Let me start by saying that I was apprehensive about today. Especially after yesterday. Especially because I was going quad biking today. I've never been on a quad bike (think ATV or four wheeler) before. I was nervous. Everyone assured me that it was easy. That if you could drive a car, you could drive a quad bike. They said a monkey could do it. Alrighty then, I was ready to give it a go....

Well I'll tell you what....I'm not sure that I have ever had so much fun. As in...ever. I could have sped around on that thing all day. I think I need one of my own. Seriously.

After a quick this-is-how-you-ride-a-quad-bike explanation by the owner of the place, getting my helmet (stylish), and face mask (ie. surgical mask. score.), we took off. Just me following my guide. At first he kept it slow, but once he saw that I had gotten the hang of it, he took off and I was racing to catch up with him. We raced through the countryside (I was supposed to be stopping to take pictures, he said, but I was having too much fun going fast to stop). Over deserted red dusty roads, past rice fields, homes, cows, more cows, and kids that came running out at top speed to wave to us. It was brilliant. Utterly brilliant.

We stopped at a few temples and an orphanage and school along the way. It was a good day. I know that people always come to Siem Reap to see Angkor Wat. And the temples of Angkor are truly a spectacular sight that I, personally, believe everyone should see at least once, but this....this was pure joy in it's most basic form. I felt like a kid riding fast on a shiny new bike. Complete and sheer happiness. Good day.

Final thoughts on Cambodia:
I wasn't sure about Siem Reap at first. I was nervous when it seem a little tacky. A little sleazy. But getting out of the town and into the temples and countryside convinced me. It is there that the magic of Cambodia lies. It's a beautiful country that slowly trying to rebuild itself after it's tragic past. In Cambodia I got to marvel at the wonder of the temples and speed through the countryside on my first quad bike. I ate my first banana in about 30 years, had some of the best ice cream of my life, and got bit by a giant spider. Three countries down and two to go. Thailand here we come. :)