Wrapping up in Cambodia

We'll miss Siem Reap.

We spent our last day sampling Cambodian massage and beer - both are a bit rougher around the edges than their Thai counterparts.

The Cambodian (Khmer) traditional massages were only $6/hour, but ended with a "full-nelson" hold, and getting pulled back with our spines against an authentic Cambodian knee. Yee-ouch.

Angkor

We left Siem Reap early in the morning; we hired a private driver for the whole day (only $25) to tow us northward to Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and the surrounding temples of Preah Khan, Ta Prohm, and Phnom Bakheng.

Wow. We'd do the sites little justince with a wordy, qualitative description. So take a look at a few of the photos we've included.

The majority of the stone is sandstone, which allows for intricate detail in the bas reliefs that adorn the temple walls. The region started as Hindu temples, but the Buddhists came to own it and built atop the existing walls with new imagery. We really struggled to see everything in a day - even now, it's the largest collection of religious structures in the world (it's also nominated as a New Wonder of the World).

The entire Angkor region (including the temples we traversed) was rigged with landmines in the last few decades. When you ask a Cambodian if the temple grounds are mine-free, they nod and smile with gritted teeth - "Yes, is safe."

Nevertheless, as you stand at one temple and gaze at another, you start to walk towards it, and you find yourself about to cut through a grassy, rocky, terrain - off the dirt path. As convincing as the toothy smiles and Cambodian assurance may be, think twice. Stay on the path.

We stayed in Northern Angkor until sunset (we watched it from atop Phnom Bakheng).

If you find yourself here in Southeast Asia (and hopefully you didn't wind up here by mistake or against your will), you need to visit Angkor. We'll even pay for your admission ticket.

We're due for a night of good sleep.

P.S. - Pay for your own admission ticket, cheapskate.

Siem Reap

Welcome to Cambodia. Please adhere to the same rules as Thailand, but we have another rule:

No public displays of affection; not even hand-holding.

Showing affection is condiered vulgar in public, and should only be exercised privately. We weren't aware how natural it is for us to hold hands while walking, and we spent the day with one person reaching for the hand, and the other swatting it away. Nobody gave us any dirty looks.

Siem Reap is fantastic. We've not encountered any of the duplicity we found in the Bangkok urbanites, the weather is outstanding (85 F) and the town is situated on either side of the quite, muddy, Siem Reap river (it's more of a stream). Our hotel is right on the shore.

Some other interesting episodes here on the first day:

• A man driving a motorbike with four (four!) pigs tethered belly-up to the back of the bike. The pigs were still scurrying.
• A shopowner in the market tells her un-diabered toddler son to to pee. He stands at the threshold, facing out of the shop door, and urinates onto the dusty public sidewalk. A man walks by, watching, and treads directly through the resulting puddle.
• Adolescents bathe in public, in the stagnant, muddy, brown, Siem Reap river.
• We helped the boy at the reception desk with his resume cover letter; he was applying for a reception position at another Siem Reap hotel.

We ended the night with a dinner performance and a few local Angkor (American Standard Lager-style) beers. $.50 apiece. Jackpot!