Wednesday 29th November

With only the one day to visit Angkor again (this time with camera) we are up early for breakfast at our favorite restaurant before we secure a couple of old one speed “sit up and beg” bikes (and a lot of water!). The whole area is completely flat and the bikes prove to be fine for travel.

Tracy's ankle feels good as we ride the few miles/ kms to the complex, unfortunately missing the ticket booth en route. Luckily we can get day passes near Angkor Wat and we are soon in Angkor Thom to revisit Bayon, then wander more slowly around the Terraces and some of the lesser known parts in the east of the old royal palace area. The well know parts are much busier than last time but mainly with organized groups who rush around a prescribed set of the buildings (memo to readers: if you ever come here SET YOUR OWN SCHEDULE!!!!). Just off the beaten track we see maybe one or two other people in half an hour!

Bayon

From here we get onto the “Grand Tour”, the route that takes you past many of the quieter but no less amazing palaces to the east and north. Using the bikes is hot work but going at our own pace is a delight. Tracy takes a break for a coconut and shopping (more silk outfits!) as Tim revisits Ta Prohm for pictures, then we continue to places we did not see or even pass in our previous visits (I'll have some more details when I work out the order we visited them!).

We only have a brief time for Angkor Wat (I'll be stealing the pictures Don, John and Cindy took last time around!) and Tracy again relaxes while Tim races in and up to the top for the obligatory sunset shot. Then we have to speed back to beat the fast failing light, arriving in town in the dark (luckily it's fairly well lit, the traffic moves slow and we know where we are going. After a couple of beers and snack food (gotta get some Pakora where it's available!)Tracy opts for a massage to recuperate from the day's activities while Tim internets, then we regroup for a very late meal on hopping “bar street”, oh so innovatively named as it's the main site for night life here.