Day 14, Wednesday, 3/26/25, Fly to Cambodia

We get up at 4:00 AM to go to the airport. Our bus picks us up at five. The ride to the airport is quick in light traffic. We check our luggage and get a bite to eat and an iced Vietnamese coffee. We see what might be our plane out the window. Nope, our plane is a 15 minute bus ride across the airport’s tarmac while standing!

Our plane finally takes off 35 minutes late. Looking out the window, Saigon stretches as far as the eye can see. Today we are headed to Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia. More commonly known as Siem Reap. Goodbye Vietnam. The flight is only 30 minutes and uneventful. Welcome to Cambodia!

Only six of our original group members are still with us. Rich, Esther, Dusty, Jon and us. Our group picked up 2-4 people in the last two days, Paul and Lesley, Jose and Gloria. It turns out that Hannah is also going to Siem Reap but she is doing it on her own.

Our guide today is Pisa. The bus windows are adorned with decorated curtains. There are toll booth to get out of the airport. There are only 16 million people in Cambodia.

We drive through a cashew farm. The cows here are skinny. We arrive at Angkor Complex and get passes.

We stop at Charisma Artisans Store and enjoy the air conditioning inside that our bus doesn’t have.

We drive by the kings house. A bit more touring and we stop for lunch at Khmer Duerm Restaurant and have Amok, recommended by the guide. It is a kind of chicken curry served in a black coconut bowl. I have a small Angkor beer and our new friend, Rich, has a large one.

The air conditioner on the bus doesn’t work and it’s stifling. We check in to the hotel, La Niche d’Angkor Boutique, and take a nap. We go out to the bus at four PM and the air conditioner has been repaired! Now to tour Angkor Thom, built in 1181.

Angkor Thom is an ancient (1181) marvel. Every surface is carved! There are five gates in the outside wall. We walk and climb around the ruins entertaining our cameras. We enter through the monumental South Gate over a causeway lined on either side by statues of demons and gods, each carrying a giant naga (snake).

This is quite the place to see. Even if it’s a third world country. There are monkeys everywhere. We are warned not to get too close to them and do not attempt to feed them. They will steal anything they can grab. But they are soooo cute! The temperature is 35 C and the humidity is upwards of 80%. We continue to the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper Kings, former spaces for public ceremonies, both adorned with dramatic bas reliefs.

A group of guards pose for our cameras. This place is an enormous group of dozens of individual temples. We then visit the ruined Baphuon, Royal Enclosure, and Phimeanakas before continuing to the mysterious Bayon Temple. This temple, one of the most popular and compelling in Angkor, we explore the galleries of beautifully preserved bas reliefs and ascend narrow stairs to reach the central sanctuary, where we find giant stone faces smiling enigmatically down at us from every angle. Catching bits of sunset light in some doorways. Then it’s time to drive away. We see sunset outside one gate over a river.

We’re glad the AC on the bus has been repaired. Even at dusk, it is uncomfortably hot and humid. We head back to the hotel in the dark. I even get a few shots of the hotel pool at night.

Back at the hotel for only a few minutes and we head off to find dinner. We use the guide’s recommendation and try the Urban Tree Hut near to the hotel. Note the gecko lizards on the sign! The food is excellent! I have a beef salad with Red Ants! Yes, you heard that right! Ants! Delicious! Add some Pad Thai noodles and dinner is complete. A Passion Fruit Margarita and life is good!

Now off to bed and we’ll see you in the morning.