Day 8

Wake up to our last morning in Cambodia. Not much planned as we have to check out at 12 noon. Breakfast and it's pancakes all round. For some reason mine turns up after everyone else are nearly finished. The chef comes out and apologises. A power shortage thing.
From there we go and look for some presents for the kids to take back to their friends. And souvenirs It's very hot. And time flies. And the kids spend almost all of my US dollars. So we head back and finish packing.

Drop the bags off at the front desk and then hit the pool for the afternoon. Nice and easy.
Check my Facebook and notice an ex-parent of two of my pupils is working in Siem Reap at the moment.Dianne not only as tow lovely kids that I taught but also as said many kind words about Little Murders after she as been to see us play at the Lyrebird Lounge. So we organise for her to come and catch up at the hotel over some Long Island Teas. The kids are in the pool and Dianne tells us some great stories on her travels through Asia helping out orphan Orangutans in Malaysia and dealing with the no drinking laws in Kuala Lumpur. We chat for almost 3 hours and it's time to go to the airport.
After saying goodbye to Dianne we bid farewell to the lovely staff at the hotel especially Orwinn whose been looking after us since Day 1.
On the way to the airport we realise that Siem Reap is bigger than we thought and we've really just hung around the old part of town. Then again it's mostly just shops and shops selling the same thing. We've seen enough of those shops.
Airport is smooth sailing. Our plane has propellors! And there is lightning on the horizon. Consequently Remi gets to feeling sick.Poor kid. It was a bit of ride though. The plane bucked up and down as we hit the bad weather. They gave us a little lunch pack. I enjoyed it but the meat inside scared the kids.

Touchdown Dunang and then a 45 minute drive to Hoi An. Streets of Dunang remind me of France. Wide and open. Lots of roundabouts so scooters and cars can fight it out for position. Weather is hot and the hotel rooms we walk into is beautiful. Very luxurious. Remi as some ginger tea and feels much better. It's now 11:15pm and we all fade into sleep.

Day 7

Off to Angkor Wat again this morning to catch the sunrise. Alarm goes off at 4:15 am and we have baguettes and croissants waiting for us at the front desk as well as tow Tuc Tucs. They are not the same as Bangkok. These are basically motorbikes with a carriage.
Off we go into the darkness. As we move along the roads other Tucs Tucs join the procession. It's a warm morning but with the trace of clouds overhead so we won't get the full affect I guess.
Get to Angkor Wat and there is already a huge number of people there. This is the low season so I can't imagine how many would be there during the High Season. We set up by the lake in front ready to watch the sunrise. Poor Remi starts feeling sick though so everything looks in jeopardy. Poor boy is suffering. Clouds roll over. We see the sunrise but we don't get the brilliant reds. Will have to catch them on youtube.

Have to use the toilets run by the monks there. Not an experience I will forget in a hurry and not one to write down here. After a bit of discussion about whether we go back to the hotel we decide to push on and see if we cover at least a few of the temples. I jump in the Tuc Tuc with Remi and the wind in his face seems to make him feel better.
First we go to Angkor Thom. Which is another city of temples. We begin with Bayon which as 54 large stone faces. It's like one great movie set. Breathtaking. And very hard to put into words. All the faces are resemblances of the King at the time who ordered Bayon to be built. There's not many people here which is great. We almost have the whole place to ourselves.  From there we wander over to Bayon which is a very high temple with very steep

From there we move to Baphuon. This is the one with lots of steep stairs. Unfortunately it doesn't open until 8:30am. So we go to look for the reclining Buddha at the back. We don't find it. Then we look for the Elephant Terrace but we can't find that either. By this time Bayon is open so we make our way back. Children under 12 not allowed in so Remi gets a bit upset because he wanted to climb the stairs. Luckily Melody is already fed up with the temples and is back with the Tuc Tucs.

Bayon is indeed a steep climb. I know my legs are going to feel it tomorrow.But it's an amazing feeling going up these temples. Places where over a million people lived and worshiped. We hang onto the railings as we climb. Earlier we had seen dogs zoom up the same steps. Lots of photos and then back to the Tuc Tuc. We turn around because someone is talking about the reclining Buddha. We ask where is it? He shows us. It's the whole back of Bayon. The stones form the Buddha. It's pretty amazing.
And on the way back as walk down stairs near to where our drivers are waiting we find we had been standing on the Terrace of Elephants. Big smiles all around because the elephants look spectacular in an old ruins sense.
Then it's off to Angkor Thom where Angelina Jolie filmed the sequence in Tomb Raider featuring the tree temple. Again spectacular to see nature completely dominating the ancient architecture. The roots of the trees look magnificent, It looks like the trees have fallen from the skies and landed on these buildings.
But now we're weary. Remi recovered but tiredness is getting to all of us.

we get back to the hotel before noon so breakfast is still on. Food, a dip in the pool and a nap seems in order. Then it's my turn to feel terrible. Luckily it's just for the afternoon and by evening I feel a lot better but we're all still exhausted from the early morning temple jaunt so we have our dinner at the hotel and go to bed early. Remi kips with me tonight so we watch The Beast from 20000 fathoms but fall asleep before it ends.

Day 6

Woke up. Had breakfast. Sun pouring down as we eat casual in the Cambodian sunshine. Weather looks like it's going to be divine today. Check my e-mails and realise it's Thursday already. Unbelievable. No big plans for today. So we start off with a swim in the pool.
Take a break to go and get some supplies from the local supermarket. Mostly cheese and crackers. Takes us a while to figure out which crackers are not sweetened but eventually Ruby figures it out by the pictures on the boxes. Get our first chocolate on holiday. A snickers bar. Notice the wine we get from our local supermarket is 3 times the price here. Stick with Angkor beer then.
Back at the hotel we lounge around the pool and eat lunch and read books. Basically relax. We're off to see the sunset at Angkor Wat this afternoon but the rain clouds are gathering. And then it pours down. We still go because you can buy a ticket at 5pm, see the sunset then come back the next day on the one day ticket. we head out of town on a couple of Tuc Tucs. The rain still belting down.

We seem to be first at the ticketing office but soon loads of buses turn up unloading Germans, Russians , Spanish and Japanese. A lot of Japanese people here. Somebody tells me it's because of the great golf courses here. I'm sure Liz wouldn't mind a quick round herself.
We get our pass. One day. Photo on pass. Officials continually check your ticket here. Rain keeps coming down and not a good night for sunset so we just walk around Angkor Wat getting wet. The temple is impressive and very dramatic . Even the rain can't dampen our excitement. But it closes at 5:30pm so we only get to spend a hour there. But we'll be back tomorrow. For sunrise.
Back to town and a quick change out of our soaking wet clothes before heading out to the dinner. I've found a real American style Pizza place run by some guy from Chicago. Belismos on street 7. This morning Siem Deap was empty but now the streets are packed with backpackers.

The pizzas are huge and delicious. It's quite crowded so they sit us next to an American guy and his two sons. Travelling around South East Asia for two months. Interesting chatting to him and his boys and when he leaves his place is taken by Sheena from Minnesota. I find the best way to talk to Americans is relate their state to a famous film or TV show. Sheena comes from the home of Fargo. Liz tries her first red wine in a while, we finish up and head for the hotel. Tomorrow we'll be up at 4:00am to go to Angkor Wat for the sunrise. Try to get to bed early but of all the nights this is the one I can't sleep. Hope the kids do!

Day 5

Wake up incredibly early again. Can't seem to get those 3 hours that separate Vietnam and Australia together. Oh well gives me time to write this blog.

Breakfast time. With such a large smorgasbord to choose from I went for the corn flakes. Then I tried rice pastry, sugar toast and bits and pieces of other stuff. During the meal Mr. Tan from Tonkin Travel turned up with US dollars for us. We had overpaid on the trip!. Comes in handy for Cambodia.
Pack up then Remi and I go up to the 20th floor to check out HCMC one last time and play some Fusball. Same driver who brought us to the hotel picks us up and we're off to the airport.
No queue at the desk. Short wait for the plane and we're on our way to Cambodia. Touch down 45 minutes later and walk from the plane to the terminal at Siem Reap. It's a brand new building and it looks amazing. We seem to be the only ones with visas so we each go to our own desk to get checked. Hand prints and thumb prints and a photo taken. Never seen that before. And then we're out.
Stepping out into Cambodia seems a lot more relaxed and open than Vietnam. Our driver gives us a bit of history on the way into town. By the sound of it Cambodia feels the same way about the Vietnamese as they do about Americans. The French get a bit of a kicking too. I'm going to have to read up more on this areas history.

The rain starts to pour down heavily as we get to our hotel, The Ramadun Resort deluxe. It used to be the Big Banana Hotel but I think it wants to be more sophisticated. The staff are great and the rooms are Cambodian modern. The kids are on the other side of the pool but we can see their room from our balcony. We find the outside baths impressive but I'm not sure who'll be the first to take one. It's all very tropical and as the rain recedes we order some lunch. Liz and I have the rice and noodles but Ruby goes out on a limb and tries the cold tomato soup. Verdict: nothing like the canned soup at home. Luckily we ordered fries and her soup came with lots of bread.
After lunch we go for a quick explore of the town. Quite small and full of tourists. Exotic smells come from every which way sometimes interrupted by the smell of rotting fruit. Cross the bridge into town and cross streets without fear of being killed. Walk through the markets. We're going to need some US dollars so try to work out how we can get some. There is a Western Union there so use my card to withdraw money. Dead easy. $5 US charge but I've got a bunch of fresh greenbacks in my wallet. Buy Mel a couple of pants to celebrate. Ruby sees all these spiders and insects for sale and wants to take them home. She;s particularly enamored by a stuffed baby crocodile. I'm not sure customs would let that through.
Remi is eager to try out the pool so we head back. The sun is out and it's very hot so he's in there in a flash. Ruby gets in too and they end up staying in until it gets dark.  Meanwhile Liz and I sit beside the pool and drink Mojhitas chilling out until it's time to head out to get some dinner.
The bridge across the river is lit up as is the river itself. We're going to the Night Market but all of Siem Reap seems to have turned into a night market. Pass the the Tuc Tuc drivers who hassle us to take a ride but in a kind of pleasant way and into the market which is quite small. We buy a couple of things and then head to Beer Street or something like that, Basically it's all the pubs and beer places and restaurants in one street. We settle for Cambodian Soup which I think is the name. I was looking at the menu and 2 Americans sitting close starting highly praising the food. Plus it was Happy Hour and beer was 50 cents a glass. The food was marvelous. Cashew chicken, Jasmine rice, fried rice and spring rolls was enough for all of us. It's all relaxed and laid back and the meal cost next to nothing.
Back in the street we take in the atmosphere as a band of Cambodian mine survivors play traditional music. We send Remi over with a small donation. And then we head back to the hotel and call it a day

Day 4

Start the day as usual with breakfast. Bit sick of eggs and bacon so I go for the continental breakfast with fruit. Tried a few different types such as Dragon Fruit but the watermelon was the best, Ruby is onto the dumplings which is great because it becomes another food she can eat now she is a vegetarian.
We've been doing a bit of walking so we're going to take it easy today.
First we get our laundry sorted by standing outside the hotel and waiting for the laundry lady who's been asking us everyday since we got here if we needed laundry doing.
Went back to the Ben Tahn Market to get some things we need. Shorts for me and a hat for Ruby. Used the money exchange there and the rate was so much better than the first one in Melbourne, And there was no fee. Straight swap. Melody gets herself some Nikes. If they're fakes they are pretty good ones. She's happy with them. Trying on clothes for me involves sheets held up by the seller or put in storage spaces. But I get my shorts
The market isn't as frantic today as on Sunday. We could actually look at things without being grabbed by the arm. We looked through the food aisles too. One vendor was skinning frogs. First she chopped off their heads then pulled the skin off. Which was gross. Worst was, when she put them down the frogs started moving. They were still alive.  Gross but fascinating.

Moved through the market and headed towards the Balexco Tower which we have been seeing from our window for the last few days. Voted 5th most iconic tower in the world. On the way we pass a plaza which looks like it as some interesting stuff. I try on some t-shirts. Now I don't even get a sheet and find myself trying on shirts in the aisles. I feel a bit guilty because I'm a bit sweaty from the heat.
Making our way through the streets Liz decides to make the plunge and try some street food.She orders and they bring out these little chairs and tables and put them on the sidewalk. The chairs are the plastic ones we used to have for the kids way back in infant times. The vegetarian noodles are tasty and it's great to be doing something a bit more local. The guys on the table next to us have their shoes repaired while they eat.
Keep moving on. Crooked pavements and dodging motor bikes are becoming second nature to us.
Reach the tower. Costs us about a million dong to go up. Tad expensive but the views are pretty outstanding. The city is revealed as enormous. We have been walking about a very small portion of it. District One.Ruby amuses herself by leaning on the glass and getting dizzy from the height we're looking down. One part is sloped out. This is to allow for the helipad above, The guy downstairs told us it never gets used. The view is fascinating and I walk around twice until the kids want to move on.

On the way back to the hotel we grab a few supplies from the supermarket. The next few hours is relaxing time as we sit by the pool. There is slight rain but it doesn't affect the heat or the enjoyment of swimming in the pool.
We decide to go to Chuck's Burgers tonight. It's past the Market but doesn't look too far on the map. However the map wasn't particularly accurate and it took us ages. Traffic was wild around the market. Dodging cars and motorbikes as a family is second nature to us now. And we get there. Order some cheeseburgers and hot dogs and fries. And they are pretty good. They also have that spicy kick most Vietnamese food have. And the kids are full for once.
Set off back to the hotel through the park where people are playing some form of Happy Sack. Keeping an object in the air with their feet. Unfortunately a seller comes up to us and tries to sell us one and won't stop asking so we have to move on. Sometimes you just want to look without being hassled. You have to develop a thick skin to say no to the constant street sellers. They've took a particular shine to my worn out runners. Also a lot of people say hello to Remi. He's always the popular one.
We must have stumbled into backpacker territory because it's more vibrant and neon in this part of town we've moved towards the river while meandering back to the hotel. Lots more younger people moving around the street. Go Go dancing here too. But we move on and cross the plaza near our hotel. The fountains are flowing. The crowds are packed around them. This place as only been open since April and is a symbol of the re-unification of Vietnam. But everyone is tired of photo opportunities and we need to get back to the hotel and pack for Cambodia tomorrow,

Day 3

Did a bit of a room swap and Remi came and slept in my bed. My son is a bit of a snorer and a talker, Woke up early again and both of watched a Zombie movie until the rest of the guys woke up, Then it was down to breakfast, The eggs were so good yesterday I had to have them again but this time I added dumplings.Trying to get the kids to be adventurous and try new things while we have such an open banquet. Remi came back with what he thought was jellyfish. Clear jelly like stuff. Touched his lips for a few seconds.. Then I was distracted by Ruby trying a vegetarian dumpling. Mel still likes her rolls just like in France five years ago.
After breakfast we set off for the vintage market. Almost have a meltdown because it's so hot and humid but compose myself with a drink of water.Keep going. Maybe I'll find some old French Ye-Ye records. But no.Did find some old tin toys. Badly damaged and rusted however. And incredibly dirty. But there was an old spaceship that might scrub up so might pop back tomorrow,

We're off to the Chu Chu tunnels in the afternoon so after a bit of a wander we stop at a bread shop and have some pastries, coffee and milk shakes. Back for a chill out at the hotel before the bus picks us up to take us to Chu Chu.
 The Chu Chu tunnels are a labyrinth of tunnels where the VC would hide before mounting attacks on the Americans during the Vietnam war. The bus trips takes about 90 minutes. Our travel guide gives us a brief history of Vietnam which is quite interesting. When it comes to the war the Americans get a hard time. Lucky there none on the bus. In between I put on music and find myself hypnotized by the motorbikes and scooters passing by the bus. The steady flow is mesmerizing.
At the tunnels we are shown how the army built a virtual civilization underground. Fascinating stuff. We get a chance to fire guns at the rifle range and Remi gets a little disappointed when he we don't think it's appropiate for him to shoot a AK47 at a beer bottle. So we pass and it's quickly forgotten as we go into the tunnels. Not a big fan of tunnels myself I let the rest go through and meet them halfway along.But I need to have a go so I get myself into the hole. Very small. Very tight. And at one stage very dark. Not a pleasant experience. Ruby and Remi loved it. They didn't like dropping into the camouflaged holes though. Seen too many extra long centipedes and giant bugs. At the end we try some root dipped in peanut sauce. Like hard tofu.

Back on the bus after a few meters we hear the loudest clunk from the back of bus. I mean really loud. The driver keeps going but there is this horrible sound as the wheel rotates. After a distance he stops the bus to have a look. Can't see nothing so he gets back on and we keep going. I tell the kids to put their seat belts on. But then it just stops. However there are little kids on the bus and they are so loud. And the battery on my iPod is exhausted. So I try to hypnotise watching the cavalcade of motorbikes. One passes with tractor tyres tied to the sides. The rain starts to come down. Now the bikes are covered in ponchos. Traffic is busy but smooth and we make it back to the hotel.
Starving, we work out where to eat using the internet. We want to eat Vietnamese and we settle upon a restaurant behind the Opera House. It's very atmospheric walking through the balmy night surrounded by French architecture and stumbling over crooked paving stones.
The restaurant turns out to be a delight, almost like some of the places we went to in the south of France and with all the family trying bits of Vietnamese food. Especially tasty was the brown rice. Tofu was alright but I'm not a big fan. Anyway they try the food. They like it but don't eat much. Luckily there's a KFC on the way back so we buy a Jumbo Fries to fill the empty spaces in their stomachs.
Make our way just round the corner to the hotel. Lots of young people hanging out on the street, chatting, having a meal on small tray tables. Not even sure where the food comes from. But everyone looks happy. One girl with bright red hair is playing an over-sized ukulele.
But it's kind of late. Everyone is tired so we make our way to our rooms and turn in for the night.

Day 2

Woke up bright and early. Well not especially bright because it was around 3.30 in the morning. But got back to sleep and repeated that routine a few times. The decision to leave the blinds open probably not being the best one. By 7:30pm we were ready to go down to breakfast. Large banquet hall filled with foods from many countries. However Liz and I went for eggs and bacon. Remi the fruit loops. The coffee wasn't particularly inspiring being a tad sweet. But there was lashings of juice and croissants. I tried the dim sums.Everything was tasty. Tried to fill up as much as possible.

Then it was time to hit the streets. Our first destination was the Ben Tahn Market to check out the bargains. Pavements here are are very uneven and we weren't the only people tripping that day. My shoes were a target for street vendors. Not clean enough. Not today. And they kept on coming. Seems there is a bit of my sole loose! Short walk to a large plaza which led to a statue of Ho Chi Minh. Took some photos but Remi got too close to the statue and was chased off by soldiers on duty. The market was very tight. I wore a Holister T-shirt and was accosted by vendors trying to sell me Abercrombie and Finch t-shirts. I won't do that again. The heat was suffocating and the aisles were less than a metre wide.I wouldn't of minded getting a new pair of shorts but it was all too much. Luckily Mel came away with make up and a Man Utd away shirt while Ruby bought some new sandals. She also managed to get some tiny objects which constantly fascinate her. 1 cm statues. Oh and a bat in a frame.
Made our way to the Notre Dame and the Saigon Post Office (which was designed by Gustav Eiffel) Crossing roads is like a game of Frogger. You are continually dodging motorbikes and scooters. Red lights don't mean that much. Maybe for cars. Motorbikes also came down the pavements. After a coffee at the Cafe Bien we went back to the hotel for a swim.Which was a breather before we took off again for the War Remnants Museum.

Quite confronting images of the Vietnam War.And lots of tanks and jet fighters. The walk there seemed ages but coming back was really quick. Which seems to happen everytime. Then again we are quickly learning short cuts. Thank you Lucky Plaza. Had dinner at a rooftop restuarant called 3T. Barbecued our own beef in the middle of the table. Deliscious. We were surrounded by waiters in black. Looked like Restuarant Ninjas according to Ruby. We had glasses of beer but the table next to us had these giant beers. I mean giant. About 50 cm tall. Like a bubble gum machine. I looked on enviously. On the bill there was charge we didn't recognise. I asked what was it? For the napkins! Passed through the plaza again which was packed with people. There are many fountains there and I think they were all waiting for them to start again. But we were too tired to wait. Back to the hotel for an early night.