Siem Reap - Cambodia

What to say, what to say?....I love Cambodia. I never thought I would say those words since I had absolutely no desire to ever visit Cambodia, but I loved it and I now miss it. We flew into Cambodia on Sunday night and stayed only two days but those two days were unforgettable. I'm not sure if it was the Buddhist temples, good food, shopping, countryside, grouchy children...somehow it all combined into a great experience for me.

Here is the key...hire an awesome tour guide. The only way to describe our tour guide is a total blessing. Ta was our tour guide while in Siem Reap and we could not have been better taken care of. From the moment he picked us up at the airport he was at our service and he truly made our experience perfect. He was so aware of our needs that multiple times he was calming Drey down from a tantrum and holding my bag for me while teaching us all the interesting facts of Siem Reap. But the real icing on the cake was his love for our camera. We brought our big daddy camera (not my little elf) on this trip and just handed it over to him and let him have free reign to take pictures. Enjoy!

Monday - Angkor Thom, Tha Prom, and Angkor Wat Temples

It was Chinese New Year so the crowds were out...

first things first, getting our temple passes. They have check points at each temple where you have to show them a
picture pass card to get in.

 First Temple - Angkor Thom

Hello Elders! No better place to proselyte than a buddhist temple....

Tha Prom Temple - aka temple where "Lara Crofts Tomb Raider" was filmed.

The entrance and exits of the temples are surrounded by sellers....yes we did buy the flutes from these sweet kids. How could you not for $1.00 ?

The most fascinating thing about this temple is the jungle surroundings. The trees are literally growing into the structures .

tree roots

I love the long hallways.

this boy was a grump!

here is our guide to the rescue playing a game of hide and seek with Drey to search for our van.

Ta pulling double duty...guide, babysitter, he does it all!

After lunch and a rest - Angkor Wat Temple

There is a dress code to enter the Angkor Wat temple, no sleeveless tops and your bottoms must go to the knee. Children under 12 years old are not allowed to climb the steep steps into the highest point of the temple. Only 100 people are allowed in this portion of the temple at one time...the highest point on the highest building in Siem Reap.

Waiting down below in the courtyard with Drey and Enzo.

The most popular Buddha to worship at Angkor Wat. They have people standing around offering incense if you would like to pray.

working on some deals with the locals outside the temple....please don't strike me down!

Troy paying up on my successful bargaining :)

finally a happy boy..

Tuesday - Banteay Srei Temple - We started at 6:45 am to see this temple before the crowds arrived. This temple is made of red sandstone and is known for it's intricate carvings. There is no other temple made of this material in Siem Reap. It's beautiful!

"Sometimes it's more fun to ride a donkey than a horse" My favorite quote said by Ta to Drey in regards to riding on his back or Troy's back :)  Working his magic.....

....to get shots like this!

After the temple we went to a candy factory, Cambodia style.

Candy forms made of bamboo. They take the juice of palm fruit and cook it in a steel pot over fire until it forms into a liquid sugar.

While the sugar is hot they pour it into these form and wait for them to dry.

The finished product. They taste like a pure brown sugar biscuit.

Then it was Troy and Herb's time....I have no words.

Then Ta arranged for a water buffalo ride through the countryside of Siem Reap. Totally unexpected but one of my favorite things I have done.

To finish our day off we had a nice Cambodian meal and some shopping at the local night market.

Ta and our driver...can't say enough about them. Just good people.

2 for $5.00 - 30 minute foot and leg massage inside the market. We made it a family affair :)

Leaving Siem Reap airport early Wednesday morning. It reminds me of a Stake Center Building :)