Singapore to Siem Reap

Saturday 21 September
Arrived in Siem Reap (Cambodia) more or less on-time after a flight which took us over extensive tracts of swampy looking land on the edge of what looked like a large lake.  The air was warm (for us) with a characteristically humid feel and smell.  All passport processing was manual with each person taking a good few minutes.  Patrice’s luggage arrived pretty soon but additions to the conveyor belt came to an end without our readily recognisable cases showing up.  The lost and found man was very helpful but so focused on his job tracing the missing luggage that he so showed little to no humour.  The firm conclusion was that our bags were innocently sitting somewhere in Changi airport.  Should have spotted the signs when I was called up while we were waiting in the boarding lounge and asked to see our luggage tickets to be told “oh we just had to update the records”.   We were promised the bags would be on a flight here tomorrow and delivered to the hotel.  We were then able to join Patrice who had gone out to reassure our guide that we would be there soon.

As soon as we were in the transport (van) we were provided with cold towels and a fresh cool bottle of water.  His animated chat kept us on the ball for the 15-20 minute ride to the hotel.  Right side of the road (French influence), lots of cars, over-loaded motorbikes and TukTuks. Lots of puddles and the roads wet after a downpour earlier in the day.  This is the wet season (our guide actually referred to it as winter) but is absolutely crucial for crops of course.  We were welcomed at the hotel by a number of very polite staff, formalities of passport, credit card and signing forms were accompanied by a glass of something cold and sweet.  We put the AC on in the room as soon as possible and started to feel a bit less blobby.  With no bags to unpack, we just sorted out what we could and had dinner in the hotel.  By soon after eight pm we were both asleep, after 32 hours with almost none.

Auckland/Singapore

Friday 20 and Saturday 21 September

Met up with Patrice at Auckland and now officially travelling as a group!  It was a smooth flight all the way to Singapore arriving at 6.30 am to very humid but hazy weather.  We have covered the main attractions of the airport (and there is certainly a lot of it!) having visited the Butterfly House in Terminal 3, viewed the Rain Vortex in the Jewel section, visited the Koi pool, the sunflowers on the roof, and the Enchanted Garden in Terminal 2.  We are now relaxing in the Ambassador Lounge waiting for our connecting flight to Siem Reap and preparing ourselves for the heat/humidity that awaits us.

Happy Koi

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Lists! Lists! Lists!

Lists! lists! lists!
They are so useful of course.  But they can also drown an un-seasoned, but willing co-traveller.  No, I haven't drowned yet but I have learned the value of them, both in seeing ahead of time what might be missed... and of the anxiety reducing effect - for a time at least.  Up until now, this has mostly been on paper... but tonight the big whiteboard was pressed into service, complete with columns, tick-boxes and coloured pens.  NOW we WILL be organised!

Still uncertain just which technology will go with us, or how connected we will be, but hopefully we have some way of adding to this blog from time to time.  We certainly found it a helpful memoir of our Europe trip and were pleased that a few people found it entertaining.

The whole idea of preparing for 30-40 degree heat while sitting by an open fire assisted by a heat-pump bends the mind  more than just a little. "Of course I'll need that jersey... What, no coat at all?" and many other exclamations have been bouncing off the walls of our minds as we get our heads around just being able to put on the lightest clothes while in the Dunedin spring (mild as it is). 

One working week to go.  Yeay!!