Wake up call at 4.15am this morning...rolled out of bed and shoved some clothes on. Think I've had 3 nights in a row now with only 5 hours or less sleep - I need to take more advantage of sleeping on the buses like Therese!

We all decided to let a local tour guide take us around some temples today.
First stop, Angkor Wat for sunrise! We got there for about 5.15 - it was pitch black. We walked along the causeway, through the gates and then could see the outline of the huge temple where a little bit of light was behind the temple.
The guide took us to a spot close to one of the ponds to wait for sunrise. It was so nice to watch the light from the sun gradually get stronger and slowly reveal the temple. And in the background was the music from the monks playing the drums. The sun was just over the temple at about 6.25, and it looked stunning. Definitely was worth getting up early for!
We had the option of going straight back to the hotel for breakfast and then coming back later, but the better option was to stay at the temple while it was much cooler and less crowded. So, shortly after sunrise we had a walk around the temple and our guide told us the history etc. It's the best temple we've seen in all the countries we've been to so far. It's more of an untouched ancient looking place, with the moss growing everywhere and it's worn. Most of the places we've been to have had absolutely loads of restoration. They were doing some restoration though. Right at the front of the building!! Spoilt the pictures at sunrise as well!
The grounds are huge for this temple and the moat around it is really wide. Such a nice place, will try get some pics up but don't think they'll do it any justice so you might have to have a look on google!

We went back for breakfast and then had an hour to relax. I should have grabbed some sleep but wanted to catch up on blogging!

The next stop is where we've been looking forward to the most from Cambodia, Ta Prohm a.k.a Tomb Raider Temple, because it's in the film. It's a jungle temple with massive trees growing from towers, through walls, everywhere. They're like giant roots that are wrapping around walls. We took loads of pictures and the guide pointed out the best spots to take them from. It's not actually out in the middle of a jungle at all, just a short walk into the woods. Probably was once a jungle though.
We loved it here and it's now our favorite temple. It's "real" and you know it's ancient rather than lots of restoration. However, there still is some restoration being done here. Go to Cambodia now, before too much is restored!

We don't like all the restoration they do to places. We want to see how well it's done over time and for it to have that real ancient look and feel. We want to see how it is now and not how it used to look. I can see the appeal of seeing the whole complete temple in the grand state it used to be in, but then it's more like a replica, it's fake!
The restoration is being done by different countries at each temple too - Thailand, France and Japan were involved - not sure why though.

After that it was lunch time. We shared vegetable curry served in a coconut. Was pretty good food. Lots of kids in the area trying to sell postcards and bangles though. We saw a monkey just behind our table eating some bread he'd stole. He went up the tree and came back 10 minutes later for more food. He crept overt this basket and then was looking back and forward and all around to check that nobody would spot him, was really funny watching him. Then he leaned over - looked like he was trying to pull something out be he gave in. Instead he stood there and kept dipping his hand in - he was eating the flesh out of the coconut. He he loved it and was licking all his fingers like it was his last meal. He was then going to try nick some crisps but was chased off by the staff.
Lunch over and we headed back to the mini-bus. Loads of kids trying to sell us stuff again. Me and Therese were the last to get on and this little kid was trying to get one of the girls on the tour to buy something but she said no and got on the bus. Well this little kid just looked so upset even with tear in his eye and walked off. Me and Therese got on the mini bus and he was stood around our side of the bus. I told Therese to quickly just het a dollar out, told the bus to wait. I opened the window and gave the kid the dollar. He was trying to give me the postcards and we both just said we don't want them - he trotted off with a smile on his face.
Then I got told off by the tour guide. Told me that if I want to help the children of his country, I shouldn't give them money or buy things from them.
We were told this before we came to Cambodia actually. I understand what he means because it the parents who send the kids out to play on the heart strings of tourists and get money. So because they make money for the family, they don't get to go to school to get an education.

Next we went to the Temple of Faces, Bayon. It's literally that. Lots of towers with faces on. Really nice temple and the faces are used on lots of postcards and advertising of Cambodia. Shame there was so much noise from all the restoration!! Took lots of pictures again.
Then went to the temple of faces, Bayon.

On our walk back to the mini-bus we passed the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King. The first one has lots of images of elephants and statues of elephants faces. The second one was annoying because the statue is in a museum in Phnom Phen and a replica is in it's place.

We were so tired but all but one of the group went to a floating village at Tonle Sap Lake - second largest lake in the world. And there are 170 floating villages on total out on the lake. We went out on a boat for $8 each (£5.60) to drive out and around the closest village (apparently the money goes to the people of the village). It's incredible to see all the people and the homes just floating there right out on a lake! They seem to use a combination if different things - think it's mainly wood but did see plastic barrels too. Was like something out of that film Waterworld. Apparently they live there out of tradition rather than living off masses of produce from the lake.
The lake recedes about 5km in the dry season too, so the villages move with the water. And we would have had to drive a further 5km to see it!
There's loads of homes on there too. Could see them going about there daily lives. We drove further out from the little channels made by the trees in the water and out into the open lake - it's huge!! Then a guy on a boat came flying up the side of us - he had a little girl about 6 (assume it was his daughter) with a snake wrapped around her neck at the front of the boat. Couldn't really hear her but think she just kept saying "one dollar" over and over again. He gave up on is and went to the next boat.

We drive back into the village to pull into a little shop. As we were pulling in, women, sat on the end of their little canoe things, paddled up with their 6-9 month old babies resting on their lap, asking for money. They clung onto our boats looking really desperate. We had to get off our boats and ignore it. They didn't look malnourished, I think they just want to take advantage of the situation and maybe get some money off the tourists.
There was a platform with a great view over the water village, so got some pictures of that just before the battery ran out! Spent about 1hr and 30mins at the water village before heading back to our "hotel". Just before we go on the mini bus though, some young lad came flying up to our group with plates that had their pictures on them!? Me and Therese missed this bit, but they'd all had their photo taken and then they made plates of them! Nobody bought one...

We had just short of two hours to have some rest in our rooms and get ready for a group meal. We went to Temple Bar to watch the free Apsara dancing - traditional Khmer dancing. It was ok, but thought it might have been a bit more special. It's very slow dancing.
We really just wanted some food we were used to tonight, just didn't fancy anything too exotic. To share, we had a Greek salad, French fries and Italian stone baked pizza. It was all crap. Salad had 4 little pieces if feta and went warm within minutes and just wasn't appealing. French fries were just like those thin ridge wedges that had been cooked in fat that wasn't hot enough. And the pizza just wasn't very good. Serves us right for having western food!

We left the group and went for a walk down Pub Street to find a bar. A little girl came up to us. She was about 7 and had a sling around her with baby about 3 month old. She was waving an empty babies bottle at us and asking for money. Obviously sent out by her mum to make some money. We just had to walk away.

One thing to say though is that we don't constantly have lots of desperate children coming up to us begging at all. It might be read like that though. Their parents are just sending their kids because they know people will feel more sorry for them than an adult.

We went and sat upstairs in the Red Piano at a table overlooking Pub Street. Ordered some cocktails in and had a Tomb Raider - apparently what Angelina Jolie drinks. Was really nice but can't remember the damn ingredients! We got ate to death by bugs though, so had to move table before eventually leaving.

Next up, we went to a bar called "Angkor What?". Lively bar and popular in recommendation listings for the area. We shared a cocktail jug of Angkor Sunrise! We couldn't fight it anymore though and had to leave half the cocktail and get back for some well needed sleep, it's been a very long day.
And what a day it's been, seen so much. The temples really are amazing to see and I would really recommend that people get out here now to see it all!