I'm Bored - Additional Commentary from Siem Reap

Ant just gave the summary of today and yesterday, but I'm still waiting for my 417 pictures and videos to upload to Picassa, so I'll add a word or two (and some photos). First of all, though Ant thinks his new nickname is Lucky, he's the only one who refers to himself as that. Secondly, 'Crazy Girl' was easily the cutest child I've met on this trip, and I had no issue with buying ten more postcards for a dollar to add to the ten I already bought yesterday. Another interesting approach was the growling child that barked like a dog and chased me before begging me to buy his flute. I didn't want the flute so eventually he just chased me away and I never came back. Sorry, kid. It is really hard to face them all though.

Ah! Pics are finally up, so I'll make this quick. Sunrise over Angor Wat was easily one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen. I think the overall favorite though was Ta Phrom, the forest temple, where I had fun climbing stuff and getting lost. There seems to be a trend on this trip: Ben, Vas, and Anthony walking ahead or behind of me, as I stroll along aimlessly, stopping every so often to observe the most obscure things at my own pace. I'm also the only one who didn't buy a cell phone and a SIM card before we got here, so it's amazing that I haven't gotten lost yet.

Interesting piece of information: Last year, Angkor Wat was narrowly outvoted by the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the ruins of Petra (Jordan), the Great Pyramids, the Christ statue in Rio, the Colosseum, and Machu Pichu in a 'New' Wonders of the Ancient World competition (likely because few people have ever heard of it though).

Oh yeah, and the difference between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh is unbelievable. I've seen more legit hotels here than in Bangkok, and there's a whole street literally called 'Bar Street' lined with pubs, clubs, and restaurants. Definitely hitting the $1 Angkor draughts up tonight. In the mean time, enjoy the pics from today below.

I also created a new Picassa album at: http://picasaweb.google.com/thaikappblog/ThailandCambodia# - Should include everything from the trek onwards. If it doesn't work, I'll need to invite you to view them, so shoot me an email.

Angkorwat with Pharell

yo kids. after a long day (completed before noon) at Angkorwat, we all all wiped and pumped to get some sleep. quick update on the last two days.

Monday morning we caught the 7 30 bus to Siem Riep (after staying up to watch the heart braking US loss to Brazil in the Confed Cup final). After a painfully bumpy bus ride (which Kyle somehow enjoyed), we arrived at our guesthouse, Rosy's, in Siem Riep. Turned out to be a legit place with a pool hall and extremely friendly staff including the manager, Smiley. After some grub, we caught the sunset (aka cloudy horizon) from atop the Ba Keng, temple/hill. Although underwheming because of the weather, it was still worth the attempt.

Next was dinner at the Red Piano (nice place, decent food) and walking around the surprisingly nice and fun nightlife area in Siem Riep. We saw some of a Apsara dance show and played some pool (trying to become pool sharks before the trip is over) and then turned in for the night.

Today, we got up at 4 30 am to catch the sunrise over Angkorwat, which was definitely worth it and quite beautiful. Then, on to exploring Angkorwat, which was amazing simply for its enormous scale and a number of other temple ruins within the Angkor complex including Bayon (legit architecture with faces carved into the pillars), Baphuon (under renovation), Terrance of Elephants, Ta Keo (tallest wat in the complex with sweet views), Ta Prohm (jungle temple aka the Tomb Raider temple where some of the movie was shot, including some awesome giant tree/root/temple combinations), and Banteay Kdei and Sras Srang (the last wat ruin we saw and the adjacent lake/pool).

Another note from today was that the children and adults selling everything from water to large paintings were overwhemingly persistant and difficult to say no to. At almost every stop, we would encounter numerous locals, typically young children, attempting to sell them products with a variety of methods. The children were quite difficult to resist whether they tried to be happy and cute or very sad and pleading. We certainly empathasized with them, leading to a number of purhases, although we were never able to satisfy the abundance of sellers. The most effective selling method of the day was delivered by a young girl who said her name was 'Crazy Girl'. Crazy Girl was able to answer the capital of almost every state in the US and after naming Raleigh as the capital of NC, I couldn't resist buying from her, although I didnt need/want anything at the time.

Overall, the temple complex was really impressive and incredible to see first-hand. Also impressive was that we were able to complete all of this touring before 11am, along with the help and transport of our tuk tuk driver, 'Pharell', (everyone has American-esque nicknames for the tourists sake). Effectively watted out, we had lunch a Thai-Western restaurant, gotta please the whole fam, and are about to pass out of exhaustion and get ready for a night out on the town.

PS - the blog has covered everything so far but some of my highlights from the past week or so were: waterfall rapelling (my favorite day of the trip so far), getting a new nickname, 'Lucky', from one of the monks we chatted with, trying bamboo shoot soup in the Karen village where we stayed, our rafting guide named 'Jack Sparrow', and Mr. Sun's 'blue' steak (rarest yet cooked with love)

The World is a Wonderful and Horrific Place

Seeing as though Vas has covered all of the basic bullet points from our last few days, I want to take the opportunity to get real and reflect on a few things. The things that we have seen, the people we have met, and the things which we have done over the past two weeks is absolutely unreal. We've climbed mountains, traversed white water, partied hard with Thai locals, received the wisdom and blessings of Buddhist monks and one very amiable Cambodian prince, and walked through the fields where nearly 20,000 innocent men, women, and children were senselessly murdered. We've slept in huts, 4 guesthouses, a bus, and not one, but two, lovely Sun family homes. We've ridden cars, cabs, busses, trains, elephants, motorized long boats, a motorized speed boat, a sky train, bicycles, "red trucks", and every imaginable form of tuk-tuk. We've eaten pad thai, rice noodles, jellyfish, cow's intestine, french toast, waffles, lots of pizza, shitty hamburgers, roast duck, and easily the best steak I have ever had in my life. And to think we haven't even made it to Angor Wat or Ko Samui yet...

I actually want to elaborate more specifically on Phnom Penh and our experience yesterday a bit. Prior to coming here, I had actually done some research on the Khmer Rouge by reading "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung, and had been anticipating our visits to Tuol Sleng and the Choeng Ek killings fields. To think that this all occured less than a decade before my own birth is absolutely mind-boggling. The government of Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia's name under the Khmer Rouge) actually held a seat at the UN until 1990, and the government which ousted the KR in 1979 was actually condemned by most Western states for several years. As Vas mentions, it is difficult to convey the emotions one feels when walking through the fields of Choeng Ek, with human bones literally protruding from the earth beneath your feet, or the halls of S-21, covered with gruesome photographs of the corpses found there and images of the prison's victims. Nonetheless, I will tell you that one of the most profound moments for me was when I caught myself breathing a short sigh of relief when stumbling across a photo of an elderly man among the hundreds of faces strewn throughout the halls, feeling grateful that he was at least able to lead a full life prior to the war, unlike most of the prison's victims.


What I find most amazing, however, is the lasting impact the Khmer Rouge has had on Cambodia. Because it occured only three decades ago, nearly every single individual has been directly affected by it in some way - families were uprooted, dispersed, and destroyed, and many still remain hopelessly separated. Though the country's potential is enormous (thanks to one particularly inspiring individual), the poverty is rampant in Phnom Penh in ways I did not expect, and in no way comparable to what we have seen in Thailand - an immediate example of how less than 4 years of bloodshed and chaos can set development back more than 20. Just when I was beginning to think there was nothing worse than the persistent tuk-tuk drivers of Bangkok, I was introduced to the impoverished children and landmine victims of Cambodia...

Nevertheless, Lonely Planet aptly describes Cambodia as a country of extremes. Thus while poverty seems ever-present and dark memories of the past linger in the present, the beauty and opulence of places like the Royal Palace and Angkor Wat remain.


This brings me to a much lighter note (an example of the 'extremes' we have encountered here). Last night was in fact one of the more enjoyable we have had here. Along with ten or so relatives and family friends, we were fortunate enough to be served what was easily the best steak dinner I have ever had, cooked especially 'with love' by Mr. Sun himself. Though none of us specifically requested a drink at any point during the evening, they just kept coming! And when the high prince of Cambodia asks you to have a shot of cognac with him, you don't say no. Ask Vas. I also think we danced to "Thriller" three or four times. Forget Michael Jackson though -- I've just been told that Billy Mays passed away today. Damn.


Today was a slow day, as we spent most of it hanging out with the Suns. We did see Wat Phnom, which was interesting, and then went out on the family boat on the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers. We then returned home, played some pretty competitive volleyball games, had dinner, played Go Fish, Old Maid, and Hide and Seek, and Anthony and I are now watching the US of A play Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final in South Africa. 2-0 at half!


Anyway, I had more that I wanted to say, but it's 2:30 in the morning and I'm drawing a blank. We have a 7:30 bus to Siem Reap as well, which is not going to be a ton of fun.

Miss you all! And a big thanks once again to Ratavy, Nyny, and their family for showing us such a great time and welcoming us into their home.

Kyle

Off to Siem Reap

YO! We are losing readership...it's time for an update. After a rousing game of hide and seek with Mony, Nyny and Ratavy...we're crashed on Ratavy's couch awaiting the U.S. - Brazil Confederation Cup final. We won't have much time to sleep, since we have a 7:30AM bus to Siem Reap to catch. Let's recount the last few days...

After arriving in Phnom Penh, we were warmly greeted by Ratavy and Nyny at the airport, crashing for the night.

The next day we took to the streets of PP with a packed day ahead of us. Despite its bright future, Cambodia is a country with a scarred history, a history aptly memorialized around the city. We headed first to the Tuol Seng genocide museum, site of the S-21 prison and a proper introduction to the atrocities of the Khmer Rogue genocide (I'm no history buff, so a quick Wikipedia search would do you good!). It was a moving complex -- a secondary school whose classrooms had been converted into torture rooms and small holding cells. Pictures lined the walls of those who had died there, and much of the site remained preserved in its initial state. It was difficult and at times disturbing, but served as a stark reminder of what we can never let happen again.

From there, we rode about 40 minutes outside the city to the Killing Fields, a site where tens of thousands had been brought to be killed. A memorial in the center of the field held almost 8,000 human skulls that had been excavated from the site. Most of the site remains in tact, many of the bodies still buried there. It's hard to verbalize the emotions one feels visiting a place like this, so I will leave it there.

One thing we were quick to quick to notice was the scale of development here in Phnom Penh; it's a much smaller city than Bangkok. We also had our first real dose of children beggars. Some were cheeky, others were desperate, and overall it was tough to say no. Having experienced something similar in India, I knew first hand it would be impossible to help them all. But we spared a few dollars here and there and did our best.

Next, we hit the Palace, home to the Royal Family. A vast complex of beautiful buildings and obvious opulence -- quite similar to the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Pretty legit -- pics to come. "Yo yooooooooo"... Ben was quick to point out the exact building where Obama would have tea, should he ever visit Cambodia. This was followed by two or three stories of his own visit to the Oval Office, and how he was in the War Room during the invasion of Baghdad. For those of you who have been privy to Ben's exaggerations, I'll let you figure those out....but they helped to pass the time nonetheless.

We headed home to get ready for the big graduation bash at Ratavy's house, which, as Ben alluded to earlier, was AMAZING. Maybe one of the best times we have had on this trip, a truly memorable celebration. I'll let Kyle take that one...

We are off to Angkor Wat tomorrow! I've been looking forward to this the most on the trip...

A shout out back to everyone in the States, I miss you guys.

Vas

Unbelivable

Amazing night in Cambodia. I think the best night yet.

More details to come....

In the Pehn

Yo. First and foremost, thanks again to Ratavy for her unbelievable hospitality. We're at her house here in Cambodia with her family, and it's been awesome. Last night we hit up dinner with her and her family -- a fantastic meal at a French-Cambodian restaurant with GREAT bread. What more could I ask for? This'll have to be it for now, time for breakfast.

Vas

Lost in Bangkok

Just a quick update before we head over to Cambodia. As Kyle mentioned, due to the rail workers strike, we ended up taking an overnight bus down to Bangkok. Sadly, none of us slept much due to the blaring music, erratic driving, and many interruptions. No worries though, we made it safely.

When we made it into the train station we decided to head to a guest house near the riverside. Our cabbie clearly had no clue where we were going, so I called the guest house and asked them to give him directions in Thai. Nearly 20 or so minutes later, we were still driving around in circles. The cabbie called the hotel again and spoke with many people along the way, but we were still going in circles. At some point Antony pulled out his guidebook and directed the cabie. It is alway a bad sign when we have to give directions to our cab driver in Bangkok.

Lucky the guest house althoguh out of the way is pretty nice. From there we decided to head to the movie at Siam Square. The imax was sold out so we went for the regular showing. Although the movie was weak, the experience was worth it. We were in one of the nicest mails we have ever seen, and the theatres wre incredible. There was also the most extensive foodcourt we could imagine. Vas and Kyle missing huntsman decided to hit up ABP. I of course couldn't avoid the mangosteen sorbet.

There was also a gourmet grocery store near the foodcourt. I was introduced to m,y new favorite fruit -- golden kiwi from New Zealand. Sorry for all the typos. The computer is very slow and lagging a sentence behind my typing. I'm just going to try post.

See you in Cambodia