stopped at a boarder to purchase passes..wasn't expecting a photograph at 5am!
Arrived at Angkor wat brought yin some breakfast and he showed us where to go for sunrise.
Good job my iPhone has a torch or I'd have ended up in the moat.
Yin got us there nice and early so we manage to get a seat on a rock and wait..so many people arrived! Was quite funny seeing it go from stars to sunrise. The Chinese people got SO excited when we first saw the sun.
It really is a beautiful place..once the sun had risen..150 photos later we had some breakfast at a Harry potter cafe. By this I mean fried rice and a weird cup of tea.
Explored the temple and it just got hotter and hotter.
Got to one point where 6 monks we're praying- they had plastic bags with cigarettes coke Incense and food infront of them and a small gathering of people. The monks would bless the bags and the people and then splash water on them for good luck. 2 young boys with Mohawks then had their heads shaved and blessed so they too can become monks- was amazing to watch!
Had my photo taken with some kids in traditional Cambodian dress an then headed to the next temple.
In this one again there we're monks praying they offered me incense and showed me how to pray for good luck and gave me a red bracelet as a blessing. After this we found a shop with hand oil paintings in and they we're stunning. I wanted a massive one that has now been rolled up for me and it's beautiful..mart haggle hard for it!!
Temple after this was in 4 sections the first one looked abit Aztec like and I'm not joking you the stairs to the top nearly killed us..my top went quite see through with sweat! Eventually we arrived at the baboon temple..I didn't realise this is where we we're and was eating pineapple after a stare off with a monkey he won and I dropped my pineapple and ran away.
Must of been tired because I was convinced every fly was a malaria infected mosquito..every splash in the water was an anaconda and the monkey was going to bite me and give me rabies.
We'd had enough for the day so let yin take us back early gave him quite a big tip for being such a hero..he called us brother and sister all day and hugged us 3 times to say goodbye and thank you. Nap time for a while after the early start and then back to the markets for food and bartering!