February 3rd, 2009
Today we had breakfast on the top floor of our hotel, The NY Hotel....in Phnom Penh....Cambodia....still seems bizarre to me. From this viewpoint you could really see that beyond the main street in Phnom Penh, the neighborhoods appear very rundown and almost slum like. The streets are filled with trash and the homes look old and dirty. It's a shame as the architecture has a distinct French flair to it, but the years of neglect are obvious. After breakfast we headed to the airport and boarded a plane for Siem Reap, the base for exploring Angkor. Let me just say that the Phnom Penh & Siem Reap airports are very nice. The Cambodians do know how to take care of their largest source of income...tourists! Our hotel in Siem Reap, The Apsara Angkor, is amazing. The rooms are finely decorated with huge beds and a full American bathroom. The grounds are immaculate and at the center is a tropical pool, waterfall and a huge stone mosaic running up the entire side of the hotel. Siem Reap itself looks a little like Vegas. There are many huge, fancy hotels that are lit up like crazy at night. Dan & Charlotte had decided to bus instead of fly so we waited for them to arrive while drinking at the pool. Sitting at this beautiful pool is in such sharp contrast to the poverty surrounding the hotel. It’s hard to get used to…but the beer helps.
Anyway after a rest, our guide, Mr. Sau, met up with us and brought us to a dinner theatre. Here we, along with 200 other tourist, stuffed our faces with buffet food(1st and 2nd dinner requirement met) and watched an Apsara Show. An Apsara is a Buddhist female spirit of the clouds and waters. They appear as young women of great beauty and elegance who are proficient in the art of dancing. I can confirm that the women dancing were very beautiful. The dancing reminds me a lot of what I would think is Thai and they all wear very colorful costumes. The dancing was excellent and the experience was a fantastic way to be welcomed to the land of Angkor.
On a side note, we have all been having a great time and everyone seems to be getting on well together. I think our primary topic of discussion has helped break the ice with those who just met. The topic...pooh. Yes, pooh. Everyone has had intestinal issues. We're not sure if it's the copious amounts of curry or the "purified" Phnom Penh water that's doing it but it is a common problem. We have spent a lot...and i mean.... a lot of time waiting for people in the bathroom. A couple of times we actually have had to pull to the side of the road for to allow for a burning flush of the colon that couldn't wait.
With that.....I'm out :)
