Saturday 8 July
Our last day in Cambodia, before travelling tomorrow to Bangkok, Thailand. We could go and see some more ancient Angkorian temples, or we could go into Siem Reap town, as we haven't ventured there yet ... or we could have a catch-up, admin (booking hostels/hotels and train tickets) and chill-out day. We take the last option. We've found there's only so much you can do and see- for us it's important to intersperse busy times with opportunities to relax as well.
We get up late, and after breakfast I go by tuk tuk to collect my laundry. Usually laundry is done by the hostel or hotel we're staying in, at so much a kilo, but this hotel has a notice up saying that their laundry facility is unavailable for a few days - perhaps someone's on holiday. The tuk tuk driver waits while I approach the laundry place, which is an open "shack" - a young woman is ironing in the open-fronted area, next to a row of 3 automatic front-loading washing machines/dryers. I say "That's hot work!" drawing my hand across my brow to show what I mean, and she nods and smiles broadly, that beautiful, friendly, genuine Cambodian smile we've grown to love.
My washing has been washed, dried and folded, but not ironed. There's little point in ironing clothes which are going into a suitcase, and I'm unashamedly not one of the world's "ironers" anyway. Why I bought a travel iron in Kazhakstan I'll never know; I used it once to try it out.
Reg is planning the rest of our trip, which will be Bangkok, in Thailand (5 days), Malaysia (Penang and then the Cameron Highlands) and of course, Singapore, from where we fly home on 27 July. We know there are many more places we could/should see in all the countries we're visiting, but it's a question of time.
After we've been sitting on sunbeds by the hotel swimming pool for a while, Reg says it's too hot for him even in the shade, and goes inside to listen to some music. I swim in the lovely clear water, then read my book - even though I have my kindle I was tempted by a book in a Cambodian bookstore - oh dear - how sensible is that!! I'm engrossed in what I'm reading, and at first don't notice that although it's still warm, a wind is dancing wildly through the trees at the edge of the pool and the sky is deep grey. I walk around to the hotel entrance as the first big plops of rain fall. Within a few minutes, it's raining in torrents, a heavy persistent deluge, which soaks you through to the skin within a minute. It's too hot to wear a rainjacket though; everyone manages with umbrellas.
Within half an hour the sun is out again and all the beautiful greenery which provides ample shade at this hostel is refreshed. A typical afternoon in what the locals call the "rainy" season.
I pack up my case and the 2 new aircraft-cabin size rucksacks we've bought, ready for us to leave by coach at 7 am tomorrow morning; we're due to arrive at the Cambodian border, at Poi Pet, at about 11.30 am. After crossing the border, we plan to take a tuk tuk the short distance to the train station at Aranyaprathet, Thailand, from where we will take the train to Bangkok.
That's the plan - but it doesn't quite work out that way.
Our last day in Cambodia, before travelling tomorrow to Bangkok, Thailand. We could go and see some more ancient Angkorian temples, or we could go into Siem Reap town, as we haven't ventured there yet ... or we could have a catch-up, admin (booking hostels/hotels and train tickets) and chill-out day. We take the last option. We've found there's only so much you can do and see- for us it's important to intersperse busy times with opportunities to relax as well.
We get up late, and after breakfast I go by tuk tuk to collect my laundry. Usually laundry is done by the hostel or hotel we're staying in, at so much a kilo, but this hotel has a notice up saying that their laundry facility is unavailable for a few days - perhaps someone's on holiday. The tuk tuk driver waits while I approach the laundry place, which is an open "shack" - a young woman is ironing in the open-fronted area, next to a row of 3 automatic front-loading washing machines/dryers. I say "That's hot work!" drawing my hand across my brow to show what I mean, and she nods and smiles broadly, that beautiful, friendly, genuine Cambodian smile we've grown to love.
My washing has been washed, dried and folded, but not ironed. There's little point in ironing clothes which are going into a suitcase, and I'm unashamedly not one of the world's "ironers" anyway. Why I bought a travel iron in Kazhakstan I'll never know; I used it once to try it out.
Reg is planning the rest of our trip, which will be Bangkok, in Thailand (5 days), Malaysia (Penang and then the Cameron Highlands) and of course, Singapore, from where we fly home on 27 July. We know there are many more places we could/should see in all the countries we're visiting, but it's a question of time.
After we've been sitting on sunbeds by the hotel swimming pool for a while, Reg says it's too hot for him even in the shade, and goes inside to listen to some music. I swim in the lovely clear water, then read my book - even though I have my kindle I was tempted by a book in a Cambodian bookstore - oh dear - how sensible is that!! I'm engrossed in what I'm reading, and at first don't notice that although it's still warm, a wind is dancing wildly through the trees at the edge of the pool and the sky is deep grey. I walk around to the hotel entrance as the first big plops of rain fall. Within a few minutes, it's raining in torrents, a heavy persistent deluge, which soaks you through to the skin within a minute. It's too hot to wear a rainjacket though; everyone manages with umbrellas.
Within half an hour the sun is out again and all the beautiful greenery which provides ample shade at this hostel is refreshed. A typical afternoon in what the locals call the "rainy" season.
I pack up my case and the 2 new aircraft-cabin size rucksacks we've bought, ready for us to leave by coach at 7 am tomorrow morning; we're due to arrive at the Cambodian border, at Poi Pet, at about 11.30 am. After crossing the border, we plan to take a tuk tuk the short distance to the train station at Aranyaprathet, Thailand, from where we will take the train to Bangkok.
That's the plan - but it doesn't quite work out that way.
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