![Angkor bike](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Angkor_bike.jpg?resize=500%2C333&ssl=1)
After the long boat journey from Siem Reap I headed into town to grab a quick inexpensive bite to eat so I could retreat back to my room at ever-so-friendly Hak’s Guesthouse. On the walk in I was approached by a Spanish lady who asked if I would eat with her as it was her 40th birthday and she was alone. Too polite to say no we grabbed some noodles from a restaurant, much too westernised for my liking but it filled a hole.
![Local market](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Local_market.jpg?resize=500%2C333&ssl=1)
The next day I hired a push bike and road around town. It was incredibly hot and I had the unfortunate luck of my bike lock falling out of my basket onto the road with a Tuk Tuk running over it smashing it to smithereens. When I tried to explain to the owner what had happened she said I’d have to pay $3 for a new lock. I asked if I could buy the $1 lock she was selling in her shop but she said I had to buy the $3 one so I said I’d buy my own at the local market where I knew I could get it cheaper.
![Sister Sray](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Sister_Sray.jpg?resize=500%2C499&ssl=1)
Lock in hand I headed to Aussie-run cafe Sister Srey which is an ethical cafe helping street children and orphans. Although a little disappointed with the food I returned the next day as I liked the staff and atmosphere and it’s obvious that Aussie-style food in Central Cambodia isn’t going to taste as good as it does in Australia.
![Head touch](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Head_touch.jpg?resize=500%2C333&ssl=1)
That evening I cycled to the legendary Angkor Wat to watch the sunset which was great but sunrise is a million times better. I kept my bike for the second day and left the guesthouse at 4:30am to catch sunrise over Angkor Wat which was truly spectacular. The temples of Angkor are about 8km out of town and I had planned to cycle the grand circuit which is roughly 50km in total. Come 10am I was pretty exhausted and to be honest, I was getting a little bored of temples but I wanted to stay the whole day to make the most of my one day pass.
![Angkor wat](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Angkor_wat.jpg?resize=500%2C333&ssl=1)
Even at 10am I was sweltering (it’s pretty hard cycling in 36c heat on a Boris-style bike) so I decided to take it easy and just do the small circuit. I knew I’d be done by midday so I took a much-needed break from the temples and cycled in search of food. The food on offer around Angkor comes at an extortionate price due to it being a tourist area so I cycled down a narrow path and off the beaten track. Thankfully I come across a local village and pointed at whatever the lady was serving and received a tasty breakfast of spicy noodles with pork for just 75c.
![Friends](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Friends.jpg?resize=500%2C333&ssl=1)
The stall owners husband came and sat down with me to practice his English, fairly good in fact, and asked if I would go to his house with him. Stupidly I said yes and jumped on the back of his motorbike. I instantly regretted my decision as headlines of kidnap and murder flashed before my eyes but I arrived safe at his house where his young daughter and dogs were waiting.
![Angkor temples](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Angkor_temples.jpg?resize=500%2C333&ssl=1)
He told me a bit about his life, like the fact that in Cambodia children go to school from 7-11am and 1-5pm six days a week with many leaving before the age of 15 to work with their parents. The longer we spoke the harder it was to understand so I hopped back on his bike and he kindly dropped my back to mine. What an experience.
![Angkor Thom](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Angkor_Thom.jpg?resize=500%2C333&ssl=1)
My cycle back to civilization was a little longer than hoped after getting lost for an hour on the path to nowhere and nearly keeling over in the midday heat, but I made it and rewarded myself with an ice cold bag of sugar juice, another favourite of mine.
![Nowhere](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Nowhere.jpg?resize=500%2C333&ssl=1)
By 1pm I had covered most of the temples I wanted to see including Bayon and my favourite Angkor Thom which is seen in the movie Tomb Raider. Hot and exhausted, I sat under a tree for a couple of hours to try and keep cool and catch up with my new book about the Khmer Rouge called “First they killed my father”- a must read if visiting Cambodia.
![Asians](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Asians.jpg?resize=500%2C333&ssl=1)
After waiting what seemed like my entire life, the sun set over Phnom Bakheng which would have been stunning if the bloody thing hadn’t gone behind a cloud! Exhausted, I cycled back into town desperate for a cold shower and a lie down. I returned to find that the power had gone off due to a problem in Bangkok, which is where the majority of Cambodia get their power from so most of the country was out.
![Carvings](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Carvings.jpg?resize=333%2C500&ssl=1)
No light, no food, no cold drink. I was livid but I saw that a small street restaurant for University students up the road had a small generator. I sat down amongst the noisy students and ordered the ridiculously cheap meatball soup and a side of spring rolls. What I actually got was pig organ soup, which I obviosuly picked out after trying and also realised that the deliciously crunchy peanut spring rolls actually contained small shell fish not peanuts – yeuch. The younger boy students found me eating highly amusing and chuckled to themselves next to me. I didn’t mind one bit, I must have looked a little out of place.
![Pig organ soup](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Pig_organ_soup.jpg?resize=500%2C499&ssl=1)
After a good nights sleep I decided I wanted some company so checked myself in to the Mad Monkey Hostel after staying there in Phnom Penh. As I walked in to my dorm’ Jez greeted me with “welcome to the party room” and I noticed “gang bang” written in lipstick on the mirror. I knew it was going to be a good night. Dusk till dawn was spent dancing on the famous pub street fully westernised to cater for tourists but with an undeniable atmosphere.
![Pub street](https://i0.wp.com/livelifelovecake.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Pub_street.jpg?resize=500%2C500&ssl=1)
After three days of drinking, chilling by the pool and eating only western food (burger and chips for breakfast is a new found fave) I knew it was time to move on so I booked a night bus to Phnom Penh with Aussie Lucy who was part of the big group I had been hanging out with. I was excited to return to the capital.
Living life, loving travel,
H x
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