Siem Reap has really grown on us, yes there is the dirt etc..... but the people and vibe more than make up for it. They really are quite poor but always have a smile and a bit of chat for you. 

As we mentioned there are a lot of beggars, that makes you sad and beggar fatigue does set in, but every now and then you see a heart-warming sight . I bought a handmade bracelet from a lovely chap who had no legs and very deformed arms and hands. He was such a lesson to us in the west who have so much. As he struggled to make the bracelets he was the happiest man on earth. He was so happy to talk with me and when David asked him to choose the colour for the one I bought; it brought a tear to my eye ( well many actually). Watching him make them was a sight to see. 

We were now needing a massage and crossed the river and into a little known market. Here we had a foot massage at the blind school which wasn't that good (due to the style of massage which is too soft for our tough old bodies), but the money goes to a good cause which is the main thing.
 
The rest of the time was spent relaxing around the pool, having foot massages and swatting up on Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples.

Up early we set off with Lon Lav our guide for the day and a driver. The temples are a five mile drive from Seam Reap and Lon Lav had to lend us our fee as David had got the money wrong . This confirmed him as a legit guide as he had a $50 note which is more than we carry! Anyway after paying we arrived at our first temple - the mesmerising Angkor Wat . Angkor is huge and set in acres and acres of land and large moats; our guide was brilliant in telling us all about it' but it's better for you to look at the pictures rather than me repeat his spiel, but a few facts.

Built about 1000 years ago, 1 million men worked on it for 30 or so years, the stone was brought in from mountains 50 miles away on rafts down the river and pulled by elephants.

The Wat is a Hindu temple as the Khmer originated from India, and is basically a representation of the Hindu equivalent of the bible.

The temple is probably the most important thing in Cambodia and is a source of much national pride.

After Angkor Thom and the mesmerising heads of Bayon and then finally to Ta Prohm which you must recognise from a certain film about a pouting raider of tombs?

All these facts are approx so apologies to anyone if they are not spot on.