Day 112 - Day out to Tonle Sap, a hilltop temple and beers with the Big Willy lads.

The old ruins of the temple

Day 112 - 13th October

So I found out this day started off on a high, healthy note but quickly descended into an all nighter with serious consequences... Let me begin.

At six thirty, I sat down for breakfast with Di and we ate quickly ready for our 8 am departure time. I had a quick shower in between and realised all my clothes were being laundered bar a beige pair of shorts and a long sleeve, maroon undershirt. Needs must I suppose.

The rice fields flooded

So we headed out to Tonle Sap, along the bumpy roads only to be told we'd have to pay to get anywhere near it. Realising it was a body of water we'd already seen at different points, we turned around and headed for a temple on the top of Phnom Krom mountain.

Beginning of Tonle Sap

It was pretty active for 9:30 am with people praying to the monks and the monks giving their sermons. The old temple ruins around it was fantastic and offered some fantastic views as my pictures show. An hour or so here before returning to Siem Reap showed mea different, more tranquil blessing away from the background city noise and the hustle and bustle. Quite an enlightening experience, I must say.

It's like a little tea factory in here.

Di invited me to have a cup of tea with her before I headed out to meet my teammates. When I first arrived, it was like a drugs sting, with two bags - one full of breakfast tea leaves, the other powdered milk - and Di holding them up in evidence like, plastic bags. I told her she was lucky customs didn't stop her for marijuana and cocaine suspicions. All the same, it was nice to have something near to as real as a cup of tea back home. Ah, I do miss a brew!

So I headed out to the Hard Rock Cafe to meet Charlie, Will, Yanni and Steven. We enjoyed a few beers whilst they did their Premier League two weekly draft. There were some stellar signings, the most notable was Charlie snapping up Diego Costa who had been overlooked by everyone else.

Look at that monster.

Then the fun really began. There was mention of a 1.2 kg burger. A challenge was thrown down which Charlie and I took on. We had to eat the whole thing within an hour. If I remember correctly, this was six patties, cheese, bacon, onions, lettuce and burger sauce, stacked between two buns.

Finished!

Gluttony is not something I'm a fan of but on this occasion I was out to prove a point to my team mates and put on a performance that Adam Richmond a.k.a Man v.s. Food would have been proud of. I smashed it in just over half an hour and received a phone call from owner Mike in Phnom Penh and a free t-shirt. Mum and Dad - I'm sure you're proud!

Crazy place so we went to KTV.

Will, Charlie and I then headed to a karaoke place and well, sang. After insulting Will's Elton John impression without backing music (sorry mate), I failed miserably to sing MIB by Will Smith forgetting it's a quick rap in between the chorus. Shambolic! I think I recovered well on my Beegees rendition with Will. It all came out as quite a costly experience but luckily the lads knew Khmer so could negotiate a few dollars off.

By this point, filled with 1.2 kg of burger, about eight - ten beers, I was feeling it.

When we arrive in Pub Street, I remember drinking shots (bloody B-52s) and more beers flowed but after that it's hazy. I remember some yelling. I knew trouble was coming. 

So according to Charlie and Will, the following happened: I have no idea how much is true...

Well her name wasn't trouble but she certainly thought I was. With the guys trying to push me to go for it with firstly a German girl and then someone else (apparently the German was keen), I had no motivation or a voice. I could barely drink the next mouthful of beers let alone hold a conversation, which Will enjoyed letting me know about. But ever the idiot trying to keep up, I kept going, and going, and going.

We jumped to a few more bars, Picasso's I've been informed and played Jenga, talked about our team, about who my ultimate buy would be for United without a transfer limit - I've been told I opted to replace Chris Smallimg rather than picking Ronaldo or Messi - I must've been gone. I can remember looking at a clock and it being 3 am and the walk back to Bou Savy.

That ten minute walk back to Bou Savy felt like an eternity but I made it.

It had been a day of ups and downs but all in all, what a way to spend Pchum Ben in Siem Reap