Angkor Wat
Oh mama, is it hot here! If I realized how hot it would be I would’ve chosen a room with a/c, but instead for some reason I decided I needed a bathroom with hot water. No need for that here.
Of the 4 days I was in Siem Reap, 3 of the days I was up for the sunrise. The first day was spent watching
Ta Prohm
the sun rise at Angkor Wat- I had the good advice to enter the less popular east side to avoid the crowds and hiked up to the top of one of the towers to watch the sun rise. Already getting hot by 8am, I checked out a couple other wats in the area and headed home for breakfast and a nap. Headed out to Phnom Bakheng for the sunset which was incredible, minus the multitude of tourists that didn’t quite understand how much more lovely it would be to enjoy in silence. So I practiced meditating within the chaos- as one of my teachers says, you should be able to meditate on the busiest street in New Delhi. That one’s going to take some work…
The rest of my days went something similar to that- up early to see the sun rise, exploring more ruins, nap and then back out again. I went to Bayon, Banteay Srei and other little ones along the way. One morning I went on a sunrise horseback ride. It ended up just being me and the guide (a young girl from New Zealand). The sunrise through storm clouds was like nothing I’ve ever seen- we rode though the country side, by rice patties, lily pad ponds, rual homes, a pagoda and some more ruins. At some point it started pouring rain- completely beautiful and a welcome cool down. It’s been so long since I’ve rode but the feeling of cantering on a horse is hard to explain- exhilrating might have to suffise for now. Needless to say, I’m still sore…
Giddy up
I’ve been learning about the recent history of Cambodia- mostly of the Khmer Rouge regime in which 1-2 million Cambodians (about 1/3 of the population at the time) we’re killed between ’75 and ’79- by forced starvation, exhaustion or murdered under this communist rule. I watched the movie ‘The Killing Fields’ one night, but felt the book “Stay alive, my son” gave a better insight to how the people were tricked into their imprisonment and how the respectable ideals of socialism can get so easily distorted by human nature’s desire for money and power.
I have felt very safe on my trip so far, but I have to say the driving in Cambodia is craa-zzyy. Thailand was pretty interesting, but for some reason it feels worse here. Maybe it’s because Im riding around on the back of motorcycle taxis here and I was mostly in tuk-tuks in Thailand. There really seems to be no rules here other than ‘try not to crash’. People drive on the wrong side of the road quite often; there are hardly any traffic signals or stop signs (and if there are they are more of a ’suggestion’); people don’t wait for an opening in traffic to turn or go through an intersection. Its basically a free-for-all. Its the only time so far I fear for my safety- sometimes I just have to close my eyes and hope for the best. You see families of 5 riding on one moto; coconuts, dead chickens, firewood, bags of concrete or whatever stacked high and wide; men toting 50’poles on them. I wish I had the chance to get photos of them as they wiz by. Fascinating. I’ve learned how to ride sideways when I have a skirt on and had my first experience as the 3rd passenger on a motorcycle last night when the younger couple from my host
Ta Prohm
family took me out. I think I’m fitting in just fine…
I’m in Phnom Penh now and am finishing up my 3rd day at the orphanage. More on that later. All I’ll say now is that the kids are amazing and I want to bring them home. Really.
Toodles,