Ankor Wat

Well I have offically done Ankor, we had a very long first day trying to do almost all the major sites in a 40 degree heat, but it was fun, clambering around the temples and ruins. I liked Siam reap much better than Phomn Penn, although we were still pestered by hundreds of beggers/amputees/kids and who knows what else. We delevoped a good tactic after a while of trying to buy things from them that they couldn't sell, such as their dogs! It is very tireom though being hounded constantly.
We left Siam Reap 1 day early as we were templed out (and it was raining) and it was pretty expensive there, all the fancy hotels and rich tourists, who come to see Cambodia but then don't leave their 5 star hotels! I'm not convinced tourism has any positive impact on the country, it has made them so greedy and many of them bitter. Maybe it has happen all to fast with no proper planning, especially considering the Country only recently recovered from its chilling history.

Anyway that is the end of Cambodia for me, I am positive I will not return. We flew to northen Laos today and it is a welcome change, very laid back and so quite, no honking of horns or crazy driving, and no one bothering you for a tuk tuk or a moto or postcards or braclets or cold drinks..... etc
There is not much to do here, so we are off tommorrow a bit further north, to go kayaking and rafting and all that lark, then maybe some caving and climbing, before heading further north to the mountains (I have heard are so beautiful) , then we will cross the border into Thailand right at the top.

The pictures are of Ankor Wat (not at sunset as it went behind a cloud!) and the other is me climbing the very steep stairs to the top, Mum you would have had kittens, aparently they are so steep as it is not meant to be easy reaching the gods. My knees went very funny at the top and had a panic at the top about getting back down, as the tailored stairs had a massive que of Jap's. I managed it fine though, it reminded me of trying to climb trees after Andrew then gettting stuck, no Dad with a ladder this time.

I hope all is well

lots love jenxx