Right. I'm back. On a different site, because the first one was apparently full of spyware and horrible stuff that'll infect people's computers... But I'm pretty sure Google+ won't do that!
Again, I'll start where I left off last time - having just got back from the Temples after 4 different tuk tuk drivers! I think the most important thing to tell you all is that I did get some Angkor beer that evening, so I sat and drank that while killing time on the internet (it's an obsession!) after having been for a quick look round the Old Market. But while I was killing time, the first two tuk tuk drivers came in (obviously they knew where I was staying), asking what had happened to me etc. But they were quite nice about it, claiming that he had been waiting at the other side but obviously just hadn't spotted me coming out. So I paid them half the money we'd agreed on in the morning (a well-deserved $7.50) and explained that I was debating whether to go to Angkor Wat again in the morning for sunrise because I didn't want to pay the $20 for another entry ticket. The second brother then explained to me that there's actually another temple where a lot of people go to see the sunrise, where they don't insist on any entry fees, so I agreed to meet him at 5am outside my hostel to go there in the morning instead (for another $7).
For a while after that, I was still just killing time on the internet (creating fantasy football teams and the likes!) and was just about to go to bed, after he appeared again first saying we'd go on motorbike rather than tuk tuk (which was fine by me, although I should have haggled him down to less money, as they're always cheaper) and secondly inviting me to come drink with him and his mates just outside the hostel. At first, I tried to politely refuse so I could go to bed, but he insisted and, because of the culture I've mentioned before, I obviously had to go with him to avoid causing offence! In the end though, it was quite cool - I just stayed for a couple of beers before making my excuses, and his mates were all quite sound (most same age as me, 23.) I also wanted to get to bed as soon as I could if I was getting up at 4.30am so that I didn't leave him waiting for the 2nd time in 2 days!
But I got up no trouble and met him at 5am to go to this other, lesser known temple to watch the sunrise. Which was extremely disappointing and not worth either the early start or the $7, half-hour (each way) moto ride! There were no bright, wonderful colours or anything, just a gradual brightening of the sky because it was so overcast. Obviously this was extremely frustrating, but at least I didn't pay another $20 entry fee to see it at Angkor Wat!
So I went back to the hostel and chilled there for the day before being picked up for my bus back to Phnom Penh (which I'd booked at the hostel the night before) at 12.45. I also tried to look for quick, cheapish things to do in Siem Reap for a morning, but failed to find anything that sounded feasible or good!
The bus back to Phnom Penh was fine, apart from the compulsory annoying Cambodian karaoke blasting out at full volume pretty much the whole way! I also didn't want to sleep too much so that I was tired for the plane the next day and could get plenty of sleep on there. It also took rather longer than I thought - I'd been told it was like 4 hours or something, but it turned out to be more like 6 or 7! So I didn't arrive at my hostel (the Velkommen Backpackers again) until about 8pm, by which time I was famished and quite tired!
So, after quickly finding my room and dumping my stuff, I went straight back out to the 'happy herb pizza' place I'd heard about from Louis (the old intern on my project), which is exactly what it sounds like! I then got a medium pizza (happy pizza, of course) and proceeded to eat it all but without getting very stoned, which must be to do with the 10 years of hardcore drug abuse [note to parents: don't worry, that is a joke!], so I got myself a pre-rolled joint to smoke. Thankfully it wasn't the same kind of strength that they give you in Amsterdam, so it just got me nicely baked instead of being off my face! I then went back to the hostel and held barely intelligible conversations with people at the bar over a couple of pints and went to bed before I fell asleep at the bar or spent the $8 I needed for a moto to the airport on Monday!
Unfortunately, this meant I could barely sleep on the flight, so I just got a bit drunk instead for free (to the annoyance of the Singapore Airlines hostesses who had to keep bringing me whiskey!) I did get a couple of hours though and I'd mostly sobered up by the time I got to Sydney, so I just got the Shuttle Bus to my hostel and went out to explore the world-famous landmarks, first stop: the Opera House! Forgot my camera again, but it doesn't really matter because I'll be here for another 4 nights, so I can get it anytime. I then came back, knackered and in need of a good powernap, which I went for at about 6pm. Unfortunately, my powernap turned into a siesta, then a sleep and finally a coma, before I woke up 16 hours later (a new personal record for me!) at 10am.
But at least I definitely wasn't sleep deprived, and I set out in the morning to see the aquarium (which I should have booked online, as it's only $24.50 instead of the $35 I had to pay in person!) I did remember my camera, but annoyingly it ran out of battery after about 10 minutes, and I didn't see the platypus, which was half the reason I paid that much money to go in (in was apparently in its burrow or whatever and didn't come out while I was there.) Tomorrow, I'll be going to the zoo and paying the even more extortionate price to get in there (I think it's $45 usually, but I've got a 15% off coupon, so I'll at least get $7 or whatever off that.)
Don't know what I'm doing the rest of my 3 days or whatever it is I have left, but I'm sure I'll find a way to spend far too much money on doing far too little!
Generally seems to be what I do when I'm travelling!
Hope everyone & everything's cool back home.
Andy x
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