Thailand & Cambodia April 2000 part 2

Aya (above left) with some signs of the Thai/Cambodian 
New Year (which takes place in April)  when they put 
talcum powder on each other. The guest house 
in Seam Reap close to Angkor Wat where 
we stayed (see above right). 

On a very rainy morning we went to see Angkor 
Thom which is a temple quite far away from Seam Reap . 
Our trousers were almost colored brown 
from the mud on the very bad roads. 

The Bantay Sri temple(above left). Me, white faced 
with New Year talcum powder, together with our 
motorbike drivers who were messing with us. 

The three of us at a food stall (above left). The 
famous temple area Angkor Wat (above right).

I did a lot of shopping this evening (above left) in 
Seam Reap. The red bag I am carrying in the 
picture, I use to work every day. I really like 
it. The Cambodian bloke above right) was far 
from sober and he really knew how 
to celebrate the Thai/Cambodian New Year...
He was ready to cover me in  talcum powder 
when I took the picture as you can see.

Cambodian street stalls/shops (above). 

We went by 'bus' out of Cambodia back to 
Bangkok, Thailand. A Cambodian bus is the 
same as a pickup truck. The roads were in
very bad condition after only 2 years of
peace. The pickup truck in the left pic had
its front wheel lying on the ground when
we passed it. The wheel had broken off 
due to the bad roads

We were going inside the pickup truck in the
tiny backseat. I can only imagine how bumpy
it must have been to sit back on the truck as the
locals did (above right). During the
Thai/Cambodian  New Year people throw
water on other trucks or pedestrians. We 'missed'
the water party by sitting inside the truck.

Me by the Thai/Cambodian border just after
Dope had been taken into a special room, the
Cambodian border custom guys thought he
was Cambodian. They believed him though
after a while of questioning. A bit scary...
At a Bangkok food stall outside in the street
where Aya lives on the night when we came back
from Cambodia. We were very tired and happy
to be back in the well developed country of
Thailand.

Aya, me, Aya's dad and mum and Aya's
two sisters in their family house in Bangkok
(above left). One of the many temples in
Bangkok and a huge picture with the
famous Thai King outside it ( above right).

Lots and lots of youngsters were going around
on the back of pickup trucks, throwing water
on everything and everybody to celebrate the
Thai New Year. As always the Thai people
were very very friendly even though
some people weren't prepared to become
soaking wet when passing one of the 'water
pirates' on the pickup trucks.