Monday 17th March
I was very glad that I didn't have to get up early again but didn't lie in too long as I knew Maria & Simon were on their way from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and were due to arrive at the hotel before noon. I was really looking forward to seeing them and sharing some fun times with them. They turned up in a taxi ahead of schedule at 11.00, both of them looking well and in good spirits after spending a week in Thailand.
We spent a few hours catching up, talking about the things we had done and places we had been, and it was fun to compare notes on our respective travels. Although I had seen all I wanted to see at Angkor, I suggested to the guys that we do a whistle-stop highlights tour of the temples, with me as their guide (my ticket was still valid for one more day). It meant they could see all that was worth seeing and avoid some of the places that weren't up to much (in my opinion at least), and we could also get to hang out together. Thankfully, we did this trip in a bit more style and comfort: out went the rickety old bike and in came a tuk-tuk (which we hired for the afternoon for ten dollars).
We visited some of the major sights and Maria & Simon felt it was the perfect amount of time for them to spend at Angkor. We finished up by talking a walk around Angkor Wat, and it was interesting to see the light of the late afternoon shine through the corridors of this building. Maria wasn't feeling that well for much of the day, so she took a rest while Simon and I took a walk around the central towers. When we returned, we found Maria looking rather sheepish, having just puked into a small water bottle (now with bits of pineapple and mango that we had eaten as a snack earlier in the day!). It seemed the poor girl was feeling a tad under the weather. Being the considerate type, Maria wasn't keen on getting sick all over a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so we made a dash for the exit but we only went as far as the nearest bin. Poor Maria, she was in a bad way, but she still had a laugh and almost found it as funny as Simon and I did!
We got back to the guesthouse shortly after 17.30. Maria didn't feel well enough to come out for dinner, so she stayed behind and got some rest while Simon and I met up with Pete and Rory for a couple of drinks. Of course, it was St Patricks Day and there was a crowd of people out celebrating in the bar where we met the lads, none of whom seemed to be Irish. The main contingent appeared to be made up of Australians and Canadians, and they did a good job at being innane and loud for the few hours that we stayed there. It was a quiet enough night for the rest of us and we were back at the hotel at 22.30.
