We started our 'holiday in Cambodia' with a very hot walk across the border. Surprisingly there were a lot of other tourists crossing as well. That made it a little easier to know where to go after each checkpoint. We then caught a 3 hour minibus to Siem Reap, home of the largest religious site in the world: Angkor Wat. What an amazing sight! Right up there with Machu Picchu. We enjoyed a full day of temples & tropical downpours. We also got some very picturesque views of the lush countryside on our way to a heart-wrenching museum that told the story of a young boy that set land mines in the Cambodian Civil War with the Khmer Rouge. Now, as a man, he has made it his life's work to make Cambodia & many other countries, landmine-free. He travels the world de-mining villages & also houses & aides victims of land mines. His story is a good one & his cause is incredibly inspiring. You can check it out here: www.CambodianSelfHelpDemining.org.
Next our goal was to get our visas for Vietnam in Cambodia's capital. We set out on a 6 hour overnight bus ride & have now been in Phnom Penh for 2 days - which means very chaotic, very hot & very dirty. Don't get us wrong, this city has a lot to offer including incredible history lessons at the Killing Fields from the Khmer Rouge takeover back in the 70's, the King's palace, huge markets, cheap beer, amazing street food... the list goes on. But we are tired of the city [Bangkok > Siem Reap > Phnom Penh] & ready for the beaches of Vietnam.
In the end, we enjoyed Cambodia. Unfortunately we don't think we saw enough to give it a a thumbs up or down but we know we would love the countryside if we had more time to spend - what we did see was beautiful. In the tourist areas it was easy to get around, language-wise. Everyone involved in the tourist industry is either fluent or knows basic English - same goes for Thailand. Once you get off the beaten track is when it gets hard: a lot of charrades & pointing at maps! Traffic in Southeast Asia is pretty crazy in the large cities. You can drive on the wrong side of the road, ride a motorcycle without a helmet, fit 1 or 5 people on a motorcycle, ride with your infant child on your motorcycle, turn whenever you want through oncoming traffic... the list goes on & you just have to get used to it. It's actually kind of fun as a tourist but it would be insane as everyday life.
Tonight we take an 8 hour overnight bus to Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, Vietnam. Instead of staying another day in HCMC, we plan to take the train straight to Nha Trang - google it & you'll see why we're in such a rush to get there!
Hopefully by the time you've read this we've made it to Vietnam safe & sound with a cold one in hand on the beach! ;-)
Crossing the border: Thailand to Cambodia.
Breakfast for 50 cents!
Soaking it all in!
Fruits at the market in downtown Phnom Penh.
Remembering the victims of the Killing Fields.
Dinner & drinks with new friends!
Noodle soup is where it's at!!
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