Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Day 8 and all is well. Everyone is holding up with a little travelers stomach not cramping our style. We rose just before 4 this morning for a planned sunrise visit to the temples. Running downstairs to make sure the Tuk Tuks had arrived, I found the metal door to the guest house locked. After waking the proprietor to let us out, we found our ride was late. Along with two Irish lads we met just in from Bangkok, we all rode to Bayon and watched the sunrise in the still air as bats darted through the temple openings around us. With the sun still low in the sky and most tourists not yet up, we rode our Tuk Tuks to Ta Prohm where the Kapok trees are devouring the temple.

Arriving back at our guest house by 9:30, in time for Warren, Jake, and Charlie to pick up their newly tailored pants. After a brief rest and a local lunch we rode to Man Men’s village on the outskirts of Siem Reap where we added four more lacrosse sticks to the four they still had from our last visit. Along with balloons, two Frisbees and their own volleyball court, we all worked up a good sweat in the heat before moving inside Man Men’s home to listen to his class play several traditional Khmer songs.

Each day has been full. Tomorrow we have made arrangements to tour the Childrens Hospital here in Siem Reap which is staffed mostly by volunteer doctors and nurses from around the world. In the afternoon we will begin our first of five classes where Watkinson students will teach English and Man Men’s students will teach us Khmer. I hope the photos load up.