WE MADE IT - WE ARE IN SIEM REAP!

After a possible flight cancellation and many delays due to a storm in Hanoi - we arrived in Siem
Reap at 10:00 last night.  During the time at the airport, we took advantage of a US$29.00 one hour massage at the Happy Foot Massage.  Different for sure!  We were taken into a dimly lit room with chairs.  We sat in the chair with a large ottoman for our legs and feet and then a smaller stool - presumable for the masseuse.  Soon our lovely attendant came with a bucket of warm water and then we sat perched on the edge of the ottoman with our feet cramped in the rather small bucket and to my horror, the bottom of the bucket was all bumpy - I mean large knobbly things.  So just as I was feeling not to comfortable, my back was being massaged - or rather pounded, kneaded and slapped by the sweet lovely young thing behind me.  Then as I am getting used to this, she pulls my shoulders back and now my head is in her lap and her knees are moving around in my kidneys.  OMG I have only been here for 10 minutes - that means 50 minutes to go.  Now I am getting a new hairdo and my shoulders and neck are feeling the results of her rather strong fingers for such a diminutive beauty.  OK time to be sat up.  Now she indicates to turn around, put my feet in the chair, lean back on the ottoman ... again my head is in her lap - time for the slap tickle thump on my cranium.  Still another 20 minutes to go - hey - this is feeling rather nice.  Just as I am finally beginning to relax, I am once again sat up, this time the right way in the chair, with a pillow under each arm.  Carefully and deftly my arms, wrists and hands are manipulated and firmly massaged.  Then it all stops - and I hear thank you - you go now.  Yep it has been an hour - it was an experience and ended happily.  (no - not the happy ending...)

Another hour and it was time to board.  Hey we got upgraded to Business Class.  A shame it is only a 90 minute flight.  We had a bit of a bumpy ride, but nothing as scary as trying to cross the street in Hanoi.  The hotel is very large and one needs to go to a map to find the room location.  The bed is interesting - a thick and solid mattress on a plank frame.  No give to it - but I still slept well - must have been tired.

The lights in the room are controlled by putting a room key in a slot that allows the electricity to be on while the key is in place.  However, there is one overhead light that I cannot seem to turn off, so I had to remove the key in order to sleep.  It made getting up to pee in the middle of the night quite challenging in our rather large room.  At 5:30 both of us were awake even though it was still quite dark, so we decided to start our day.  Diana headed for the bathroom and I headed to put the key in the slot.  Thank goodness it turned on the lights when it did, cause to my horror, Diana, pyjamas in the down position and backing up... was just about to sit on the luggage stand in the closet.  It made for an interesting and hilarious start to our day.  There would definitely be no sleeping after that.

We are up now - breakfasted and ready to get on the bus to go to Angkor Wat.  The grounds of the hotel are beautiful - I will be taking pictures later.  But in the interest of getting this onto the blog, I will leave the pictures until later.  It is already evening to you and I want to be in touch before you retire for the evening.  So look in tomorrow morning to see the views from today. 

Love to all