Boat to Battambang

Am now in Battambang - after a 8-hour boat trip from Siem Reap across the Tonle Sap Lake and along the river that flows through Battambang. Although the journey was longer than I'd anticipated, it was definitely worth it as the scenery was amazing - particularly the huge floating village we passed through. All of the buildings in the village were on pontoons - even the school and church.

The boat was full of tourists which was a real shame, but I got a seat at the back of the boat next to some Cambodians. For some reason I didn't think the trip trip to Battambang would be that popular. Man was I wrong!

My last day in Siem Reap was a real tour-de-force. I was up at 5.30 and after sunrise at Angkor Wat spent the morning exploring Angkor Thom. The Bayon - one of the most famous structures in Angkor Thom - was awe-inspiring. All of those huge faces staring out from the stone towers... Luckily I managed to time my visit well, avoiding most of the tour groups.

I ended the day back at Angkor Wat. There were a lot less people than when Mandy and I were there last week, so it was a little easier to appreciate the place. It was actually really hard to leave - there's something about Angkor Wat that draws you in. I took lots of photos yesterday - am looking forward to going through them all when I get back to Sri Lanka.

Am going to stay in Battambang for a couple of nights then head to the coast. I don't actually have that much time left and already have a hotel booked in Phnom Penh from next Wednesday. I really wish I could stay a little longer - it's a real pity I got sick.

Today is the 30th anniversary of the liberation of Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge regime. Sitting in an internet cafe now it's hard to imagine the nightmare the people of this country went through 30 years ago.