Today we flew to Siem Reap in Cambodia.When we arrived our tuk tuk driver Mr.Sokha collected us from the airport with an ice box of free beer.We made our way to our guesthouse.We booked a 3day package tour to see the thousand year old temple ruins at Angkor.

On arriving at our Villa Siem Reap Mr.Sokha takes us into town for a look around. we stopped off at the old centre markets for a stroll through the jewellery, food and gift stalls. As we passed through the small town we noticed the Siem Reap river flowing highly to our right with thick brown water, only then to see a group of small kids playing in it naked, excitedly waving at us as we go past. We then head for the Artisans Stone and wood centre. The government set up this centre for cambodian people with learning disabilities.Here we saw such amazing art work of stone and wood carvings.

Evening time approaches and we go to our first Temple to catch the sunset with a bottle of wine, olives and cheese. Upon arrival we are met by a group of adorable little cambodian kids.They all ran out of nowhere,were they hounded us to buy water,bracelets,postcards etc from them.Everything they are selling costs one dollar! They are so poor and are barefoot trying to keep up with us as they eagerly chat along they way to the Temple. They are the most intelligent little kids ive ever met.They ask me and Heidi where are we from, "Im Irish" and they reply" Conas ata tu?, they know Bertie Ahern is Taoiseach and the capital is Dublin,the population and of course Roy Keane! Heidi gets a similar response..Tony Blair, Luvly Jubly and London is the capital. To my amazement and disbelief i give a couple of them a dollar,then more and more approach me with the cutest little faces...but how can we give to all of them?? the kids start saying the money is so they can go to school tomorrow, they have to pay per hour to attend and buy all their books and materials Mr.Sokha confirms.

June 2nd- Up this morning at 6am to go to our second Temple and the most popular one 'Angkor Wat'. The existing temple ruins in Siem Reap are the remnants of the Angkorian capitals, and represent the pinnacle of the ancient Khmer architecture, art and civilization. We meet with our private guide and explore the incredible monument. Angkor Wat is visually breathtaking. It is a massive three tiered pyramid crowned by five lotus-like towers rising 65metres from ground level. The Temple interior has hundreds of fine carvings and bas reliefs that highlight the different stages of battles and many Buddha images. Our guide explains the different stories of the various chambers, statues and architectural forms.

After a few hours we make our way to Angkor Thom. It is a 3km walled and moated Royal city and was the last capital of the Angkorian empire. There are five entrances (gates) to the city, one for each cardinal point, and the victory gate leading to the Royal Palace area.Each gate crpwned with 4 giant faces.

Bayon Temple is set in the centre of Angkor Thom. The giant stone faces of Bayon have become one of the most recognisable images connected to classic Khmer art. There are 37 standing towers. Even more interesting are the extensive carvings's of unique scenes of everyday life among the battle scenes,there are scenes of markets, cockfighting,chess games and childbirth.The surrounding tall jungle makes Bayon a bit dark and eery.

June 3rd-Another 6am start Today for a road tour on our TukTuk (a little trailer car attached to a motorbike) through the countryside of rice-paddy and villages. We firstly stop off at the Temple of Ta Prohm (were Tomb Raider was filmed).This definately was our favourite Temple.It was so quiet and peaceful.It was partially cleared of jungle undergrowth.It had massive fig and silk-cotton trees growing from its towers and corridors. This offeres some of the best 'tree-in-temple photographs. Flocks of noisy parrots flitted from tree to tree adding to the jungle atmosphere.We explored its dark corridors and open plazas.

On through the countryside on the most horrific road conditions i have ever experienced. We travelled 50km on dusty,bumpy rugged tracks.  We passed typical Cambodian villages and the people going about their daily lives. Little one room wooden shacks catered for the whole family to live in. Each family member helping and working together on the land.The kids were chopping down trees,fishing and picking fruit.The mother was sieving through all the wheat and rice and the husband was ploughing and watering the rice fields with an Ox-cart. This was real Cambodian life of poor local village people but they looked the happiest as we went by waving,smiling and saying hello to us.

After a few hours we finally reach Phnom Kulen.We dust ourselves down and spit out grit from our mouths and begin our jungle walk to the top of the mountain. This is were we saw several sites including hundreds of Cilt Linga in the siem Reap river (lingas are carved, square table-like blocks of stone). We came across many that were carved into the riverbed in order to 'fertilise' the waters that fed the rice paddies below. We stop for a rest at a beautiful waterfall. We finally agree its been all worth it.

We then make our bumpy journey back and stop along the way at the villages only to be met with all the kids selling their little gifts. By this stage we have already bought postcards,guidebooks,scarfs, bracelets water from them.So unfortunately we have to keep convincing them we dont need anymore, only to be sadly answered back with "But you didnt buy from me".

Our last day we meet Mr.Sokha who takes us to the Tonle Sap Lake.The lake is 70Km wide and 350km in length (in the dry season) to me it looks like the middle of the ocean,never ending.As we are brought down the lake on a large wooden boat by two young kids we pass through the floatting village of chong Khneas with hundreds of Vietnamese and Khmer households with familys in them. We pass floating markets, clinics and schools. The water is a thick brown color and the smell becomes unbearable at times. This is the village peoples toilet, were they wash and we noticed to our horror were they drink from.

We stop off at a small floating restauant were we refuse to eat the free "fresh shrimp"from the lake. Kids come out of the water as many make their way floating in a small wash basin.They try to sell us fruit and ask us if they could have our bottles of water.

In the wet seaon when the water rises up to 8metres the village people have to move their house by towing it by boat and the land people living beside the lake pack up their house and 4 people carry it on their shoulders. It is so hard to believe the floating village has 3,000 inhabitants.

In our spare time we explored Siem reap town ourselves.Its got a wide range of elegant hotels,an amazing variety of bars and restaurants and even a Molly Malones irish pub! the saddest thing is being met with the awful poverty. Young kids carrying their baby brother/ sister half clothed pointing to the food on your restaurant table and then to their bellies, of course we roll up what we can in a tissue and pass it to them.It cartainly shows the rich are rich and the poor are certainly poor.I think this has been one of the most unforgetable trips.