Hello from Cambodia!

We left the floating hotel in the Mekong delta and sailed up the river. It was a beautiful day - bright and sunny, and the delta was so lush and green. We arrived at the border a couple hours later and dropped our passports off to complete the exit from Vietnam and to obtain the visa for Cambodia. After spending the last of our dong on drinks and snacks we boarded the boat that would take us the rest of the way up the Mekong. Two other girls from my tour were on the slow boat with me and we chatted and napped through the afternoon, occasionally getting up long enough to take photos of a picturesque riverside village or the distinctive architecture of the temples that are unique to this region. Finally we arrived at a dock where we left the boat and hopped on to a bus that took us the rest of the way to Phnom Penh. I followed the other two girls to their guesthouse and managed to snag a room for only $5 (with cable!). We tracked down a Korean barbecue joint for dinner and then a supermarket to stock up on essentials (don't drink the tap water!). One of the girls had a splitting headache, so we found a pharmacy to buy some painkillers as well.

The next day was hot and sunny so I slathered on suncreen before heading out (I've come to terms with the fact that I don't tan - I burn). I walked over to the National Museum to take in my fill of Angkor sculpture. The museum was housed in a beautiful building with a gorgeous garden in the interior courtyard. After lounging in the garden for a bit I walked along the river and admired the French-Colonial architecture before dropping into a place for lunch (and Khmer food does not deserve it's reputation - sure, it's more subtle than Thai and Vietnamese food, but it's delicious!). I killed time until the Royal Palace reopened in the afternoon by watching the monks drive by on motorbikes. The palace was stunning. Like most palaces in hot climates it had a garden with many fountains - it was a relief to stand under the spray and get away from the afternoon sun. After walking around the palace and its gardens and temples for a few hours I braved the heat to walk back to my guesthouse, where I lazily lounged around until hunger forced me to track down amok (fish in a coconut sauce with spices).

My last day in Phnom Penh was just as hot and humid. Faced with the prospect of visiting the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleung (which would be difficult enough, given the content) in the heat, and the knowledge that I would be pushing myself in Siem Reap, I just took it easy for the day. The girls I had traveled to Cambodia with were still around so I visited them and found out that the one with the headache actually had dengue fever! At that moment I decided to start using insect repellant.

I left Phnom Penh the next morning for Siem Reap. The countryside of Cambodia is beautiful. Of course, we're in the end of the rainy season, so this is probably as green as it gets here. I arrived in Siem Reap in the afternoon and took a tuk-tuk to my guesthouse. I planned out the rest of my stay in Cambodia with the help of the staff.

My first full day in Siem Reap began bright and early - a British girl, Anna, and I rented a tuk-tuk and driver for the day to take us to the highlights of the Angkor temples. We purchased our passes then went straight for the big one - Angkor Wat. It was incredible. I don't know if it was the size of the temple or the fact that it was the rainy season - probably a combination of both - but there were a lot of moments when we found ourselves alone in the temple without even a tour guide's voice to break the stillness. Having moments alone in this vast, ancient temple was amazing. We could almost imagine what it would have been like for the French explorers who stumbled across it 200 years ago.

After Angkor Wat, Anna and I went back to our tuk-tuk and made the journey to Banteay Srei. Bantey Srei is a temple about 39 km north of Angkor Wat and we had to pay for the extra distance, but it was worth it. I believe Banteay Srei translates to "Citadel of Women" - the entire temple is covered with exquisite carvings, so intricate and delicate that it's believed they could only be created by the hands of a woman. It's also set within a moat and surrounded by trees and fields. There were only twelve or so other tourists at the temple with us, which made for a great temple experience! The three of us (Anna, myself and our driver) grabbed lunch and then made the trek back to the main temple circuit.

Our next stop was Ta Prohm, famous for the trees that have grown within the temple (I believe this was the temple from Tomb Raider). The trees have been growing for centuries, and their root systems have forced their way between the stones, making for some amazing photos. After Ta Prohm, we went to Angkor Thom - the former capital city of the Angkor empire. There are several temples within the city, including Bayon, temple of a thousand faces. We walked around Bayon and several of the other temples nearby before making our way over to the Terrace of Elephants, where our driver was waiting to take us back to Siem Reap.

We asked him to drop us off at the Angkor Night Market where we grabbed a drink and indulged in a "fish massage" (you dip your feet into a pool filled with hundreds of little fish which eat the dead skin, leaving your feet nice and smooth - it takes some getting used to). Then we walked around and haggled over pillowcases and t-shirts before grabbing dinner. A sudden downpour left us stranded in the restaurant for another 20 minutes or so. We did some more haggling, then comandeered a tuk-tuk back to our guesthouse.

The next day Anna left for Bangkok and took a break from the temples to go take care of chores, such as laundry, and to wander around Siem Reap. The town itself is quite nice. I'm liking Cambodia - it's a nice change from Vietnam, where I couldn't walk one block without a dozen people trying to sell me something. It's not nearly as overbearing here, and the people are very kind. The next day I hired a driver to take me through the Grand Circuit. We started bright and early back at Ta Prohm, where I was hoping to take some pictures without so many tourists, but alas! the tour groups all decided to be there at the exact moment that I was. From there we spent the whole day making our way along the circuit. I can't even remember the names of all the temples I saw. Some of them were quite enjoyable, mainly because I was off the beaten-track so there were far fewer tourists there with me.

On my last day in Siem Reap my driver and I went back to the temples - but only for a half-day. I enjoy sleep too much to be enticed by a sunrise at the temples, and besides which it's been cloudy so there isn't even a sunrise to speak of, so we just left in the late morning. I wandered around Angkor Wat again and we drove around Angkor Thom. Then I hiked up Phnom Bakeng, which gives a wonderful view of the surrounding area. I could just barely see Angkor Wat from the top. Then we went back to Siem Reap where I booked a bus to Bangkok for the next morning. I leave in an hour for Thailand - let's hope it's not the scam bus.