Day 6 - Siem Reap to Hanoi

This morning we were informed that a dressing gown from the boys room had gone missing. After denying it was in his luggage, it was found that Cameron was the culprit of the missing gown as he "accidentally" put it in his bag. Once again, we boarded the bus. Upon arrival at a local village Miss Thomson came to the confronting realisation that she has mistaken Mrs McDonald's cargo shorts for her own after being concerned that she may have gained 5kg overnight. We enjoyed a bumpy but scenic ride in an ox cart through a local village. The interesting smells reminded us of home, with the sheep trucks passing by every ten minutes. Our prayers worked as we were gifted with a shower of monsoonal rain. 

We then ventured to Bakong to enjoy a beautiful boat ride through the Tonle Sap lake where we sighted the amazing Kompong Phluk floating village. Here we observed local children swinging into the waters while enjoying the cool spray of the monsoonal rain. In conjunction, two children abroad the boat were generously offering back massages in exchange for small money. While some found relief in these massages, others found them to be quite abrupt and painful. Upon arriving back at the dock we found ourselves drenched, but in water rather than our own sweat. For the first time in the tour, we felt the need to turn the aircon off in the bus. 

We then went to lunch at a gorgeous local restaurant. Miss Thomson made mention at lunch that her leg grooming was overdue, causing Mrs Curran to lose herself in a fit of laughter before asking if Miss Thomson needed a whipper snipper or Roundup to assist her with her problem. After lunch we ventured by foot to a local market to enjoy a period of shopping, however we were also on a mission. In addition to our personal shopping we were given $1 to find a present for Wayne's birthday tomorrow. While some found themselves struggling to get bargain prices for their items, others realised that their bartering skills have significantly improved. Notable mentions go to Paige and Mrs Griffiths who didn't succumb to the pleas of local shop owners. Quite a lot of us found ourselves without money after this. Mrs Griffiths also became a proud owner of a third of a boom box. 

After the markets we went to the Phare circus to participate in a circus workshop. Josh, Miss Thomson and Mrs McDonald excelled at the diablo, while Cameron and Legacy mastered the art of juggling. Everyone had a great attempt at the acrobatics, though some of us are not as flexible as we would have hoped. The circus workshop was a huge success with everyone feeling content with what they had learned. After the circus we made our way to dinner at the restaurant to which we dined at the previous day. 

Kea and our bus driver joined us for our dinner to commemorate our final day together. 

After dinner Kea took us to the airport. We all found ourselves saddened to have to part with Kea, with his modest speech bringing a tear to our eyes. After saying our final goodbyes we boarded the plane to Hanoi, Vietnam. The group at the back of the plane, consisting of Shanice and her lollies, were having a great time partying. 

We were greeted in Hanoi by our new tour guide, Chi, and then we made our way to the hotel. Our night ended by relaxing in the hotel. We are excited to see what tomorrow brings. 

Taylor & Jess