6.1.2003 - on bus to Phnom Penh The distance was roughly 250km from central HCMC to Phnom Penh, the capitol of Cambodia. The tour cafe told us the trip would take 8 hours, but it ended up taking over 10.5h due to problems at the border and the condition of the roads on the Cambodian side. The bus was stacked with anxious people all going to see the temples in Angkor (at least I couldn't afterwards come up with one good reason of going to Phnom Penh unless continuing to Siem Reap). At the border we were made to wait for an hour while the driver negotiated about something with the border police. Then we were ushered through the border procedures.
	The Cambodian border. If you know anything about writing programming language compilers, "entry/exit procedure" should ring a bell.
	3 stacked funny hats and a small girl under them gravely serious as filling the Cambodian visa application was no time for monkey business.
	We got them anyway - though almost ended up purchasing a business visa due to language trouble (it cost 5usd more).
	The local money - Riel.
The road on the other side was a rollercoaster. The craters in the road looked like they were caused by grenades by the size of them.. and it wouldn't be a miracle if some of them were (there was a shooting range near Phnom Penh where you could get to shoot with a AK-47 and even throw handgrenades, if you had the money). The nature was a lot more exotic than on the Viet Nam side, possiblly due to the more primitive agriculture. Houses were built on high poles to prevent the water washing them away. I read somewhere that the water could rise as much as 3m during the wet season. The sundown we witnessed in the jungle was plainly breathtaking to look at. A small mist climbed up from the moist fields, black silhouettes of palm trees rising up from it against the setting sun.. I get goosebumps just by picturing it. Shame there was no way of decently photographing it - the bus was in constant motion (up and down as well as forward).
	Landscape was wet and green on the Cambodian side, too.
	A small inland village by a river where we had to wait for about half an hour before catching the ferry on to the other side and were able to continue.
	Sundown in Cambodian jungle. This shitty photograph doesn't give right even to 1/100th of the experience it was when everything went suddenly soft crimson, a fascinating mist rose, birds went silent and the jungle prepared for the night.
6.1.2003 - Phnom Penh Suddenly a village stood up from the jungle. No, wait - it's the capitol! The streets of Phnom Penh were narrow, none of them except for the main street lighted, and filthy. A depressing sight after colorful and lively Viet Nam. We had dinner in a local restaurant (got a lots of looks as they weren't that accustomed to white people there) and went to bed almost directly. Our hotel (we accepted the one offered by the tour cafe behind the bus trip, because we didn't feel like hiking around after the 10.5 hour bus trip) cost 10usd for a single room (no doubles available) with a large bed (what do couples need a second bed for, anyway?).
	The streets in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It didn't take 15 minutes there before I was offered a hooker, stolen motorbike and pot :)
7.1.2003 - speedboat trip to Siem Riep We got up at six to make the boat leaving at 6.30 from the docks. The boat ticket included a transport to the harbor, and should we miss that, we'd be on our own since there was no way of getting taxi at that hour where we stayed. No time for breakfast - the bus was waiting when we arrived at the spot. We climbed in and the bus left immediately. In the harbor we were pushed to a boat that looked more like a space shuttle than a boat. The seats were small and there was almost negative leg room - luckily we had a extra free seat between us for my legs. Most foreigners climbed on the roof for the trip, but many came down after the boat accelerated to its traveling speed of some 50 knots, and the conditions became suddenly very wet up there. Riikka slept for an hour of the 5-hour trip, and the rest we spent reading and just watching the views flying by us. The distance was something like 330km. The route led us up the Tonle Sap river from Phnom Penh and over the vast Tonle Sap lake, at whose north end is Siem Riep located.
	One-way ticket Phnom Penh - Siem Riep cost 25usd :( The bus would have cost only 6usd, but it would have taken 9 hours (meaning at least 12h in practice).
	Settlements on banks of the Tonle Sap river, taken from the speed boat travelling at some 50 knots.
7.1.2003 - Siem Riep We arrived through a floating village of fishermen. There was dozens of people trying to offer the arriving people a ride into the town for a dollar or two (the distance was some 10km). We elbowed our way through the mass to meet our designated driver waving our names written on a piece of cartoon.
	Welcoming committee at Siem Reap's harbor town.
	Sundown at Angkor, seen from a temple top.
	The sun diving in. What followed, was a calming silence (after the hundred or so tourists on the temple top with us had stopped applauding) and again, amazing redness all around. The effect was unnaturally strong, and it was totally weird seeing nothing but red colors. Even my white shirt was all pink in that light.
	Big ass face.
	Temple n.n.
	Temple n.n.
	The moat around the Angkor Wat temple area, which spreads out over 2 square kilometers.
	View to the external walls of Angkor Wat, the most famous temple. This silhouette is present in the flag of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
	View to the inner walls of Angkor Wat.
	The views made me think about Tomb Raider. And no wonder - afterward I heard they had filmed parts of the Tomb Raider the movie at Angkor.
	Poser.
	Courtyard. And a poser.
	View from the Top. Damned I was sweating after the climb. And it isn't even that high.
	Another view of the temple. It was pretty breathtaking, to say the least. And built like over a thousand years ago.. phew.
	Buddhist monks cruising the temples.
	A pair shot at the top of what was called the Elephant Terrace. I didn't see any beer taps, though, and elephants had deserted the place for a cheaper one years ago. At least there weren't any around.
	Traditional Khmer dance performance we went to see after the day at the temples. I was hoping for fire and swordfights, but had to settle for girls in funny suits doing slow motion dancing.