Our trip in Cambodia has been great thus far. We quickly brushed the sketchy border crossing off our shoulders and immediately started enjoying this country. We stayed in Siem Reap for four nights and could have easily stayed longer. Let me tell you some of my favorite things about where we are.
1. There is French everywhere. Having a French minor isn't always useful in the US. To say that I don't hear or use the language often is an understatement. However, Cambodia was part of the Southeast Asia French colonization in the late 1800s early 1900s and stayed until the 50s (don't quote me on any of this, most things I've learned are from people whose first language is not the same as mine!) Because of the colonization French was taught in their schools and became one of the most widely spoken languages in Cambodia...or in French, Cambodge (hence the title). Anyways, there are many French tourists here to listen in on and many Khmer adults speak French as well. It's a beautiful language and I love hearing it!
2. Angkor. Just outside of Siem Reap are the ruins of the ancient city, and once capitol of Cambodge, Angkor. The ruins are all temples, the oldest being from the 800s. Dang. The most massive, and most famous, is Angkor Wat. This temple is absolutely breathtaking. We first passed by it at night, all lit up. It is massive and makes you think back to who built it, who used it and who died for it. We got a three day pass to go through the Angkor ruins and a tuk-tuk driver named Thierry. We saw only just over 10 temples and were in complete awe at every one of them. There are no ruins of homes, markets or anything else, just the 60-70 religious buildings. It shows you how important their religion was to them that they made these buildings so that they would last. One of my favorite temples has now become overrun by trees. Huge roots and trunks of trees are now one with the walls, monuments and images of Buddha. It was quite the sight to see. The temples have gone through many changes by each new Khmer king. They've changed from Buddhist to Hindu and back to Buddhist. Their exteriors have changed but the heart hasn't. We were able to see both a sunset and a sunrise at the ruins and it just made them all the more powerful. If anyone is ever considering a trip to Southeast Asia I will tell you that Angkor is an absolute must-see.
3. The scenery. A tuk-tuk ride through Siem Reap is a great way to see various parts of the city. We took tuk-tuk rides everyday and saw new things each time. We would start in the morning by driving down "River Road" right outside of our guesthouse. The river, and the road, was lined with trees and gave off a serene vibe. We would turn the street and find it filled with Khmer children fitting three-deep on a rickety bicycle that is even too big for me to fit on. They would be biking by all of the fruit stands selling the exact same goods is one another. It forces you to wonder if they ever get any business and why they sit so close to a replica stand. But, maybe, spending a day laughing and sitting with your friends, eating pineapples and looking out at beautiful jungles and forests beats ever getting a sale (and aren't the men the ones who are supposed to make the money anyways?...only kidding/being facetious!) We would take another turn and find ourselves sharing a dirt road with a few other tuk-tuks and bicycles. There are forests on either side and a giant ancient temple looming in the background. You get lost in the view, consumed by it, until you almost hit three other vehicles and are in a market with people yelling "Lady, you buy something""Lady, cheap cheap for you""Lady, where you from? I know your prime minister Barack Obama""Lady, you want cold water."It can get on your nerves. We are dropped off in between a stand of books being sold by a man who lost both of his arms from a landmine and an old woman with a flat cart of spiced and salted snails that she is selling and that we saw her dig out of the opaque-mud-colored river earlier. You can't beat the sights and the smells you encounter during your day on a tuk-tuk.
4. The people. I know it sounds cliche (and who deemed cliches so bad anyways?) but I am surrounded by great people here. I have two traveling companions: my sister Brittany and her best friend Leah. There are typically tears shed due to laughter at least once a day in this group. They are also a lot more aggressive than I am and get things done! We have been having a blast together. We have also met some great Khmers along the way as well. Our two drivers, Vanna and Thierry, roll with the punches and have been great to us. They have given us a lot of information on a country we knew so little about ahead of time. The guesthouse we stayed at in Siem Reap (Shadows of Angkor) had a wonderful staff. At first we thought it was a little bit weird that every single person knew which room we were staying in, but we soon came to love them for that. Our Willy Wonka-esque friend, who we initially thought was the manager, is the best thing to happen to Siem Reap since Angkor Wat. He spoke French and Khmer as his native language, was fluent in Thai, and was almost fluent in English. He would practice his English by telling us three girls a legend/story/'conte' about Cambodia almost every day. These stories would end up taking about 20 minutes and we never had a clue what he was talking about. One day he even took Leah fishing in the river, where they caught two catfish. We've only been gone from the city for a day and I miss him already!
Okay I guess that is only 4 things, but I elaborated quite a bit. I guess we can all conclude that I really enjoyed my time in Siem Reap. This morning we took a 6 hour bus to the capitol of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. It is very different here. Phnom Penh is a lot busier and a much bigger metropolis. There are no serene rides down 'River Road' or 20 minute story sessions with an elder Khmer. It is put your head down and go time. I have great faith that I will nestle into this little home for the next few days as well though and enjoy it thoroughly. We have 2 more days left in Cambodia and then we hop on a three-day boat ride down the Mekong River to Vietnam.
Thanks for letting me gush about my new love!
Thanks for letting me gush about my new love!
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