After Phnom Penh, we caught a bus to Siem Reap, which cost $8 and took six hours. I read the new Harry Potter the whole way. It is BRILLIANT, by the way. One of the best books I have ever read and, before you judge me, I cite Orwell as one of my favourites.
I have to say that my interest lies much more in modern history, so the wonder of all the temples and Angkor Wat is a bit lost on me, though we did make an effort to understand the history of each temple we visited.
The presence of international aid projects becomes even more apparent outside of Phnom Penh. There are billboards everywhere touting one cause or another and each temple's restoration has been sponsored by Japan, Germany, India or France.
The most happening street in SIem Reap, Bar Street, where it is always happy hour. Actually, it is quite a nice street, full of bookshops, funky shops and restaurants. There is a visible French influence here and a sweet little night market too.
This was a charming restaurant called Dead FIsh, which also housed three sluggish crocodiles. As my computer is being unresponsive, I am going to post this as soon as possible to avoid losing my work, which means you won't be able to see the photo I took of the pregnant crocodile.
I have booked my flights to Burma in September, so I am in the process of learning all I can about the current situation there. Our resource centre at work is very comprehensive and we have quite a lot of info on Burma. Look out for my next post on it.
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