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So, I travel half way around the world to get some peace and quiet and who decides to rock up...the rents! I'm only joking! It was so weird seeing mum and dad in Cambodia pretty much where my home has been for three months but so so lovely -I'm going to hate saying goodbye to them in a weeks' time! Yes, it was an emotional hello (soppy I know, but this has been the longest I've been away in my life, so far). So I, and my tuk tuk driver (I make myself sound like royalty, he's not a personal driver of mine, he's a friend out here) picked them up. The look on their faces when the realisation of three of us and two big suitcases on this tiny tuk tuk was hilarious and I think they loved the ride home seeing as we got tuk tuks around town for the rest of their stay (a financial result for me). This meant that I could have a rest from all the bike riding (as much fun as it was). There was no time for relaxing on the agenda I had made for them. They were only here for 1 full day and 2 half days either side so I had to fit in AS MUCH as possible, partially so that I could convince them to come back to Siem Reap with me in the future (cough cough if you're reading this). The hotel I checked out for them was well received - a wood hut surrounded by trees, a salt water pool and ducks…I mean what more would you need? They just had enough time to have a swim and freshen up before it was time for the tour. First stop was my house (well a room really) and actually they seemed quite impressed with it…see I can survive on my own. Then it was the part I was really looking forward to them seeing -ABC's and Rice. The bumpy tuk tuk ride to school showed them the path that I take every day by bike, and then when we rolled up at the gate Bonnar (the ABC's grounds keeper) appeared, to let us in. As the school has broken up for a month I couldn't introduce them to any children/teachers which was a shame but to my surprise some kids turned up when they saw the gates being opened, and they were some of my kids from class! They were all so interested in meeting my parents - asking them what their names were and practising their English. I was thrilled that they could meet some of the kiddies, just so they could really see how amazing they really are. Last Friday was a sad but fun day when I had to say goodbye (until May) but then I found myself saying it again to the few that were there with us. It then suddenly hit me! No teaching the fab kids for a whole month, I'm really going to miss it! So after the tour of the school we all headed into town to visit the night market, mainly because dad wanted a treatment of pretty much any description. So, after a fish foot feeding session, foot massage and pedicures (obviously that one wasn't for him) we met Heather for dinner. We didn't do the street stalls - I didn't want their first taste of Khmer food to leave them sat on the toilet later, but we ate at Karos and had a variety of dishes.
The parents had an early start the next morning and we were on the road by 8 to visit the temples. With our temple tickets displaying our attractive pictures, we were ready. We covered Prasat Kravan, Ta Prohm, Bayon and Angkor Wat. I had seen Bayon briefly last time but it was still amazing. The carved faces all smiling was almost comforting, even with the hustle and bustle of the many Korean tours that were going on around us. Angkor Wat , which is the largest religious site in the world, was, well, a hugggee temple. It was just like I had imagined from pictures but the scale was ten times bigger. We didn't have a tour guide but the Germans who we walked along side were reading the lonely planet guide in English so we latched on to that for a time….who needs brightly coloured hats and a flag to follow everywhere? Five hours later the heat had picked up and we were ready for a well-deserved relax with snacks by the pool. In the evening we attended a cooking course. This was one I had done before but the menu is so wide-ranging that you could do it ten times over and still not make the same thing twice. I thought this was the best way to try the main traditional dishes. So, after a food market shop to get a few ingredients it was into the kitchen to make, between the three of us - fresh spring rolls, mango salad, spicy shrimp salad, amok, loc lac and Khmer chicken with pak choy. A rooftop kitchen, a glass of wine in hand and the smell of delicious food; it was to die for! Dad seemed pretty impressed with his - I may even go as far as to say he might make it at home! After a temple tour, cooking course, night market shop it was time to call it a day (it was now the small hours of the morning). On day 3 of their visit we got even more treatments - neck and shoulder massages, manicures and foot massages before finishing off with lunch and a goodbye to Heather. It's a hard life hey! I think we could all get used to it! I couldn't believe it - before I knew it we were at the airport ready to leave for Vietnam. Their visit had come around so quickly and their stay went so fast. It all needs to just stop whizzing by (please? Ha). But I'm happy that now I get to spend ten days travelling Vietnam with them!
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