The Golden Banana Resort Siem Reap

... people cope pre-iPods?!

I was lucky enough to get two seats to myself and the bus company took care of everything, providing a little breakfast from the bakery, info about various things along the way and onboard facilities of a television (2 films and karaoke Asian pop videos) and a toilet (which I managed to trap myself in, having to shout and bang on ...

... and seeing the flash of a camera, sent a flock of Asian tourists hurtling towards us while grabbing for their cameras. They were all pushing in front of each other trying to get a glimpse and a shot of whatever it was somebody had just taken a picture of. I don’t know if any of them even figured that it was just two westerners in stupid trousers as Kate and I quickly walked off. I’m telling you, Chinese and Japanese tourists would ...

... impact on me. Regardless it will be a major undertaking to tell you all that I saw, felt and heard on this trip.

First some quick background: Angkor is derived from Sanskrit meaning "city". Angkor is a region in Cambodia that served as the seat of the Khmer empire and it held power from about the ninth century until the 13th century. The Khmer hindu monarch that was most well known was Jayavarman II and he declared himself the god-king or ...

... made, heading through the village which is currently hosting them, dodging puddles and oncoming traffic, which of course here can arrive on either side of the road at any time.

My best contribution was finding a football and trying to teach the kids to launch it through a spare type at the bottom of the garden. My colleagues were of course far more creative with puzzles, masks and cards. Their patience never ending ...

... killing. Especially horrific to realise it all happened during our lifetime. Our guide at the museum had lost her father and siblings during the oppression. She was one of the lucky few who managed to escape with her mother to Vietnam. We didn't make it to the killing fields - the museum was enough for one day we couldn't face more misery. Seeing the legacy of the Pol Pot era explained a great deal about why the country was still struggling to recover.

... Not sure if he was christened as such but it stuck better than some of the other Khmer names we encountered.




Sunrise took a chauffeur, tour guide, comedian role in our adventures in Siem Riep. He found us a guest house, even taking the keys and showing us the room. At one point he served us the food we ordered from the bar, possibly even taking on the chef's responsibilities. He ...

... opportunity to travel even as far as Cambodia’s capitol city, which made us feel all the more grateful for the travel opportunities we have been given.

After returning to the hotel, we immediately inhaled any water in sight. Parched! We decided we were in need of some pampering after roughly 8 hours of Cambodian jungle and history, oh, and we are all about supporting the local economy. I (Jenn) opted for a 2 ½ hour ...

... stands the other side. Turns out it is a gas station, if you can call it that - two small tanks upright with a pipe out being connected to another pipe in the boot that links to a tank in the boot. A 10 year old boy does the transfer with fumes coming off. IG says he approves these tanks, they're self containg and fuel rarely leaks but he still checks the pipe after the transfer is done.

During the 2 hour ride we get to know IG, finally revealed as Irish Guy with an ...

... to them (unlike Bagan), so we were not pursued or harassed very much. I am sure that the large volume of tourism helps the situation. I would advise that you always eat in town. We did not have good luck with eating near the temples. Another great tip is to ask your tuk tuk driver for a cooler. Som had one filled with ice for us, so we were able to stay cool all day long.

Som recommended Koulen II for dinner. It is a buffet with a tradional Khmer show ...

... most audacious architectural achievements, in your backyard means one thing - tourists! Siem Reap is Cambodia's Agra. The only reason to come here is to see the star attraction. Luckily for me the town has grown to include several good restaurants and bars, so I think I'll be able to put up with each of the 983 questions I receive each day: "Hello Mistah...tuk-tuk? Where you go?"

Tomorrow the star is on center stage and I'm hoping for sunny weather even if I will stink to high heaven!