I’m going to go on a bit of a diversion on the way to finishing our Cambodia trip by writing about Asian toilets They’re the ones with wash, dry, massage (seriously), stop, heat, go, temperature, all kinds of buttons. I’m writing about this now because my toilet is currently very upset with me. Maybe because I’m not visiting enough? My system’s ok, but as I write, my toilet is beeping and repeatedly slamming the lid. Occasionally, it lifts up the seat too and then it gets two slams in one go. We’ve had a lot of discussions about this apparatus as well as the need or sadly, lack of need, of different members of the party. Many many laughs. But oy, to have an irritated toilet makes for a definite lack of concentration.
So – back to our last day. We thought we were going to have a morning luxuriating at our hotel, but Pat and I wanted Holly to get a chance to see some of Siem Reap and ride in one of the tuktuks like we had the night before so we went out again. We thought it was going to just be a quick hour outing, but it turns out that the tuktuk driver had things he wanted us to see!
He said he was taking us to more local places than we had seen before. We went to another market where he said his mother came every day to buy – an hour into the city to buy when the market opened at 6 and then go straight back home to sell the goods in her store at the front of their house.
Our driver was wonderful. He loved working at the Aman, taking pride in the people who stayed there and his wife worked there too in housekeeping. Their first baby was due in a month and he showed us the ultra sound photo – the baby was smiling!
Our driver and Holly going into the market.
The scooters belonged to all the vendors. Incredible what they can bring in on these bikes.
Then he took us to the Royal Independent Gardens and a group of trees. The night before, Pat and I had thought we heard swallows – a rush of them – flying overhead. Turns out they were bats! A ton of them. They nest in these trees, with a few flying around. They were huge. Holly had gotten bat pee in her mouth at Ankhor Watt when she was looking up. Pat got pooped on when we were at the trees. They both decided it was for good luck 🙂
We then went to another artists market, the driver said that this one was more for locals, but also for tourists, thus showing their skills and wares.
Getting a blessing.
All the leaves and plants that contribute to the dyes of the weavers. So cool.
Then back to the hotel, to pack up. We were separating today, me to Singapore and Australian and the others back to Colorado.
They kept bringing us last minute treats – my final decaf Vietnamese iced coffee and yummy cookies to accompany my last bits of typing.
It felt very weird to say goodbye after we’d been together nonstop for two weeks with the exception of one dinner. I was glad we were all going to the airport together for one last sit in the waiting room. I was off first and felt so lucky to have had so much fun with the whole group!
Reb's Walks! 