This posts beginning is some 40 years ago.
My parents had a book titled “Angkor Wat” and it had beautiful colored pictures in it. One of those books that you could get for a good price if you had collected some coupons and the pictures had to be added manually (Silva Buch). Kind of Ikea of books, just easier to assemble. Anyway, always wanted to go there and here we are.
Siem Reap is the Town close by. Ankor Wat is actually just one of the temples but by far the biggest and best preserved.
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_wat “the largest religious monument in the world”. Do not ask me how this is measured.
So there we were, 7:30 in the morning, the small Tour (The big tour does different temples somewhat further away).
Tuc Tuc and English Guide ready. On Cambodia New Years Day. The opposite of Switzerland, where you have to ski slopes for yourself on New Years Day (other people have hang overs), here in Cambodia everybody is still celebrating. Actually New Year day is just the first of 3 days where everybody has vacation. So we had lots and lots of people. Thailand has the same New Year and they flock to Angkor on that occasion.
So first Temple was “Bayon” the center of Ankor Thom.

Baphuon, somewhat older:

This is a search picture again, unintentionally. Hint: kids below 12 were not allowed because of the steep stairs.
That temple also had a 70 m sleeping buddha.
Have you found the kids? Our guide had to baby-sit them. Easy job that day.

Next was Phimeanakas, some nice walk, ponds, walls etc. and lunch.

Afternoon Ta Prohm (Jungle) Temple. That temple was also well preserved until Disney decided to use the temple as a set for Mogli.

And then finally Angkor Wat. It was up to 36 Degrees that day, I do not know how me managed to do almost the entire program. We were back in Town 18:00. After dinner Kids wanted to go to the swimming pool and were still full of energy. Mom and Dad where completely exhausted.

On the way through new years celebration, Astrid was impressed.

Angkor Wat:

The true size is very difficult to show with pictures. What you see here is just the top level, there are 3 levels. And even that top level is huge. Indeed one of the wonders of the world. We have a 3 day pass and will go there again.

For the following non Swiss readers must know who Beat Richner (Beatocello) is.
So here a link in case you wanna know
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatocello

We arranged so that we can be in Siam Reap at a Saturday where he makes a fundraising event 19:15 for about 1 1/4 hours.
That is not too late nor too long for the kids.
The event has some Cello playing and and movies about their work, as someone put it “More lecture than concert”. The event is free or as they say here “admission through donation” by giving blood or money or both.

So we arrived there full of anticipation and were blocked by a french speaking guy “kids are not allowed, desolé”
He informed us that they had had some problems with kids moving around and crying.
There was not possibility to sit the back or leaving in case of problems or something like that. Just no way.
Just because some other people completely unrelated to us did not have their kids under control.
Anyway: how many people with kids do show up in Cambodia?

We felt completely frustrated. Not being allowed because some other people of the same group made problems in the past? On a fund raising event for Kids? It is not a classical concert or something.
Somehow this is crossing the line where my sense of just and right is awakened. Lets say it is not kids but an ethnic group from which some members made troubles some when. You do not allow then anymore. What would that be.
Anyway, quite some people arrived late and still were allowed to enter. That does not seem to disturb. Not to mention people who forget to switch of their mobiles.

Please comment this entry. Do you think I am overreacting? It is obviously sensitive to criticize something that has done so much good for kids in need.

Needless to say that the “no kids policy” is not mentioned nowhere. It would simply sound strange:
Dr. Beat Richner plays Bach on the cello and speaks about the activities of his five children’s hospitals. No children allowed.

On our way to Siem Reap we visited the pre Angkor Temple Area of Sembour Prei Kuk. Not much to see we were told at our Hotel in Phnom. It was just perfect. In the forest, shade, almost no tourists. The guide was good and the kids found tree-bones.

What is this thing?

Ah, the temples. Much older than Angkor, 700 AD.

While the traffic in Phnom Penh is somewhat Ok, in the countryside it is awful. And it is Friday and next Monday starts 3 days new year celebration. Still on our way to Siem Reap. Did I mention? Internet works well here.

We are about to leave Phnom Penh for Siem Reap.
Time to reflect.
We like Cambodia.
Hard to believe we are already here 6 days! We did not do much so it seems to me.

Kings Palace. Lost Adas hat and got it back the day after.
Vietnam Embassy to get visas, took only a day to do them but 240$ is expensive and that was the cheapest version available.
Organisation, how to get around the country and how to leave it for Vietnam afterwards (on the Mekong).
Difficult here and cumbersome, one has to know what the real price is and then haggle.
Example: How to get to Siem Reap possibly with overnight in Kampong Thom
– Bus: 4×12$ to Kampong and again 4×12 to Siem (direct also is only 12$ even though double the distance)
– Ask in Hotel, the “found” taxi for 90$ to Kampong. To Siem with 3 h stop in Kampong 120$
– Ask the internet, best offer 95$
– Back in the hotel, ah you found taxi for 95$ and without hesitation “what about 100$”. I guess the guy would have earned himself 25$ or so.

Wat Phnom, at temple in the middle of the city on a hill

With a playground at the bottom, carousel blackout fail-save:

National Museum, very neat (no pictures allowed).
By the way: if someone every visits the National Museum go to Kabbas Restaurant #166, St. 13 close by and eat AMOK.

We are preparing another package and I guess it is 10 kg again.

And finally upon request from many readers I faced my fear. Sorry only understandable for Swiss German Readers:

Zuerst mal hier schauen:

Vorher:

1.25$ später:

Man beachte den Spiegel im Spiegel! Man kann sich vom Stuhl aus vorne und hinten gleichzeitig betrachten!
Genial.
Ebenfalls genial sind gewisse Steckdosen hier wo man direkt etwa 4 unterschiedliche Systeme einstecken kann: