Siem Reap - Friday 24/12
Ed: I thought it would take a day or two to catch up on blogs following our trip north, as we tend to go to sleep quite early due to the early morning rises ... however tonight is Christmas Eve and the hotel is running a party until 11 pm ... and right now we are listening to an excrutiatingly bad karaoke like singalong out on the pool deck ... while the girls are not amused as they want to sleep ... the singing from the "band" is so bad it's funny ... absolutely impossible to sleep, so may as well get the blog right up to date !
A quad bike tour is a fabulous way to get out and see part of Siem Reap that are impossible to access with a bus. To make the tour safe, you are led along back streets and small lanes out into the country side and along country tracks that are only negotiable with a bike of some sort.
We toured in single file along the tracks, passing through many small villages and even more rice paddies and crop fields of various sorts. One of the stand out features of Cambodia is the genuine friendliness of the people - we were warned we might get a sort thumb from operating the throttle of a quad bike, the RSI was more likely in the wrist as every small child along the way wanted to wave to you ... it was just fabulous.
Our tour was four hours long and we moved along at a fair clip, so must have covered something over 75 kilometers during the morning. We stopped at various places along the way for breaks, including a long break in the middle at a special orphanage that the quad bike company has associated itself with.
Stops at the orphanage are a permament feature of the quad bike tours and some of the elder children show you around the explain about the school. This helps them practice their English and also engages visitors into understanding the benefit of education to the children. Many visitors from quad bike tours have subsequently donated money to help the school build new buildings and facilities - one new classroom at the school for a class of about 25 children costs about $1,500 ...
Following the orphanage visit, we continued on around many more narrow tracks, more villages and more rice fields - you can get more idea of the scenery from the photos.
While this was certainly the most expensive activity of this trip by Cambodian standards, we all agreed it was certainly a highlight, both from just having fun riding a quad bike, but also what you saw along the way out in the small villages.
After several showers to attempt to remove the orange dust from our bodies, we headed into town for our final dinner in Siem Reap and a wander around the markets.
The girls final piece of fun for the night was to try a "fish massage" - this is a "thing" that has found it's way down to Siem Reap from Thailand. There is a certain species of small fish (who knows what it actually is) that likes to nibble on dead skin - so the hawkers in the markets set up "fish massage" tanks into which you dangle you feet and the fish give you a lovely pedicure ... of sorts ...
Chris and Julie opted for the more traditional foot massage by hand ... also for the princely sum of $2 for a 30 min foot massage ... pretty ecomonic compared to Australian prices.
And to top the evening off, a few of us indulged in a yummy banana or chocolate crepe from a street side vendor in a traditional food cart - roll out the batter by hand, on to the hot plate with butter, add the flavouring with a touch of condensed milk, expertly rolled into a piece of paper and hey presto, instant tasty dessert for the standard Cambodian charge for many things on the street ... $1.
So as soon as this lousy karaoke finishes ... the attempt at Lady Gaga was especially hilarious ... it's zzzzzz and we are off to the bus station in the morning to travel to Phom Penh.
More blogging in a couple of days ...
Hi all, love all of the blogs and I'm longing for one of those $2 feet massages, I'm quite ticklish on my feet so the fish massage might have been a bit to much for me. Hope you all have a lovely Christmas over there. Seems strange waking up today with no children around. Mum & dad just left after having a roast here for lunch. We were all at my sisters yesterday for lunch bbq. Chris we really appreciate all the informative info about the trip, we feel like we are travelling with you. The photos are awesome and cant wait to see them all when you get back. Hope everyone's behaving themselves if not send them home. Looking forward to the next blog.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment and Merry Christmas to all our "tour" families back in Oz.
We are now in Phnom Penh after a 6 hour bus trip from Siem Reap - wasn't too bad.
Just settling in at the Billabong Hotel before heading our shortly for our tour Christmas dinner.
Glad you are enjoying the blogs ... next one to come in a day or two ...
Cheers, Chris.