Siem Reap, Cambodia

Crossing the border into Cambodia was like walking into a new world. some noteworthy sights or events:

-gas stations were small stands on the side of the road with oldschool glass coke bottles filled with gasoline for sale.

-Huge hotel resorts manned by the Cambodian elite were right next to shantytown shacks inhabited by people who own nothing more than the clothes on their back, their handmade hut and maybe a cow or some chickens. I was absolutely shocked by the poverty, and this is after having been adjusted to poverty in thailand, so it was incredible. This country has just recently emerged from civil war, torture and political supression for multiple decades and although its all good now, the past is inescapable. Holly and i went for a walk in the evening when we got into town and along the tourist strip were accosted by people almost every second! first a tuk tuk driver asking if we want a ride, then a man with no legs on the ground asking for money, then a another tuk tuk driver for a ride somewhere, then a restaurant owner to come into his restaurant, then a boy on crutches missing one leg begging for money, another tuk tuk driver, another kid holding a baby, another restaurant owner, it was so overwhelming! and what was even more overwhelming was the realization that we took it in such stride because of what we've been used to now in thailand and vietnam; persistent haggling to buy something or begging for money. i bluntly told a young boy with no leg to get lost! once i put myself back in the north american mindset, i can't believe it!

Dec. 11: today was incredible! instead of doing the usual hiring a guide for the day, holly chris joey and i decided to rent bikes and see the real Cambodia; the town and surrounding outskirts by ourselves. first we found a soccer field with a bunch of local kids playing and raced some little girls on our bikes lol then we biked for awhile into the suburbs until we were the only white people for miles and basically plumped ourselves down in someones house for some beer while talking to the only guy, rod, 24 years old, that spoke english out of the 20 or so men women and children hanging out (its sunday so no one had school or anything) rod lived by himself in a little hut he'd built for himself and went to school during the day and taught english at 6pm to kids in the evening. (btw they had a beer poster up so we asked if they were selling, which they were and then asked if it was alright if we drank it there) on the way back home we stopped at another small food vender type place which as usual was someones house with some food and drink to buy out front, and met pani, a 16 year old boy who has no parents, lives with his aunt and pays 3000 riel per day to go to a private english school to learn english. he was so cool, really enjoyed practicing his english with us and took us to see some ruins similar to Angkor Wat, except that hardly any tourists know about them so it was free, and after talking to some local boys at the temple, found out that we had been the only people to go there today. so cool! we then went to pani's aunt's place which was a restaurant for dinner.

Today we went to Angkor Wat. its very touristy with a hefty $20USD entry fee but it was really spectacular. such huge buildings and monuments with the finest details and stories carved into the stone. It was quite humbling because you realise no matter how grand your civilisation, one day it'll be a tourist trap for future generations.

Pics!