Shop Till you Drop

After one full day of shopping, we are all just dripping with jewels. We don't know what the heck we bought and if we will get home and find that we bought a bunch of glass, but we are all happy with our treasures. Augie and I left early this morning for Siem Reap, while the others enjoyed an extra half day in Phnom Penh. The girls spent the day --- you guessed it, shopping. The guys had had it with that, so they took their own Tuk Tuk to Palace and the Genocide Museum. Not the most uplifted way to spend the day.

Augie and I arrived in Siem Reap and couldn't believe the difference in this town from the last time we were here. Eleven years ago we rode from the airport through jungle and rice fields and dirt roads until we arrived at our hotel, alone at the edge of the small town. Now we traveled a paved road past hotel after hotel, golf resorts and spas, and a cultural center which smacked of a Disneyland atmosphere.

We arrived at our hotel, the Golden Temple, and were greeted warmly by the staff, with cooling towels, a refreshing drink, peanuts and sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves. Yummy! We had to wait a while for our room to be ready, but the court yard and pool area were beautiful, so we didn't mind.

After getting settled in, we took a walk down the dusty road in front of our hotel to the Central Market, where, of course, I bought some more jewelry. Augie bought a few trinkets too. The people here are so friendly, you just can't say no! And our reasons, of course, are purely humanitarian. We must do our bit for the local economy.

After our dusty walk back, I went for my free one hour massage, while Augie got to work on the computer. The first massage is complimentary, but I'll be getting one every day, since it only costs $7 for a one hour massage. When I finished, the rest of the group had arrived. After they all settled in, we met in the restaurant for cocktails (one drink is $4, but buy a pitcher for $6 and get a free tee shirt!) and dinner. The plan was to hit the night market afterwards, but the Picas and Austins were wiped out and decided to turn in (the light-weights!), so Augie and I hit the night market alone. And of course, I found another sapphire I couldn't resist. We have an early start tomorrow, so we're off to bed now.