We started with one last, excellent breakfast at the C Central Hotel Bui Vien, but this time we fueled up for our long trek through the city with more traditional Vietnamese fare - stir fried noodles and rice with beef. I might start having this breakfast more often.
After absorbing the awesome protein, we navigated our way several miles from our hotel through the city and to the History Museum, relying on just one map this time, a nascent memory of where things were two days ago, and some more dumb luck. We were also pretty proud of ourselves for climbing the pedestrian learning curve: we annoyed significantly fewer drivers and walked the city and its lack of formal sidewalks like not novices.
The museum is pretty stunning on the inside and outside.
Once there, we spent a couple hours going back in time, seeing artifacts that ranged from the most primitive humans all the way through the mid 1900s. Luckily we made it all the way through by the museum's midday close so we trudged the multiple miles back to our hotel in high heat - mid 95 with a heat index of 113 (though we didn't realize it at the time). We did, admittedly, seek some tourist shelter in a Starbucks beside our hotel, but we swear it was just only for a half hour and just for the a/c (and some delicious iced tea drinks). We regret nothing.
After lunch, we got to the gate and took a small bus up to our prop plane. Erika and I were both a bit nostalgic since we hadn't been on propeller planes since college trips to Charlottesville, but this little one and Cambodia Angkor Air got us to Siem Reap safely and 40 minutes ahead of schedule.
Once there, we spent a couple hours going back in time, seeing artifacts that ranged from the most primitive humans all the way through the mid 1900s. Luckily we made it all the way through by the museum's midday close so we trudged the multiple miles back to our hotel in high heat - mid 95 with a heat index of 113 (though we didn't realize it at the time). We did, admittedly, seek some tourist shelter in a Starbucks beside our hotel, but we swear it was just only for a half hour and just for the a/c (and some delicious iced tea drinks). We regret nothing.
We then took a cab to the airport, checked in for our flight, and then settled in for a late lunch of delicious Pho. What you can't see under my hat is the delirious smile I'm trying to suppress so I won't choke on the noodles.
After lunch, we got to the gate and took a small bus up to our prop plane. Erika and I were both a bit nostalgic since we hadn't been on propeller planes since college trips to Charlottesville, but this little one and Cambodia Angkor Air got us to Siem Reap safely and 40 minutes ahead of schedule.
We cleared customs, took a transfer to our hotel, and then lounged here for a bit before going to enjoy probably our best dinner yet (and that's saying something) at the GrillWine Cafe near our hotel. Erika's curry was great (she says) and my Cambodian beef tenderloin lasted just long enough to be photographed before I wolfed it down.
Finally, after dinner we walked back to our hotel and are getting ready for a big today tomorrow, exploring the Angkor temples. We'll check in after that!
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