26 November 2010 Nine days we spent in Siem Reap. The Admiral room in the Aroma Daily guesthouse was beginning to feel like home. Especially, as the the establishment was a shoes off affair. Arriving back after sightseeing, dining, or cycling Jean and I would kick off our shoes at the entrance and leave them among the jumble of footwear on the front steps and then pad around the guesthouse barefoot. During our stay I noticed that my flip flops would periodically not be where I'd left them. I owed this to the hotel clerks' heroic effort to maintain order on the front steps. However, sometimes after peeping around the flower pots and intently studying each item of footwear on the porch I would not find my flip flops among the assemblage. I wasn't too bothered by this. They were nothing glamorous. A black, wedge-shaped $2 pair I had picked up in Sri Lanka to garden in. At first I had loathed them but after some breaking in they had grown on me. If I found them missing I...

Jean and I found a really good Mexican food place in Siem Reap. Everyday, for seven days straight, we had a least one meal at Viva.

19 November 2010 J7's Facebook Profile Pic Jean and I visited the Angkor museum in Siem Reap a few days ago and while a little pricey we found it an invaluable source of information concerning Hinduism, Khmer architecture, and the history of the Khmer empire. One of the superstars of the antiquity was King Jayavarman VII. In the late 12th century the Khmer empire had faltered. Internal conflicts, rebellion in the provinces and disillusion after several failed military campaigns gave the Cham empire (in modern southern Vietnam) the opportunity to seize power. The Cham held Angkor for four years before Jayavarman VII rallied the Khmers and recaptured the city. He then proceeded to drive the Cham out of Khmer territory. Later, he would mount a campaign that would take over all of Champa extending the Khmer empire all the way to south Vietnamese coast. During the struggle with the Cham, J7 was also building and building a lot. During his 40 year reign he constructed his cap...

19 November 2010 It was still dark when Jean and I stepped onto the ancient causeway spanning the massive baray, a moat meant to symbolize the oceans of the earth. The road noise and hawkers' cries soon faded and gave way to the slap of flip flops against the smooth flagstones and murmurs of other pilgrims who like us were bound for a dawn encounter with one of the world's great wonders After yesterday's grueling dawn to dusk cycle temple tour I was surprised Jean and I managed to rouse ourselves at half past four. We peddled out of our guest house's courtyard, through a desolate traffic circle and north along to the river. At five the city was already beginning to stir. We soon passed out of Siem Reap traveling on a smooth two-lane road accompanied by a steady stream of tuk-tuks, motorcycles, passenger vans and a few other cyclist all bound for the ancient Khmer (Cambodian) capital of Angkor. The Angkorian era began back in 802 AD when Jayavaram II proclaimed hi...

20th - 21st November 2010 I'm not sure if south-east Asia is always having festivals or if Aaron and I are just lucky with our timing. During our stay in Siem Reap the town held it's annual "Water Festival", where crews from around the area come to compete in boat races. The main festival, which lasts three days, is in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh, but a smaller version is held in Siem Reap for two days. A few days before the festival we saw some boats practising. Aaron and I took a few rest days between temple tours. When we found the rare good wifi connection, which was advertised virtually everywhere, we caught up on blogs and I applied for a couple of stats jobs in Australia. We also discovered an excellent selection of gifts and paintings on sale, so we enjoyed some Christmas shopping. Haggling was common in Siem Reap, but I discovered that if you suggested a reasonable price, with a smile, to the vendor they usually accepted without further negotiat...

Okay, put on your time travel hats because we're fast forwarding to Vietnam again. We'll be returning you to Cambodia shortly and the blog will officially be in Vietnam soon. We promise. Acrobatics show set up in a road intersection The crowd watching the Acrobatics show. They seemed rather stoic. Hoan Kiem Lake in the old quarter of Hanoi And if you're a fan of jerky, poor quality video check out the links below for sights and sounds of the festivities. Happy New Year! Acrobatics Show Video Concert Video