Getting to Siem Reap

What Jeff failed to mention was our trip here..and how incredibly interesting it was...I will let the girls tell the story but in short, we landed at the border w/out a real appreciation of what the bordertown was like. After being ripped off by border police for our visas, we encountered the ugly world of taxi drivers. Almost 3 hours and many stories from our taxi driver, we did arrive at our cozy and truly delightful hotel. They greeted us with fruit drinks and smiles and frankly, I was happy the Cambodian taxi mafia didn't get us. I must admit that as we travelled thru the largely dark and very poor villages of Cambodia I wondered if again we had decided to do something totally, totally nuts. Fortunately, my in-laws were pretty calm and I told that driver I was about to vomit...which in a way I could have if the situation demanded. We'll upload some pictures soon. The city is truly wonderful and the people delightful...we are thinking that despite the gangs of taxi drivers and the truly scary begininng, we are not ready to end this adventure.

Angkor Wat

The name itself pulls you in... Fortunately for us, the reality of this fascinating temple complex outside of the Cambodian city of Siem Reap is even better than the exotic images the name evokes. Miles of roads connect the various stone temples that were built at the height of the Khmer kingdom (starting in the 9th century) as part of an elaborate holy city. This huge complex easily absorbs the tourist masses and allows you to feel as if you are one of those French explorers finding it for the first time. One of the sites was preserved in the way that it was found to give you a sense of how overgrown the complex was when it was first "re-discovered" in the late 1800s. The interplay of architecture and nature at this site is amazing - with the 800 year old buildings mounted by 400 year old trees whose roots meander through the nooks and crannies, merging themselves into a key element of the site. The stone faces that adorn the restored complex called Banyon is also something that you cannot easily forget. Then there is the massive complex of Angkor Wat - the image that has become the symbol of the Cambodian state. As amazing a complex as you will find anywhere. We're heading back tomorrow.




However, somewhat to our surprise, we have found much more in Cambodia that we really enjoy. It is a very relaxed place, where people greet you with easy, genuine smiles. The traffic, after frantic Bangkok, is sooo much more relaxed and invites you to rent a $2 bike for a day to explore the various markets and riverfront developments. Great street food and inexpensive, high quality market wares make this an ideal destination. Had we not had a bizarre experience at the border, which will have to be the subject of another blog, we would have absolutedly nothing negative to say about laid back Cambodia. Probably a couple of more days here before turning back to Thailand for our last two weeks. What a great adventure it has been so far!