Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
When we first arrived in Siem Reap, we tried to see "the lake." Unbeknownst to us, through a series of miscommunications we find ourselves talked into going on some very expensive trip to some floating village. It was not very expensive, and had we known how spectacular it would be, we would have gone regardless of prices or miscommunications. We were escorted by boat by two charming Cambodians (of course we talked them into a few Angkors (national beer) for the trip) to a floating village. This village was made up of the "poorest of the poor," an entire new, poorer, entity of the most disenfranchised. As it is ALWAYS, the entire village (thousands of houses, tens of thousands of people, a few schools, churches, and [yes floating] basketball court) was on the move. To stay at balance with fish populations, and water level, people swam, walked on lake-bottom, or pulled their houses by boat to the next location. All tourists are taken by a place that sells school supplies and rice. Tourists are then encouraged to buy the goods so they (the tourist) hand them to the orphans and school children at the next stop - floating school. People of all ages floated, boated, swam, or walked about in the turbid (understatement) water. Children on cooking saucers pawn snakes they find in their fishing nets to passersby. The entire experience was remarkable and unforgettable.
Nestled into the jungle of Siem Reap, Cambodia is a massive collection of temples that all fall into seemingly one of two categories: political or religious. But there is neither a temple for a king without Hindu or Buddhist statues/carvings, nor is there a spiritual temple that wasn't graced by a king or political figure.
Regardless, we spent March 31st and April 1st scouring over, under, inside and out of every temple we could find. The temples were gorgeous, all having their own purpose, significance or what have you. It probably goes without saying that Kelsey and I spent the first day and a half reverently perusing the great works of the old Khmer people, and dodging Asian tourorists (say it out loud)... and then buckled to the pressure of our immaturity and "Tebowed", "planked", and assumed other childish dishonorable poses all over the ruins.
We rain-checked (literally, typhoon-checked) a date with our Cambodian Concierge on night 2 at our hotel. Kimren, a local and our link to the behind-the-scenes of Siem Reap, invited us to dinner with him. Which we accepted finally on our last night (April 1). Kimren [later adding his brother and two close friends] admittedly asked us out as an unprecedented opportunity to fine tune his english and communication - the lot studies at the local university. We learned how to do as Cambodians do, and eat and drink (a lot) for very little money. We ended the night upon receiving a very heartfelt thanks and appreciation of American hospitality, kindness, and consideration - which Kelsey and I reciprocated to the Cambodians.
We woke up a little after 4 am this morning to board the bus we booked yesterday.
We've learned to be VERY picky about our buses so we were very careful quizzing travel agents. We bought 2 tickets for a large, spacious bus - nonstop to Ban Lung... 9-10 unfortunate hours.
As of now [on that bus], we sit with 25 other people on a 'bus' the size of a GMC Yukon or Ford Excursion. The road is unfit for large bus travel (any travel in our opinion) BEFORE it had construction... now, under construction, the road is covered in reconfigured soil, random piles of old pavement, small bodies of standing water, and other reasons for the driver (one of two people in the driver seat) to randomly accelerate/decelerate. Sharing our bus/van are 4 50lb bags of rice (occupying all foot space) and a few bags of famous Thai concrete (a seat or two). We are on hour 16 and have an unknown distance yet to travel.
For the 100th time, who was the bright Crayon in the box who decided to have Karaoke on crowded buses?
(Next Day, April 3)
Turned out to be a little over 20 hours on that bus. Stumbled into 'Treetop Ecolodge' at 1:45am.
- comments