Bangkok to Siem Reap and beyond...

Greetings for Siem Reap, Cambodia. My third full day here is coming to a close and I plan on heading to Northeast Cambodia tomorrow. The trek here was lengthy and full of memorable events. It began in the early hours of July 2nd upon my arrival in Bangkok. I got in at 2am and promptly headed towards the River Guest House near Chinatown. After a few hours of sleep I decided to check out my surroundings and came upon many colorful sights. Thailand is a Buddhist country and you can hardly walk ten feet without coming upon a Wat. Buddha is everywhere. I spent some time sitting in front of the laughing Buddha with his rotund belly and happy smile. I ventured through Chinatown trying to avoid the smell of dried squid, sea horses, and pigs. I found a number of really cute cellphone ornaments that I just had to purchase.

The city is really cramped and crowded. THere are parts that are more spacious and less dirty, but for the most part, its forever bustling. I was trying to go to a Wat outside the royal palace when a civil officer stopped me to offer some advice. He told me the temple was closing early because of a ceremony and suggested I head else where. He set me up with a tuk tuk driver that agreed to take me all around for 40 baht total. THa'ts about $1.05. Well, I thought I was getting a good deal at the time, but my wallet soon began to lose weight as I came to realize I had made a big mistake about the location of my guesthouse. My driver dropped me off in a location that was on the complete other side of town! I realized that the civil servant told the tuk tuk driver to drop me at a guest house with a very similar name, but not the one I was staying at! So- I had find another driver to take me back accross town. that was probably a four dollar ride. From there, I had to meet David and Laura at their hotel, where I would spent the next night, and had to flag down yet another tuk tuk to take me back accross town! In all, I got to see A Lot of Bangkok and in a very short while. Seeing aerobics in the park was certainly worth the extra four dollars!

Meeting up with Dov and Laura was so wonderful. IT was like a respit from my crazy day. I settled in to the room (we shared a large bed for the three of us, very cozy) and swapped stories. That night we went to a VIP screening of the movie Wanted. OMG! Reclining seats, a bar, surround sound, blanket, pillow! Yeah, they provide it all- but don't try to snap pictures or fit three in a double chair, they will catch you.

The next morning we began our 8 hour trek to Siem Reap. We first caught a bus from Bangkok to the Thai border which took about 4 hours. From there, we had to hire a tuk tuk to the Cambodian border and buy our visas on the way. Crossing over the border was quite easy, but it was very hot. It was interesting to see the workers that pass through everyday carring plastic bags, styrofoam containers and produce. They have a great hat and face mask combo that works wonders for keeping the flying dust out of your face. From the Cambodian border we took at 3 1/2 hour taxi to siem reap. The road is so bumpy and you pass rural families living in palm houses. There is a 6 dollar bus that you can take along the same route, but it takes so much longer and is way bumpier. We were happy with the taxi. SPlit three ways...

Siemp Reap is the portal to the ruins of Angkor Wat. There are an incredible amount of Hindu and Buddhist temples errected between the 10th and 13th centuries. We spent three days touring them with our tuk tuk driver "Flake." He is called that because he is "very fast."The temples themselves are incredibely well crafted. Carvings of the Ramayana and Buddha adorn every possilbe surface. The Cambodian government has done a pretty good job of joining forces with the governments of Japan, france, Canada, etc. to restore the temples. I have some epic pictures.

We have had a great time learning from Flake. We've asked him about the poverty here, the life of a monk, the struggle to get an education. He's been a tremendous friend. The people here are so small because of malnutrition. Children we thought were eight years old are actually 14. Eight year olds look 4. Its really hard to stop your mind from lingering on their poverty. That being said, the people here are beautiful. Such exquisite faces and delicate features.

Dov and Laura are heading to the south of Thailand tomorrow and I'm going to try and figure out how to get to the jungles in the northeast. Communication will probably be less accesible there, but i'll be in touch when i can. I've decided to spend the rest of my time in Cambodia and Laos instead of returning to Thailand. I plan on following the Mekong river north and hopefully finding the Chabad house in Luang Prabang, Laos. I''ve heard you can meet some cool ISraelis there!

OK- I better get cracking on my travel plans.

lia suhn hao-y
Rebecca