Author: Andrew

tl;dr woke up mad early to watch the tuna auction, ate sushi, and GO KARTED WHILE DRESSED UP AS MARIO THROUGH THE STREETS OF TOKYO ALONG WITH YOSHI, DONKEY KONG, AND LUIGI!!!! – 8 activities

 

Activity 1 – Tsukiji Fish Market Tuna Auction

As mentioned in a previous post, the Tsukiji Fish Market had a fire, but the Tuna Auction was not impacted. In order to watch the Tuna Auction (free event), you have to get to the waiting room between 2am and 4am depending on the time of year. Having tried once before and failed (with a 4am arrival), I decided there was no way I was missing out on this opportunity a second time.

I slept napped for about an hour or two before pulling myself out of bed and cabbing to the Tsukiji Market. I was among the first 30 or so arrivals and thus had guaranteed my spot to watch the auction. For reference, the auction does not start until 5something am…meaning you will be sitting for a few hours. My recommendation, bring snacks and a book…and be open to chatting with the people sitting next to you. Everyone is given a vest to signify that you are allowed to be in this vicinity of the market (the fish market is not open to tourists until later in the day).

As the 5am hour approaches, a local fish monger comes into the room and explains the auction process and what the buyers are looking for when they examine the fish. You can ask this person questions. It was incredibly interesting hearing about the history of the market, his job, and the expectations of his customers.

Shortly after the ‘guide’ departed, we were ushered in a single-file line through the market into a building bustling with activity.

The tuna carcasses are lined up on the ground and the fish mongers examine each fish to compare the color of the meet, consistency, and feel. The auction starts shortly after we arrive and its over before you know it. We are quickly ushered out into the market, completing the auction experience. A second tuna auction occurs later in the morning, for which the second cohort of tourists gets to attend.

The Tsukiji Tuna Auction was an amazing experience! Highly recommend it to any sushi lover.

Activity 2 – SUSHI FOR BREAKFAST!!!

What else?!?! After hearing about tuna all morning and then watching the auction, the only reasonable option for breakfast was sushi!! I went to the Tsukiji Sushi Restaurant. There are some amazing omakase style sushi places in Tsukiji, but this is the best sushi restaurant (sans omakase).

This place only serves what it bought that morning and as they run out of the fish, it comes off of the menu. They also have specials depending on what they decided to buy that day. This place is cash only, so be prepared (and it is more expensive than most of the sushi places I went to in Tokyo).

The sushi was out of this world good!

 

Activity 3 – Nap!

After breakfast, it was time for a quick nap. I was so tired, that napping was #1 on my activity list (Since I had been to Tokyo before and done most standard activities, I felt comfortable spending a few hours napping.

 

Activity 4 – The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo is located in Chiyoda and very close to the Imperial Palace. They had a really interesting exhibit: The Japanese House: Architecture and Life after 1945.

Activity 5 – Park Chilling, Book Reading, and Random Olympics Stuff

I camped out in the park to read a bit and relax before heading to dinner. On the way to dinner, I ran into a sports setup promoting the 2020 summer olympics. I got to see how fast I could throw a baseball, serve a tennis ball, and kick a soccer ball. They also were measuring how far you could drive a golf ball. Fun little side track.

Activity 6 – Conveyor Belt Sushi (of course)

Next up was sushi for dinner at Hanamaru. This restaurant is located right next to Tokyo Station. It is soooo good! I ate so much sushi (the picture below was taken half-way through my meal to give you some perspective).

Activity 7 – MARICAR GO KARTING!!!!

This is a must-do activity in Tokyo. You dress up as your favorite N64 character (and other characters) and race drive through Tokyo. There are different lengths and routes…I picked the longest course (3hrs) and made sure to pick a route that would showcase as much of the city as possible. I dressed up as Mario, while the other people in my group dressed up as Luigi, Yoshi, and Donkey Kong. Make sure you get an international drivers license. You will not be able to drive otherwise. This was the limiting factor the first time I was in Tokyo.

We drove through Shinjuku, Ginza, Shibuya, and by Tokyo Tower and Shibuya Crossing,. The karts go FAST! Each group is given a guide that gives you instructions and takes pictures through out. I wore a GoPro for the majority of the 3hrs to capture a video of the event (they have GoPro’s to rent).

In case this was not clear, you are driving on active, traffic packed roads. We drove over the Rainbow Bridge and hit 40+ mph. Everywhere we went, people would take pictures of us. My kart was one of the faster ones to the point where I was often catching up to the guide (and passing him). These karts have hand breaks and I saw my guide drift a couple of times…of course I had to try drifting. My guide told me about an upcoming turn that was newly paved and would be perfect. I accelerated and pulled that hand break whipping the kart around the turn. WOW IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!

Activity 8 – Izakaya and One Last Night Out

After heading home from MariCar and showering, I decided to grab some Izakaya in Shibuya. Had a snack and a couple of beers before rolling into Sound Museum Vision. This club is awesome! I had previously been here and really enjoyed, so figured it would be great to go back to. I was not disappointed. Stayed out pretty late and walked in and out of various bars throughout the course of the night.

tl;dr Sushi, Electronics, and Baseball – 5 activities

 

Activity 1 – Airbnb in Shibuya

I booked an Airbnb for Tokyo as it was the cheapest and best option for my purposes. This was the first (and only) Airbnb of my trip. I opted to stay in Shibuya. I had actually visited Japan a few months before this trip, but was not able to complete every activity on my list. Thus, I purposefully had my return flight to the US running through Tokyo to give myself the opportunity to check-off the remaining items.

The Airbnb was nothing special, but it met all of my needs. The hosts were nice and even gave me a box of candy on my second day.

 

Activity 2 – Sushi (are you even surprised) at Uogashi Nihon-Ichi (standing Sushi Bar)

By the time I checked-in and got settled, it was time for lunch. Lunch in Japan = sushi (for me). Although I enjoy Ramen and other Japanese dishes, there is nothing better than sushi. First up, standing sushi!

It was so good! This was my favorite sushi place last time I was in Tokyo, so I had to make it back.

 

Activity 3 – Akihabara

While en route to Akihabara from Shibuya, I walked by a cool mural and MariCar vehicles. MariCar was one of the main reasons I planned on coming back to Tokyo. More on MariCar later, but I am so excited for it!

This area of Tokyo is an electronics paradise. There are a tremendous number of electronics stores and stores selling old video games. I saw shelves stacked with N64 cartridges, Playstation (original) discs, and even older games for systems like Atari, NES, and Sega.

This area is definitely cool and different. Different in that they have cafes with cats, maids, and other things.

 

Activity 4 – Yomiuri Giants Game

I really wanted to check out a baseball game in Japan, but last time I was in Tokyo, none of the teams were home when I was in the various cities. This time, however, I was able to catch the Yomiuri Giants against the Hanshin Tigers.

The game was a lot of fun and it was incredible to see the difference in baseball culture between the USA and Japan. The crowds in Japan were intense…chanting the whole game. Also, the away fans had their own sections within the stadium. Overall the Tokyo dome was very cool and the game was a lot of fun. I saw Shinnosuke Abe bat on his path towards 2000 career hits.

Activity 5 – Going out

For some reason, my phone stayed in my pocket for the duration of my two nights out in Tokyo. So no photo documentation besides one not great picture, but I made it out to a bunch of bars/clubs. I went to Club Camelot and Womb, but neither was all that crowded. This was most likely because it was early in the evening. I could see why people recommend these clubs. I was only planning on staying out for a very short time due to my super super early wake up to watch the Tuna auction, so I most likely left before it got really crowded.

 

tl;dr golfed in Bangkok and flew to Tokyo – 3 activities

 

Activity 1 – Koh Samui (USM) Priority Pass Lounge and Golf Reservation

In case you were wondering, by the time I got to the airport in Koh Samui I was overly tired. Having stayed awake for over 24 hours and partying for much of that time, I was ready to sleep.

I got to the airport and grabbed a snack from the priority pass lounge. The flight was a little delayed, so I took advantage of the extra time to research golf courses near Bangkok. My flight to Tokyo was later in the evening, so I had almost a full day to hang around Bangkok (with all of my bags).

**There are two airports in Bangkok: DMK and BKK. I was flying into BKK and out of DMK and they are about an hour plus apart.

Through my research, I found a couple of courses relatively between the two airports, made a tee time reservation and set out on a journey to golf in Thailand.

Activity 2 – Golfing at Windsor Golf Club

I arrived at the course, bought a bag of golf balls (who knew how I was actually going to play since I had been awake over 24 hours and had not swung a club in over a month), and rented clubs. The course requires everyone to have a caddy, so I had a caddy!

I played decently well…shot in the 90s. For a short amount of time I was paired with an older guy who spoke some English. My caddy spoke enough to tell me which direction to hit the ball in. At one point during the round, I had to wait on the tee box for about five minutes for the group in front of me to finish out a short hole. During this time, my caddy walked off into the woods and came back holding a handful of flower buds. She prompted me to smell them…they smelled really good! She ended up placing them with us in the golf cart for the rest of the round.

 

The clubhouse had a shower facility (which I absolutely took advantage of). Once I started feeling like a real person again, I called an Uber and made my way to the airport to head to Tokyo

 

Activity 3 – AirAsia Premium Economy Flat Bed

DMK is not nearly as nice as BKK and there were many fewer activities to entertain yourself with during the lead-up to your flight. I checked out several Priority Pass lounges to compare, contrast, and eat.

The flight from Bangkok to Tokyo is around 7 hours and due to the timing and time change, the flight was overnight (the flight took off at 11:45pm and landed at 8am at Tokyo Narita).

Knowing how tired I was going to be (over 36 hours straight of being awake, partying, and golfing), I booked AirAsia’s Premium Flat Bed seat. The seat cost an extra ~$150, but this flight was still cheaper than any other carrier’s economy offering.

Sure enough, I passed out hard on this flight. I wrapped myself in a blanket, lay down, and napped (slept) for the majority of the flight.

TOKYO here I come!

tl;dr THE FULL MOON PARTY, PARTIED ALL NIGHT, PARTIED INTO THE DAY, MET RANDOS, AND PARTIED!!!!!!!! – 5 activities

Activity 1 – Ferry to Koh Phangan 

Took a ferry from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan, not a long ride by any means, but I could feel the excitement in the air from the people around me. I would be staying in a hostel in a 20 person room…now when I say staying, I mean I had a bed that I paid for, but I was really using the hostel for the pool and as a place to store my belongings. I arrive in Koh Phangan in time for lunch, so I check-in to the hostel and explore a bit of the island. I eventually sit down for some lunch.

 

Activity 2 – Pool Chilling

My hostel has a pool, so naturally, I make my way over to the pool, which is extremely crowded, and meet some people. We play some football in the water and a little horse on the nearby basketball court. We get to know each other decently well and agree to hang out that evening.

 

Activity 3 – Shopping and Dinner

It is a well known fact that anyone attending the Full Moon Party needs to be dressed appropriately…so I bought myself a FMP tank top (bright neon) and cheap shorts (assuming they would get destroyed from paint and sand). Next on the shopping list was alcohol and paint. As you’ll see in the pictures below, body paint is quite common and I wanted to make sure I was prepared. After the requisite purchases were complete, I had some dinner and got ready for the party.

WARNING, FUN BELOW:

 

Activity 4 – Pre-game and Painting

I went back to the pool area (which also had a bar) where I met up with my new found friends. We started drinking and actively painting our bodies. I tried painting a watch onto my wrist…that was not a success, before finding out that some of my friends were actually solid artists. All in all, I had the aforementioned watch, a “Big Apple,” NY Mets logo, Statue of Liberty (yes, I had to rep New York as much as possible), a happy face, a flower, and a re-make of the Mike Tyson face tattoo. I also dabbled with painting on some of my friends.

Activity 5 – HERE WE GO!!!!

We left the hostel and reached the party a little before midnight. There is a small entrance fee, but nothing outrageous by any means.

OK, this party is massive. The pictures do not do the event justice. It was a massive stretch of beach with bars and djs across the entirety of the strip. The first few hours, I stuck with the crew I had met earlier. We all took turns running up to the bar and buying a few buckets of alcohol and beer. We had a spot right where the water reaches so sometimes we were ankle deep in water. I was amazed at how we were all able to leave the group and find our way back 20 minutes later.

At one point during the evening, we all split up and went our own ways. I watched people jump the jump rope of fire and jump through the hoop of flames.

I was not willing to do the jump rope because I had seen too many people get burned or almost burned because of other people’s mistakes (multiple people could jump rope at once). I did, however, jump through the hoop of flames (no video of it since I did not ask anyone to film me).

Eventually, the sun started to rise and you were truly able to see the scope of the beach. Although it was not longer packed, it was still decently crowded considering the time.

Over the course of the party, I met people from all over the world, people that worked for my previous employer (but in other countries) and people that did not speak any English, It was truly an incredible experience. Everyone was there to have an incredible time and the atmosphere was like nothing else. Even in the morning bars were packed and people were still going hard (although some people had found comfy napping spots on the beach).

 

I begrudgingly left the beach to head back to my hostel, get a quick shower in, and get back on the ferry. I had to catch a flight back to Bangkok for one last day in Southeast Asia before Japan.

 

tl;dr Hung out at the hotel, napped, and checked out Koh Samui nightlife – only 3 activities

 

Activity 1 – Beach and Pool

Woke up feeling refreshed, but recognizing that I was still low on sleep and my body was starting to let me know. For breakfast, I ate at the hotel, it was a nice buffet. I went down to the water and spent most of the day by the beach. I had a snack at one of the hotel’s many restaurants before hanging out in a big comfy chair by the pool. After reading a page…maybe two…I felt my eyelids closing. I decided it was nap time…so I grabbed one of my extra towels and had a makeshift blanket. I woke up shortly before the pouring rain began giving me enough time to get up to my room and get ready for dinner.

 

Activity 2 – Dinner

I went to a local thai restaurant that wrapped their Pad Thai in egg…it was not nearly as good as Thip Samai in Bangkok, but it was still good.

Activity 3 – Nightlife and Ark Bar

I walked around the ‘downtown’ of Koh Samui and saw a bunch of bars that were relatively empty. I attributed this to the fact that most people were probably taking it easy the night before the Full Moon Party or had already moved to Koh Phangan. I did find a pretty fun beach party at Ark Bar with fire dancers. *As an aside, there is an EDM party in the jungle of Koh Phangan, but they were not running shuttle boats from Koh Samui that evening. I had heard from people mixed reviews – some loved it (being in a jungle and partying), others thought it was overrated. I also got myself a chocolate ‘pancake’ to munch on for dessert.

Did not stay out too too late knowing what was coming tomorrow!

tl;dr Minimal sleep, a quick flight, some beach relaxation and dinner – 5 activities

 

Activity 1 – Flight to USM

I slept around 3 hours before waking up to head to the airport. Easy flight and relatively short.

Activity 2 – Sheraton Samui Resort

I decided to use SPG points for this stay. When planning my trip, I knew I would go to the Full Moon Party and would probably want to relax a little before. I chose this resort as it had great reviews and a solid redemption value. I checked in and was given some SPG elite benefits. The hotel has multiple pools and a small kids water activity section.

Activity 3 – RELAX

I immediately went down to the pool and the beach to hang out, read my book, and full on relax.

Activity 4 – Phensiri Thai Restaurant

Per internet research and concierge help, I identified Phensiri as a top restaurant in Koh Samui. I was not disappointed – really good food and solid service. It is also known for having spicy food (yum!).

Activity 5 – Hotel Relaxing

After dinner, I made my way back to the hotel and had a drink while hanging out. The hotel was pretty quiet, so I took this as an opportunity to get some sleep and prepare for the upcoming celebration. I also had a little gift from SPG waiting for me (its chocolate).

tl;dr Damnoen Sauak Floating Market, walking around, and a whole bunch of clubs – 8 activities

 

Activity 1 – Damnoen Sauak Floating Market

There are several floating markets around Bangkok, but the Damnoen Sauak is likely the most famous. I joined up with a tour bus (signed up at a stall on Khao San Road for a trip the next day) and let them take care of logistics. The ride was about 90 minutes to get from Bangkok to the floating market.

The market is now fully for tourists – many years ago, it was a real Thai market, but today it caters to tourists. You can still get food from vendors floating along the river and buy goods from the vendors that line the water. It was a fun experience, but nothing particularly amazing.

Activity 2 – Bangkok exploration

Following the floating market, I decided to explore Bangkok and walk around. I found my way back to the malls (and somehow beat the rain). While exploring, I checked my phone and learned that the Tsukiji fish market it Tokyo had caught fire. For those that do not know, the Tsukiji fish market is world famous and offers the chance to see the daily tuna auction up close and personal. It is one of the reasons I had selected Tokyo as the origination location of my return flight. The fire and resulting impact would be something I monitor going forward.

 

Activity 3 – Mama Mia (Oldest Restaurant)

This restaurant (more of a street food vendor) in Silom is absolutely delicious. Some of the best food I had during my entire trip. I had Pad See Ew with fish and enjoyed every bite of it. I had them wrap it up to go for me since the portion was massive.

Activity 4 – Hostel Drinking

Before heading out to Bangkok’s clubs, I played a bunch of drinking games with people from my hostel.

Activity 5 – Legendary Bangkok Nightlife

I had already been in Bangkok several nights, but had yet to experience their clubs – this was the night to do it. I went to this one area that had several clubs lined up, giving me the opportunity to experience as many of them as I could. One thing that really struck me, was the amount of LEDs lining the walls, ceilings, and floors. It absolutely created a party environment.

I started at Onyx, before heading over to Route 66. Both were pretty crowded and played some great music. There were several rooms…some playing top 40, some playing heavy trance/edm, and others mixing and mashing. It was a fun environment.

Activity 6 – Ce La Vi Bangkok

As this was my last night to go out in Bangkok, I had made it a point to try out several different clubs. I had seen great reviews for this club partially due to the reviews, but also the crowd. As it turns out, this club was extremely touristy and not that impressive by any means. I still enjoyed dancing, but it was definitely not as much fun as the other places.

Activity 7 – Grab driver got pulled over!

My Grab driver got pulled over at a traffic stop! The cops made my driver step out of the car. They talked to him for quite a while and I am pretty sure I saw my driver open his wallet, hand something over, and then get back in the car and keep driving. Not sure exactly what happened – but that was definitely an experience.

Activity 8 – Sugar Club

One final club to check out before heading back. It was relatively on my way home – so I decided to go. It was fun. Overall, I would have liked to go out to the other clubs around Bangkok as there are so many to experience and by hopping around so much, I was limited in how much time I could spend at each.

Time to head home, get some sleep, and get ready for my next stop.

tl;dr Explored the city, checked out a couple of malls, Jim Thompson house, Hostel hang out, alcohol buckets, and scorpions for dinner?! – 4 activities

Activity 1 – Exploration

Apparently, Bangkok has quite a few massive malls – so I decided to meander around the city with the goal of eventually ending up at a mall. I found my way to Lumphini Park, but looked up at the sky and saw the signature clouds indicating RAIN! I quickly left the park and made it to a covered walkway that leads to the malls right as the sky opened up. Sure enough, the malls are huge and there are many of them. One shopping complex is called Central World and it is the 10th largest shopping complex in the world. I also went to the MBK Center. Inside one of the malls, I came across a Maserati, Rolls Royce, and McLaren showroom (not too shabby).

Activity 2 – Jim Thompson House

So, Jim Thompson was an American businessman (known for founding the Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company). Jim Thompson collected a tremendous amount of Southeast Asian art, much of which is housed at the museum. The museum is one of the most popular tourist sites in Bangkok (it has guided tours). It was interesting to hear about Jim Thompson and his influence in the region, but I was not wowed.

Activity 3 – Hostel Hang Out

On the way back to the hostel, I stopped by Khao San Road to sign up for a tour to the floating village. I realized that most of tourist Bangkok can be done in 1 full day or 2 relaxed days…so being that I had a 3rd day in Bangkok, I decided I would sign up for the floating village tour (THIS TOUR LEAVES EARLY IN THE MORNING…UGH).

Once back at the hostel, I find out that the hostel has arranged a trek to the Chinatown/Khao San Road area for guests to get to know each other over dinner. We had some delicious food, thanks to the suggestion of our Hostel hosts from Lub D, and then made our way to Khao San Road.

Activity 4 – Khao San Road Partying

Khao San Road is much different at night than during the day. Bars are packed and people are everywhere. People walk by selling scorpions and other items that one would not normally eat. Two of my hostel friends gave the scorpions a try…they survived and kind of sort of enjoyed it?

We went bar hopping across Khao San Road, having an alcohol bucket at various bars. The alcohol buckets are exactly what they sound like…a bucket of alcohol, some mixer, and straws. The bars were fun, crowded, and touristy. By the end of the night, the parties fill up the street and the music from the various bars coalesce together.

It should be noted, I had quite possibly the best Pad Thai of my life from a late night street vendor on Khao San Road. It was so good that, after sharing the it with my friends, I got a second one for myself. Next up, an over-loaded Tuk Tuk ride back to the hostel…Bangkok is a big city, the ride took 20 minutes?, and we fit 5 people into one tiny Tuk Tuk…I’m surprised the Tuk Tuk was able haul us all the way to the hostel.

OK, so…I know I have been away for a while and did not post the last parts of my trip…so here I go…

tl;dr River Cruise Wat Arun, Reclining Buddha, Grand Palace, Wat Saket, Khao San Road, Hangover Bar…and more – a lot of activities (6)

I slept in late! and I needed it…I stayed at the Lub D – Bangkok Silom (there are two Lub D’s in Bangkok). I chose to stay at Lub D because of the incredible experience I had at the Lub D in Phuket.

Activity 1 – Bangkok River Cruise and Temples

The river cruise is a great way to check off a number of different sites in Bangkok. It is a similar concept to the hop on hop off buses. The first stop was Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn). Wat Arun at night is something to be seen, but make sure to visit during the day (leverage a rooftop bar or something similar to see it at night).

Next up was Wat Pho (Temple of Reclining Buddha). This Buddha is a must see – it is tremendously long and therefore very difficult to fit from head to toe in a photo.

Next door is the Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace. **Note: there is a strict dress code – you can rent pants/tops outside from any number of vendors…you pay a deposit and get half back when you return it** I got to the palace right before closing time (I was actually denied entry, but found a moving line and hopped onto that one and made it inside). Again, this is a site worth seeing, but I don’t know if I hit the ‘sight-seeing wall’ or what, but I was not overly impressed.

Activity 2 – Khao San Road

Khao San Road is one of the most famous sites in Bangkok. It is backpacker central and is filled with bars, shops/stalls, and restaurants. It gets crazy at night (future post). It was extremely crowded and I must have overheard at least 7 languages while walking around.

Activity 3 – Wat Saket (Golden Mount)

I walked from the Khao San Road to Wat Saket (Golden Mount). Wat Saket is on top of a hill and provides great views of the city from the top. The stairs are a little spaced apart making the climb a little awkward, but it is worth the climb.

Activity 4 – Thip Samai Pad Thai

The Pad Thai here was absolutely incredible! It is worth the wait. I had to wait 15-20 minutes (not bad), but the line continued to grow the entire evening. It started to rain pretty heavily as soon as I got inside (lucked out a bit). So the Pad Thai: they wrap their pad thai in egg and they cook right at the front of the restaurant so you are able to watch them make the pad thai while you wait. I did not have the pad thai with the shrimp, but I did get a picture of it from the table next to mine. I repeat: SOOO GOOD!!!!

Activity 5 – Lub D and new friends

After dinner, I went back to my hostel to shower and get ready for the evening. I grabbed my kindle (Harry Potter) and a beer and hung out on the front porch. I met some people from all over the world and made plans to head out to a couple of bars.

Activity 6 – Sky Bar (Bar from the movie the Hangover) and Jack’s Bar

First stop of the evening was the Sky Bar. This bar is famous because of its usage in the movie The Hangover Part II. Drinks were extremely over-priced, but the view was worth it and the service was solid.

The next bar  we went to was Jack’s Bar. It is located on the river and is a ‘local’ bar. The bar is basically a shack with a dock on the water and various tables. The bartender was a really nice guy and let us control the music. Also, the bar was supposed to close at 2am, but he kept it open until we left (~5am)…so much for catching up on sleep.

tl;dr Went back to Angkor Wat to enjoy it as a tourist and took in the rest of the sights in Siem Reap – 4 activities

Activity 1 – Sunrise and Exploring Angkor Wat:

I decided to go back to Angkor to focus on enjoying the grounds versus taking pictures. Also, it is highly recommended to watch the sunrise over the temples. I hired a Tuk Tuk to take me around Angkor Wat to a number of different temples (some that I had already been to and others that I had not). 

I woke up EARLY (it was obviously still dark out) and found a great spot to sit and wait for the sun to come up. I may or may not have napped on the grass waiting for the sun to rise…I was extremely tired (on only 3 hours of sleep due to going out the previous night). 

It really was worth waking up absurdly early to watch the sunrise. After the sunrise, I walked around the rest of the grounds before tracking down my Tuk Tuk driver and riding to the next temple. The following pictures come from different temples throughout the Angkor Wat complex.

I got back to the hostel in time to nap for 30 minutes before checking out (at noon). I got some lunch and went to a local barbershop to get a shave (I desperately needed one). 
Activity 2 – War Museum:

The War Museum covers information on the Cambodian Civil War through the presentation of weapons. The museum also covers some of the Vietnam war and conflicts leading up to the Cambodian Civil War as a way to help set the context of the environment during that time. I enjoyed learning the history, but overall I was not impressed by the museum (and it definitely is not a ‘must see’).

Activity 3 – Killing Fields Museum:

The true Killing Fields museum is in Phnom Penh, but I did hear about a local to Siem Reap location. My same Tuk Tuk driver took me (and waited to bring me back). This ‘museum’ was disappointing. There were only a few signs providing information on what had occurred and there was no true museum. 
Activity 4 – Dinner and a flight to Bangkok

After the killing fields, I went back to downtown Siem Reap to grab some dinner before heading to the airport. I PASSED OUT on the flight. Asleep before take-off and I only woke up as people were getting off of the plane. Immigration in Bangkok took over an hour and I thought I was going to fall asleep standing up. I eventually made it to my hostel, checked in, and went to bed…with no alarm clock set.