Don't Fear The (Siem) Reap - er.

So,

Another day another blog. How are you all? Giddy at the thought of a new blog? Or pissed off with the Olympics already?

Health and safety would have a field day with the steepness
of these stairs. That is if health and safety existed in
Cambodia.

I am back in Phnom Penh after a little excursion up to Siem Reap. I caught a sleeper bus for the 6 hour ride with a freind who I met whilst in Phnom Penh. We arrived into the Mad Monkey Hostel in Siem Reap. It was okay, not much to write home (or on a blog about) really. The second day that we were there we headed for the Temples. This was the main reason for the trip 'up north'. It was amazing. It was just like you see in the movies (especially tomb raider as it was filmed there!). We went to Ankor Wat which is the biggest temple. Apparently it is the largest religious building in the world. Weather that is just tourist talk or not I don't really know/care. All I know is that it was ruddy impressive. After 'doing' Ankor Wat we went to Ankor Thom. I thought that it was really nice of them to name a temple in my honour (even though it was spelt with a 'H' but this was the 12th century, so I will let them off). For me this was the better temple, bigger isn't always better. The reason that it was better is that the 'statues' (I know that is not the proper name but I am a little hungover so forgive me) were a lot more impressive. You can see from the pictures that I have uploaded that it just seems a little more 'temple' like.

Make all the jokes you want about me
looking in the mirror - this place rocked.

So that was cool. We headed home on what was probably the best coach that I have ever travelled on. The leg room was large enough to accomidate a character from the book jack and the beanstalk (and I ain't talking about Jack!). There was free wi-fi, A/C (or for my dad - air conditioning - he hates me shortening words) and a 22" flat screen TV with a hard drive showing movies for the whole 6 hours journey. Perfect I hear you cry! What could possibily go wrong, well it would appear that the person who was chosing the films for the trip was a 6 year old girl from the USA. I never saw this elusive child but I know that she was there as we had to endure 6 hours of Hannah Montanna, The Princess Diarys and other such classics. I have never been more thankful for my iPod and Frank Turner.

Since being back in Phnom Penh I have been doing what this city does best, making friends and drinking. I became friends with a American guy who was on 'vacation' over here. Properly nice chap and it was his last night last night and it wasn't untill halfway through the night that I discovered that he was a serving member of the US Air Force and was only on shore leave. It was such a shock because he just didn't fit the 'type'. Still, just goes to show that appearances can quite often be decieving.

Arty shot for the ladies.

I have discovered that there is a pool quite close to the hostel where we are staying and it only costs $5 to go there and you get a free cocktail. This pool is in a really swanky hotel and is the perfect way to chill out during the day. I am heading off to sit in the sun and drink cosmopolitans for the rest of the day.

I am coming into my last 2 weeks of travelling now and I head down to the south coast tomorrow. Another 6 our bus ride awaits me. Apparantly it is really quite cheap down there at the moment. Will be cool to just go and chill out even more on the beaches. One of the girls that I have been chatting to in the hostel is also coming down to meet up with me in my second week there so it would be good to have a bit of company.

Until our paths cross again.

T
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