Temples, temples, temples...

Today three took a tuk tuk to temples... say that ten times fast... we had a guide with us who showed us around Angkor Wat and a couple of the other major ones... been there done that but still glad to go back as they are pretty awesome... more awesome was the mass monkey fight we literally got involved in at Angkor Wat.. it got real when a small monkey disagreement on the stairs we were walking up turned into an all-in biting screaming riot, at one point they were going at it about two stairs below me and I thought they were eyeing me up as a strategic high point. About four piled in on one big one and they ended up rolling off the side of the temple in one big ball of flying fur, falling about ten feet into a huge puddle and then carrying on with the biting and screaming. Great entertainment, especially with all the old American tourists freaking out and scattering as rabid monkey packs ran in all directions.

Tomorrow we have another tuk tuk (less tour guide) to see some of the smaller, less frequented temple sites (no monkeys apparently, but a lot of talk about black cobras)... the rain here has been getting gradually worse every day, last night we were horribly trapped in a cocktail bar as the rain hammered down and flowed down the footpaths ankle-deep... then the power went off and it was booze by candlelight in a monsoon. All good fun but the upshot is most reports are saying Laos is going to be worse, and there is a good chance roads will become impassable etc, so we will likely look at leaving here in a couple of nights and probably head straight into Thailand, across to Bangkok and maybe north from there.

Most randomly we were walking through Hoi An Ancient Town the other night looking for a decent beverage and by some bizarre chance they were playing Neutral Milk Hotel, an amazing band so unknown to most people that they just give you an odd look when you mention the name... so obviously that sold me for a couple of drinks... as far as obscure music events go that is right up there for me... find some tracks from the album 'In the Aeroplane Over the Sea', most definitely the title track, and 'Holland, 1945', 'Two Headed Boy', 'Oh Comely' etc...

Now I am being nagged to stop being antisocial and get ready to head to the night markets for street food... rain is looking likely again... ah the joys of SE Asia... syoo