Wednesday 11 January 2017

Tuesday 26th July 2016 (Cambodia Day 1)

We had a great first day in Cambodia - had a lovely lazy morning, appreciating our accommodation!
My room...

My bath nook with a private mini courtyard!

Tom and Harry's bedroom.

Our bathroom (with another mini courtyard outside).

We had our first rain in the morning, but it didn't really matter - still hot!
Lucy outside Harry, Tom and my rooms, on the padded seat. Scott had gone for a nap on his!

Our front garden! Scott, Lucy and Jack's suite was diagonally opposite and had exactly the same layout.

This is the view from one corner of our garden! It was still raining, but everyone went in the nearest pool.

Another of the pools, in front of the restaurant hut. The vegetation all around was just gorgeous.

We then headed to the hotel reception and waited for two tuk-tuks to take us into Siem Reap. Each of our suites came with its own tuk-tuk and driver for 12 hours a day.
The first part of the journey was along this unmade red dirt road, with houses with little shop stalls in the front gardens, dotted along the way.

In Siem Reap.

We got the tuk-tuks to drop us off in the old market, where we went for a wander, arranging to meet our drivers later.

My main priority was to get some underpants for Harry! I eventually found some small men's knock-off Calvin Klein pants which I thought might just fit him, but was told they were $15 each! (Everything is priced in US dollars and Cambodian riels.) I think I eventually paid about $15 for three pairs, which is way more than I'd usually pay for pants in Tesco, but I felt mean haggling things down too low, when that much money is worth a lot to them.
Lucy and I also bought some fabulous baggy, elasticated bottomed shorts, the boys bought a couple of T-shirts, and Harry got a bright red and yellow football strip.
I didn't really enjoy the market much, because there are no prices. You have to haggle over everything, because the first prices given are ridiculous, so you have to quickly decide what you're willing to pay for something and then haggle. I just don't enjoy it!

One of the main streets in Siem Reap. Motorbikes and tuk-tuks everywhere!

We got a good lunch at a nearby restaurant - we went through to the back of the place, which opened up to the street behind.

Tom's fish.

Child care, Cambodian style!

I didn't recognise half the fruit and veg!

We left Scott in the old market getting a massage, and one of our tuk-tuk drivers went back for him later. Scott bought food from a supermarket for tea on the way home.

Typical roadside stalls, once you leave the main streets.

Me sporting some of my awesome new shorts!

We spent the afternoon by the pool. The weather was gorgeous again by then. It was lovely wanting to go in the pool to cool down every so often!



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