14.03 Morning: Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom

Mountain biking (hurts)

After yesterday’s crash course in ‘temple basics’ and today’s eagerness to burn some calories (an Everest after effect?) I went Deep Dutch; I rented a push bike so that I could extend my explorations, this time free of group mates and charges. I found out that 8 years in Dubai detrimentally affect memory, in this case of ‘biking essentials’. Fifteen minutes in the saddle and I realised it was too damn narrow!  I spent half the trip standing on the pedals, my bum simply could not take it anymore, and I had to add some ehhmm ‘recovery stops’.

Banteay Kdei Temple

Ta Prohm Temple; known as the ‘Tomb Raider’ temple (yes, with Lara)

Ta Keo Temple – my major recuperation point. Behold skeptics and witness the evidence; the bike really existed!

Angkor  Tom Temple – my favorite! I even bought a painting of Bayon (the face)

15. 03 Morning: Angkor Wat

There was no way that I wanted another day on the mountIn bike. I switched it for a normal push bike where my major selection criteria was ‘an as big as possible saddle’. I found one and off I went on my comfy new bike. Grande finale: Angkor Wat temple. Awesome!!

15.03 Afternoon: Saving a life (really!)

Lonely planet wrote that Cambodia has a major shortage of blood (in hospitals) so I went to the local children’s hospital to donate. It only takes an hour and it can save a life. The technician told me that they had a US team on-site that had scheduled one more open heart surgery on the next day, but that it could not happen due to blood shortage. He jumped with joy when he found that I had the matching blood type and he arranged to meet with the family and the docs.

It was very emotional meeting. They were soooo happy. I have not often felt so good in my life! I have tried to motivate all my fellow tourists to do the same and I hope that, if you ever visit here, you will remember this fantastic story and will do the same!

15.03: Royal Mail Cambodia and the Knight Bus (in Dutch: de Collectebus)

Two noteworthy events today…  Firstly, I had excess luggage and souveneers that really needed downsizing so I mailed some home. The clerk told me to expect delivery in 3 months (seriously?) so I took a picture of the package and told him that I suspected this would be the last time that I would see the package and this was a pic to remember. The clerk laughed out so loud that he made me worry – does he have the same low expectations or did he just think ‘crazy tourists’??

In the evening, I took my first bus on this trip. It was a night bus (a sleeper) and I had booked a VIP ticket meaning that I would have my own single bed. It felt as if I had entered the Knight Bus of Harry Potter and the wizardry world. So funny! That is, it was funny until I found out that I had to share my single bed. I was one of the last persons boarding and The bus was packed with local Cambodians (guys). Now it is getting interesting, right, with a tiny bed?. Luckily, my bunk mate was a lovely Irish lady, so my latest first -compulsory spooning with an stranger on a bus- wasn’t too awkward. LOL!