I left Hanoi on a drizzly morning. I was sad to go--I absolutely loved Hanoi, with its misty streets, corner pho stalls and little temples. While I was sad to go, it is pleasant to leave a place wistfully rather than gleefully. And I feel like I might return to Hanoi one day.And then I was off to Siem Reap, Cambodia, via Laos. While Hanoi is misty and chilly, Siem Reap (or "Thailand defeated") is truly tropical, 90 degrees with 80 percent humidity when I stepped off the plane. On the way to the hotel, I glimpsed Angkor Wat, which, even from afar, was magnificent. I purchased my temple pass, choosing the 7 day option for leisurely temple viewing and then I settled in to my room.
Included in the rate is a sumptuous breakfast, a complimentary massage, a bottle of wine, and best of all, my own chariot--a tuk tuk--and driver, who I can use from sunrise until 10 at night. I could get used to this. Traveling via tuk tuk is slow and breezy, you can view the world around you in a leisurely way.
After lunch, it was off to Angkor Wat, the best preserved of the temples in the Ankgor complex. I loved the amazingly detailed bas reliefs adorning the outside of the temple.
The depictions of torture in Buddhist hell were said to inspire the Khmer Rouge. Here are a few of the less ghastly images.
And, to close, a sunset over the temple. 
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