Into Cambodia

All up on time for our early start from Bangkok. The area around the hotel is empty and quiet, very different to last night. We make good time to the border and 2 hours later are sitting outside a 7-11 completing immigration forms. As we approach the border the road is lined with stalls piled high with wares for sale; lorries sit stationary in the outside lane queuing to make the crossing. We park and climb out of our Thai minibuses and watch as our luggage is piled into a wooden handcart and towed away by a young woman, will we see it again? We are crossing the border on foot - first a short walk to join the queue to leave Thailand and then another short walk and another queue this time to enter Cambodia. All went well and it didn't take as long as it has in the past. A 10 minute ride in a ramshackle shuttle bus, in which our luggage is already safely stowed, and we rendezvous with our Cambodian minibus at the Visitor Terminal. Half an hour later we stopped for lunch at what must be a popular restaurant. They had a plaque on the wall that recorded the appreciation of the 1st US Special Forces Group. We had spicy fried rice with chicken/pork and a beer (Kerstin's first ever), but it was a tough call between the 'water big' and the 'water smell' choices.
Finally we pull into Siem Reap and the Freedom Hotel. Our room for the next 3 nights is large and airy, clean and should do us fine. We get a couple of hours to relax before we are due to meet for dinner at 18:30.
We are all on time and climb aboard 2 tuk tuks for the ride downtown; it's a great way to travel on a warm evening. The restaurant is called AnnAdyA and is a project aimed at giving jobs in the tourist industry to youngsters from Siem Reap and the surrounding area. The meal is accompanied by a small cabaret of Cambodian music and dance.
After the meal we get a chance to wander through the streets, avoiding tuk tuks, cars and mopeds as we do so. Hundreds of bars & restaurants and a night market spilling through the streets. We enjoy the lovely atmosphere for a bit before taking a tuk tuk back to the hotel.