We put our case’s out before going to breakfast which started at 6:00, once we had consumed sufficient quantities to help see us through the trip and then said our goodbyes to the serving staff it was up to the lounge to wait for our departure.
We left Kampong Cham at 7:40 and drove until 9:20 where we took our first of two toilet stops. 15 minutes was just sufficient to stretch legs and in Nicole’s case grab a coffee.
The coach itself was very comfortable, only 3 seat’s wide (2+1) not the more traditional set up. There was lots of extra elbow and leg room which certainly made the journey more bearable.
Our second stop was at 10:30 and was made because it was the last place where the conditions were favourable before we got to Siem Reap.
In the end I actually really enjoyed the journey, seeing all the Cambodian countryside, different types of house’s and the locals all out doing their own thing made it quite an interesting trip.
We arrived at Siem Reap at 12:45 and our first stop was to pick up our 3 day tickets to enter Angkor Wat park. You have to be there in person to get your ticket as they take your photo which is then printed on the ticket itself. There were no queues and the whole process was over within 10 minutes so it was then on to the hotel to check in and get some lunch.
The hotel is really lovely, but as has been the norm the last week or so, you get so little time at some stages to appreciate things, that is a bit criticism of this itinerary. A hour and half for lunch and to check in all became a little bit hectic.
The first stop on our afternoon tour was to one of the eight ODA centres in the area where we meet some of the children living there. ODA stands for Opportunities of Development thru Art and was set up to educate and provide homes for orphaned or disadvantaged children. After a brief talk by the founder (Leng Touch) the children gave a short Apsara dance performance, we were then shown around the centre by a young 14 year old boy. One of the aims of the centre is to teach the children English in order to give the kids a kickstart to better job opportunities. Our little man spoke very good English and was able to explain what his daily life was like.
The centre also encourages them to do art and we bought one of his pictures with the proceeds going to help fund the project. A percentage of the sale goes into a special pot to help send them to university when they are older. Before I finish on this subject, just to mention Leng Touch came from a similar background having at the age of 9 witnessed his own father being killed by the Khmer Rouge.
It was then on to our first temple, and today we started with the Ta Prohm made famous by the Tomb raider film. It is quite an incredible experience and a lot more intimate than I was expecting. Our guide was well versed in letting us know the best photo opportunities so I will just let some of my pictures tell you the story.
From there it was back to the hotel for a shower and change of clothes before we took a Tuktuk ride to Pub Street to get our evening meal. A very busy and popular area with loads of bars, restaurants and only a $2 ride from the hotel.
A great day and more to come tomorrow.