Luang Prabang to Siem Reap...and then it happened....

Well.....where do we start....let's start at the end of our flight to Siem Reap. We arrived in Siem Reap Cambodia via a 1.5 hr flight from Luang Prabang Laos. Off the plane and into the airport to go through customs and collect baggage. All waiting for our cases (and I am talking 60 odd passengers here). Waiting, waiting.....no baggage at all has arrived....NONE! They decided it would not fit on the plane so they said it will arrive the next day. But we leave for 3 day trip to Battam Bang the next morning. Too bad! So we all have to fill in a lost baggage claim....all of us.....and hope our luggage will arrive some time.

It didn't and we had to leave will just the clothes on our backs and not much else. At least we were coming back to our Siem Reap hotel in a few days so we just hoped that the luggage would be there when we returned. Rang today- Sunday and it's there, thank god.

So in amongst all this, we arrived at Battam Bang and got on with our touring. 

Grabbed a tuk tuk and went to catch a ride on the Bamboo Train. Introduced in 70's to transport railway repair gangs up and down the line.  Then during the Khmers Rouges regime, they were used to transport for supplies etc. Now they are used to transport tourists on joy rides.  Good fun, but a bit hard on the derrière. Note the only pants I had were jeans at this stage due to luggage debacle......bloody hot!

Back to the town centre and off to local markets to buy some clothes, deodorant etc etc .

Sunday - again took a tuk tuk for a 25 km trip to the Banan temple. 358 steps up to the temple proper - pleasant stroll (ha ha!). This is just the last few....

 On the way back to and from the temple we saw old rail bridge, 100 year old traditional house, local winery (Shiraz grapes, producing Chateau Ordinaire wine) and then a late lunch at one of the river side restaurants. Schooner of Angkor draft was 50c each so we had a looooong lunch.

I bought me a hat!!

Nice view of down town BattamBang from our restaurant for dinner -this town is wired!!

Just a cute kid pic.....

Note for the day - Vietnam Airlines is definitely off our carrier lists....can you believe there was no luggage at all that was sent for all passengers.....they still find ways to stick it up us westerners because of the Vietnam war, you know.....