Cambodia: The Land Where Smiles, Babies' Butts, and Hammocks Abound

I never believed in love at first sight...until I went to Cambodia. It took me a matter of seconds after entering in this country before I realized that the place was special. Cambodia is like a Sunday afternoon in the spring (to continue on with my analogy theme): you read a book, you nap, you spend time frolicking outside, and everyone is generally feeling laid-back and content.

PHNOM PENH
Our original plan was to only spend the night in Phnom Penh (the capital of Cambodia) and leave early the next morning for Siem Reap. However, our night in Phnom Penh was so fantastic that we decided to stay and extra night (i.e. 1.5 days). Our first night captivated us so much because we stayed in the backpackers area, which usually puts in you in an unavoidable tourist bubble, but that was not the case in Phnom Penh. The locals, the backpackers, and the expats were all in the streets celebrating the Cambodian New Year together. Despite the ecstasy, opium, and other crazy drugs available on the street, the city felt like a intimate lakeside celebration. On top of that, the food in the city was delicious. I never loved curry in America, but when in Asia, you have to learn to like it. However, it was not difficult to love the Cambodian Amok (like curry but a little more coconuty). I ate it every meal I could!

My favorite happening in Phnom Penh was our spontaneous dance party in the streets of downtown. After dinner we decided to walk around the city. We ended up in some small alley where a local girl grabbed our hands and started dancing with us. Before we knew it (2 hours later) there were probably 50 people (all locals, but us) dancing to the traditional New Year music. Finally after the hours of dancing, I, the apprentice, successfully executed the many dance steps from the New Year song. The women, my teachers, were ecstatic.



SIEM REAP
Saying goodbye to Phnom Penh was bitter sweet, but we knew it was time to move on to Siem Reap, Cambodia, and we all hoped the people there would be just as welcoming. Turns out we were not disappointed. Apparently being kind and hospitable is in the Cambodian genes. We spent our first 1/2 day just hanging out in the small city of Siem Reap...nothing too much to report about that day.


The next day, we went to the ancient temple ruins of Angkor. We woke up at 4a.m. to see the sunrise at the temples. The sunrise was not colorful, nor was it that beautiful, but it kind of felt like God was revealing the beauty of the ruins to us slowly from the darkness (sort of like a dimmer). We spent literally the entire day exploring the many temple ruins. The most famous is Angkor Wat because of its incredible size (see picture). The wats were created in the early 9th century (which makes me realize how young America really is). We had to climb many steps, all of which were frighteningly steep and narrow (you had to walk up and down them sideways because they weren't wide enough to fit your foot). We also got to go to Ta Phrom, where scenes from Tomb Raider were filmed. This was, by far, the most beautiful wat. Nature has taken back over this area, as trees have begun to grow over the ruins (see picture below). And, of course, I was as hard core as Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider as I explored each of the ruins.

Overall, Cambodia was a fabulous experience. The enchanting cities, charming people, and rich history really grabbed me. I can definitely see myself coming back there one day...we'll see!