This is my 3rd trip to the temples, Gene's 1st. It has always been hard to put in words what the temples are like. Maybe I can get gene to guest write his observations. I know he was blown away by the site.
I guess I will focus on what was a little different this time back. The park that contains the temples lets you buy your next day ticket and enjoy a sunset tour. I took Gene directly to Ankgor Wat, the main portion, to view a sundowner. The cloud filled sky made it difficult for the sun to break through, yet it was hot.
As closing time was called the guard pulled us over and said we need to see this, which is the start of all scams in Asia. We followed, no mention of money, just someone to bring us around the site where scientists have blocked off some of the main portions of this huge temple. There was no harm to the temple, we didn't steal, borrow, or break anything, just walked around. I have been here in the past, but Gene would of missed this if we didn't have our special guide. Ok, all was not legit. At one point we climbed to the top and then onto the roof of one of the highest points. Something that happened because of all the scaffolding covering the top. Cool! We paid our guard and guide for the exclusive tour.
The Tone Sap Lake is a large lake in Cambodia. It is a very shallow and small lake at this time of the year. Yet, we still managed to take a longtail boat out to where the poorest people live in Seam(sp) Reap. At one point Gene and I bought overly priced school supplies and brought them to a floating school with attached play ground. What is it like here? A slum is the best way to describe it. It is a floating slum with pigs, ducks, chickens caged on floats. Kids throwing trash off the side of the boat, while a parent is using the side of the boat as a bathroom. Our tour was basically boat ride through TJ, Harlem, or Detroit.
Once again I stayed at Molly Malone's near Pub Street. Thierry and his workers are great. Highly recommended. The is a great story about Gene and I being accused of being spys by a "drunk" vistor. I should leave that to Gene and hopefully he will write it here.
Bye for now
