Pats win, walking day, bus to Siem Reap

This was a blog I started 3 days ago and never got around to finishing it. And then in true computer force field fashion I lost my saved draft. Blog press or blogger or whatever I started this blog with does not seem to work the same for me from day to day. I am blogged challenged but appreciate that some of you want me to keep going - Meems... Thank you for your support on many levels. It is always a great day when the Pats win and a particularly great day when you can watch it at a bar while on vacation having a bloody at 8 in the morning in some remote corner of the world. It was a great Irish Pub called Paddy Rice. How lucky am I?





Kim passed on the game and opted for writing postcards back at the hotel. In White Mountain football is not big on the list. After the big victory we decided we'd pick Kim up and head out for a long walk through the city see the sites and Central Market. This city seems to have a constant buzz from 6 in the morning til about 10 at night. So far we feel really safe walking anywhere in this city. We are generally left alone but certainly run into many begging children and women holding young babies and men with amputated legs. They are not everywhere but you still see plenty. The weather here has been really quite perfect-mid 80's, abit humid but not terrible - and no bugs. This is considered high season, their winter with average highs in the high 80's and lows in the the high 60's. Our hotel has ac and all the comforts of home. The Cambodians are generally very poor with the majority selling either t-shirts and trinkets, or they are tuk tuk drivers. Massages are very big here as well. For an hour massage you pay about 7 or 8 dollars. Tipping is something that we are not suppose to do. For instance a cab ride from the airport that takes about 1/2 hours is $9 but you are not supposed to tip. It is hard for us westerners not to tip but the expats that live here say don't do it.. But it is still hard not to...even after a meal in a restaurant. And if you really want to - then leave a dollar. American dollars are accepted everywhere. That has been nice. And they love to barter. Enough writing. And I've decided that I should try and catch up. So here are some pics from the walk in the city and Central Market where we bought some items to bring home. Then there is our 6 hour bus trip to Siem Reap. Siem Reap is the 2'nd largest city in Cambodia and has the largest tourist attractions seeing all the temples Angkor Wat being the largest. Some of those pics were sent out with yesterday's blog. Today we went to Angkor Wat that should be a separate blog.


Dinner in a N.Vietnam restaurant where the waitresses perform.


Beginning of a long city walk





Central Market


On top of michael's apartment. It was the tallest building in 1992 when he first arrived and started the phnom penh post from this building. One of the better neighborhood and our hotel is one block away.


Woman cutting something that looks like mushrooms. Taken from our bus window


Typical house we passed on 6 hr. bus ride to Siem Reap


From bus window crossing Tonle River.


School uniforms. Over 50 percent of the population in under the age of 18. All the kids where these uniforms.


This is Friend's Restaurant where they train street kids how to cook, wait tables and learn restaurant management. I got a little out of order but I imagine no one cares.








Here's a better map if Indochina.


This is random. What do you think is for? Give up? It is michael's desk leg.


Some wild roofs. Fun architecture.


Construction project from the bus. These pics are all from the last three days - they are kind of random. The next blog will be from today ant Angkor Wat.