Well it was a 4am wake up this morning in order to catch a plane to Siem Reap. Now after the shock of a baby plane 2 days ago I figured that an international flight would be on a bigger plane so I braced myself for that….but oh no…… the sight that greeted me certainly woke me up and sent me into a head spin. Head and heart pounding, trying to breath deeply and keep reassuring myself…….but no it wasn't a bad dream…this was my reality, my worst nightmare…its another baby plane with propellers just a different airline!!!! We bid a sad farewell to Laos. The time has gone so quickly and our visit that was too short by far. Could easily spend a month or more here and still not see all there is to see. Guess I'll have to return again to see more of this wonderful country – just find another means of travel!!

After a gut wrenching 40 minute flight it is welcome to Cambodia. My e-visa was all in order and after the chaos of the Laos border crossing this was a breeze. Mind you it's the first country in which I’ve been electronically fingerprinted on arrival…..We were greeted at the airport by our new guide- Kheang – who seems to be a nice guy and can speak very good English which is good given the amount of historical information he will have to impart to us as we embark on our journey in Cambodia.

We dropped our bags at the hotel but it was too early to check in so we took the opportunity to jump in a remork moto (Tuk-Tuk) to see some of the town. Our first visit was to Artisans d’Angkor. Artisans d’Angkor, was set up as the training institute to bring back to glory the ancient art and culture of the Angkor region oriented its hands-on training programs of students by skilled craftsmen of the region, with particular emphasis on silver plating (the art of Metal), silk weaving and wood and stone carving. The workshop has gained international acclaim and the products are some of the richest in terms of quality and design, and the scheme offers underprivileged young Cambodians the opportunity to learn a skill to provide a sustainable living and income for the future which can be passed down through the generations. The majority of the students are uneducated young Cambodians from rural areas. This was to be the first of many NGOs that I had the chance to visit in Cambodia

Siem Reap is a small colonial town just north of Southeast Asia’s largest lake, Tonle Sap. Siem Reap is more than just a place to sleep and catch a plane to get to see the Angkor sites. The city has developed into one of the most pleasant towns in Cambodia, if not Southeast Asia except perhaps for Hoi An (in Vietnam which remains my all time favourite to date). The tree-lined streets are bordered with restored colonial buildings housing cafes, pubs and bars where people gather to relax after a hard day of trudging around the temples which no doubt we will need over the next few days! A walk around the town with our guide was a good introduction to the laid back lifestyle of the Cambodian people.

It was also time to sample some of the local delicacies - fried crickets (ok), fried dung beetles (yuk) baby snakes (gave them a miss) and baby shrimp (couldn't come at these covered in flies). Apparently there is still something else to try..........fried tarantula!!!!!!!!! Still thinking about that one.....

With a plethora of massage places one can easily get relief from the sore muscles associated with climbing around the temples which I think I’ll be making great use of over the next few days. Started off this afternoon by introducing Naomi (my room mate) to the joys of a "Dr Fish" massage. It was worth it just to see her reaction as the fish started nibbling at the dead skin on her feet. With shrieks of laughter she attracted the attention of the locals from several shops away who smiled with amusement. We then proceeded to indulge in a full body massage each before heading back to the hotel.

Time for a quick cocktail before getting ready to go out for dinner and then see the night market. Please note I said SEE the market not buy/shop......After hearing about the history and seeing the spectrum of rich and poor today I've decided that where possible I'm going to shop with organisations that help people. There is clearly a great need for assistance but I have seen very little begging....it seems that most people just accept their lot in life and do the best they can.