We took a private car from Sra Em to Siem Reap which took about 4 hours arriving at the Eureka Villas owned by a pleasant man from Australia known as Trevor. We were very grateful that this place had all the comforts of home because Denise developed a moderate respiratory infection. She had access to all of the chicken soup needed along with a pool and rooms stocked with plenty of tissues, tea, and TLC. She visited the medical clinic which was surprisingly clean and professional. She was in bed for 8 solid days.
When she finally recovered, we made up for lost time by taking a tour of Ankor National Museum and the Apopo visitor center, a place that showcased the hero rats from Africa that were trained to clear land mines from the Cambodian countryside. We were actually introduced to the rats from Gambia that struck us as quite beautiful.
A tour of the Tonle Sap lake by boat followed that evening. The people on the lake looked desperately poor, which made us feel guilty at times for having a gorgeous meal while floating past their dilapidated shacks on the water. Also on the tour was a crocodile and fish farm. It was explained to us that there used to be many wild crocodiles, but now that the lake has been overfished, they have no food source. They can only live on these farms destined to be made into belts and purses. The fish are not wild either, only farmed. Sad.
Our last hoorah was a tuk-tuk tour of the major temples around Siem Reap. Although we had done the same tours only 4 years ago, there were no regrets for a second visit. We became so exhausted in the heat that we practically collapsed by the time we got to Angkor Wat! It was difficult to imagine bicycling to these temples on our last visit.
We finally made it to Angkor Wat but exhaustion set in and we did not get very far.
A more remote temple with a picture window!
Ta Prohm
Ta Prom famous for its fig trees that grow into the temples.
Ta Prohm
Ta Prohm. These temples are a bit more remote the further away from the main tourist route and further from Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.
Angkor Thom.
Angkor Thom.
Baby it is definitely hot outside at Angkor Thom.
Epic stories told in carvings on temple walls at Angkor Thom.
Angkor Thom entrance.
Angkor Thom.
Sunset on the Tonle Sap.
Steering wheel from Kia car!
A typical floating house.
We shared the sunset with many ants that somehow got onto the boat!
The poor captive crocodiles.
The jungle along the lake.
On top of the boat with other westerners. The first we have seen in awile.
Our tour of the Tonle Sap.
Here is one of the handsome hero rats in person!
This is the rat which is guided along a wire to sniff out TNT from UXO (unexploded ordinance).
