Siem Reap, ruins and tunes

After arriving safely to Siem Reap on a long fast submarine shaped boat we were promptly picked up by a taxi from our hotel. This time it was set up by Siemty who will be our guide for our first day touring the huge Angkor Wat site. Nice room, 25 us , usually 45 us, wifi (not that we used it, too busy being tourist) aircon, tv, pool, and breaky included, good deal. Settled in early first night, ready for the big day ahead. What a place. As we enter the grounds we're greeted with a couple troupes of monkeys going about their daily business of grooming and heckling tourists. The streets are tree lined offering lots of shade and places to hang out. Drove past the main wat "Angkor Wat" which we shall visit later in the day. Going with a guide was recommended as they know the history, what highlights to point out, how to avoid the crowds, and which ruins to visit at certain parts of the day. They also do a great job translating the bas relief work on the walls. We saw three wats our first day, Bayon is well known with many faces, definitely a favorite, then off to Angkor Thom. This ruin is one of the many that is being swallowed up by the huge silk trees that either take over the structures or their root system pushes through the massive foundations. We finished our day with Angkor Wat, so impressive, a must see for any trip to Cambodia. We rested up then went to pub street for dinner. What a lively spot this is! As suggested we stopped in at Red Piano and Steve played a few tunes on the piano that was missing keys and a bit out of tune, but all was good. We wandered across the street to enjoy the other musicians playing some great tunes. This was a band from the Philippines. They were very talented and yes you guessed it Steve got to jam with them too. Fun night in Siem Reap. Day two for the ruins we decided to rent bicycles and ride to and around the grounds area. Stopped by the entrance and hung out with the monkeys. We spent the day just riding everywhere, local singletrack, around moats, and generally off the beaten track. It must have been fun judging how sore our asses were. How they built these massive structures around the 12'th century is quite amazing, it's estimated there were over a million labourers. We try to imagine the Khmer dynasty at it's height seeing cavalry, infantry, elephants parading, and horse drawn chariots. Oh what a feeling! Day to rest and visit other parts of the city. Siem Reip is bustling with tourists and business as usual. Lots going on. Markets to shop at, many restaurants, bars, or massage parlours. Went to a silk factory and watched the workers, some sitting on matts on the ground, separating and putting the silk thread onto large spools, while others sat infront of looms making beautiful scarves, wraps, and table coverings. What a job, I would not like the working conditions here. Went and had my first foot soak with the fishes. What a funny experience! For $1.00 I got to sit for 30 minutes and have many little fish chew off my foot fungus. It took me at least 10 minutes until I stopped laughing and got used to the crazy feeling. My feet were so soft afterward. Steve says ALL my hairdresser friends should do this on a regular basis (Cynthia and Tracey take no offence). Major French influence in architecture and food. Viva la bagette! The Khmer ethnic people have been
in this area dating back to 5000 bc or more. They've been
really hospitable and welcoming, as we hope the best for their future.