I’m set to get up at sunrise to see the sun over the main Angkor Wat temple complex… but unfortunately, the airconditioning has failed, and I have a truly spectacularly bad night’s sleep. It didn’t help that I discovered a mistake in my ‘Donation’ link so stayed up late to fix that. When I discover that I have forgotten to charge my camera battery, I decide that discretion is the better part of valour, and bury my head under the covers for a well deserved hour’s sleep. Well, sort of. It’s hot as hell, so I’m not burying my head under anything.
So.. ‘he has chosen…wisely’ . . .
A chilled day today, I think. Read a book, get some coffee, enjoy some fabulous insights, get hugely excited about what I am going to do when I get back! Buy yet another journal (been doing a lot of writing).
I do make a bit of a tactical error – the coffee shop is on the main street, and although free from tuk tuk drivers, it’s a magnet for kids selling postcards and bracelets (‘ten for one dollar’ followed by ‘you buy me food’ if the postcards/bracelets are rejected) and for disabled soldiers selling books and paintings. It’s hard to turn them down – although the local wisdom is never to buy anything from a child – they never get the money, and it discourages them from going to school.One of the children even writes in my notebook (very neatly) ‘My name is Chu..I give you flower…I want food’
I do buy a book though – I suspect ‘First they killed my father’ is not going to be a cheerful read. But I do manage to get my eyes tested and buy a new pair of glasses and two pairs of sunnies for $22. Bargain!
Over dinner I strike up conversation with an American girl and a mother and daughter from Northampton. Tanna has a story to tell about being kidnapped by a brothel – I am hopeful that I might get to hear it, so we meet up for drinks later and to watch the New Year celebrations. Very low key, but lots of music and raffles (for some reason). Water is a big part of New Year, here, and everyone can end up very wet!
Another wild tuk tuk ride home (this time he DOES know where the hotel is) past the New Year’s Day lights and over the largest speedbumps on the planet and weaving down the unmade road to the hotel, I crawl into bed at 2am and take a decision on the sunrise. Not a chance.
| For those of you who haven’t picked up their copy of ‘The Cube’ yet, or who would like to help out on my journey - see what all the fun is by checking out this post: |
Explore The Adventure. . . . . 