Somewhere Out There

When I first started planning my trip, I decided to visit Cambodia and Angkor Wat. Wat means temple, and Angkor Wat is a massive amazing temple that also includes many other temples on the compound. They were built between 900-1500ad, and yesterday, I saw them with two friends and travelers, Asha And Terrance. We decided to bike, as opposed to taking a tuk-tuk (small cart pulled by a motorbike - very picturesque) because we wanted to take our time and go slowly. It was a great decision. Ta Prohm, made famous in TombRaider, was by far our favorite temple. The jungle has totally taken over, and massive trees live in crumbled stone and ruined libraries and pools. It was truly breathtaking. Angkor Wat, the main and most famous structure, was a close second. It has never been fully abandoned, as it was used by Buddhist Monks after the Khmer Kings abandoned the area. Huge Bas-Reliefs adorn the outer walls, and the interior raises up many stories, intricate and beautiful. It was truly a great day. That being said, Asha and Terrance took off this morning for the north, and I'm planning my escape as well. Siem Reap is a total tourist mecca, and it's not only overwhelming, it's a bit disheartening. After coming from northern Thailand, and seeing, working with, and getting to know some actual Thais, to be so far removed from Cambodia's culture and be surrounded by tourism booths, scams and traps makes me more than a bit uncomfortable. I'll be heading to Battambang either tomorrow or the next day, depending on buses, and I hope to get a better taste of Cambodian life and culture. It's a fascinating country, and the people are great - I'm hoping to meet more locals as I travel. Until then, I'll catch up on some emails, make plans for the future, and try not to let my spirits dip. It's been a series of goodbyes for the past week, between Metta, traveling friends, and different countries (and many long travel excursions), so a little time to recharge won't be a bad thing.