Happy New Year!

Dear Coco

I just can't get my head around the fact that it is now 2015! I hear you had a happy new year with Clare looking after you. Lucky dogs. We were taken out to a very delicious Korean barbecue supper by Simon's friend, So Hyoung which was great fun. Unfortunately Simon started to feel a bit unwell (I think he has been working quite hard to entertain us and look after us in Korea and maybe it has just taken its toll) . We decided to let him go home to rest, and we saw the new year in from our 9th floor Hotel Crystal. It is very cold here and we were quite relieved not to have to stand around in the cold waiting for midnight.

The next day I started to feel a bit queasy too - but not too bad. Simon arrived to collect us for the airport and we flew on China Eastern Airways,

via Shanghai Airport,

to Cambodia It took us just short of two hours to get out of the airport at Siem Reap which was exhausting as Simon and I were feeling a bit off, and the Alph was hot and bothered. You have to queue for a tourist visa, then join a LOOONG queue to get through passport control. It was about midnight when we emerged, but luckily our hotel transport was still waiting for us. We were whisked through the streets of Siem Reap and finally fell into this posh bed,

after a very welcome shower with all the bathroom things in pretty silver bowls.

After a lovely long sleep, we had breakfast and strolled down to the markets along the Siem Reap River - meeting some of the locals en route.

The buildings are quite varied - and a vit ramshackle in parts. Many of them hark back to the French protectorate days at the end of the 1800s.

The river is terribly polluted, but some waterlilies manage to grow along the edges.

There are lovely bridges across the river with seats for people to rest in the shade,

and hundreds of enticing market stalls.

It seems the town never sleeps - in fact it gets busier and busier as it gets darker.

We found a nice comfy restaurant

 and had a round of Cambodia beers while we watched the world go by.

On the way home we passed this restaurant called Bugs Café that serves insects! Truly.

Anyway, we decided to give it a miss. Tomorrow we have booked a guide to come and show us the temples that make this place famous.

Hope you are all well. I keep seeing photos of Scotties on facebook and I really need to hug you. Missing you lots.

love from the FL xxxxx