happy new year from phnom penh! we arrived yesterday after several days in siem reap and are headed to vietnam by boat tomorrow. so far the cambodian cuisine has been fantastic, and we have both enjoyed new favorite dishes and fruits. the dragon fruit is kendra's favorite, while stin found a curry with whole fresh peppercorns in it, his dream come true...
we just spent the last few days riding rickety old beach cruisers around the ruins of angkor wat, and our bums were quite sore. kendra could not resist the charming children selling books, and added to her already substantial load. the kids are second only to salvadorans on the adorable scale, but just as charming and hilarious. from them we learned our first cambodian words and phrases, much to their amusement. they were the highlight of our stay in siem reap.
while the ruins were spectacular, the crowds were horrendous and it was a challenge to find places of serenity. one evening we attempted to watch the sunset from a recommended temple, but when we arrived by tuk-tuk there were hundreds of tour buses, cars, tuk tuks, motorcycles and a few elephants among thousands of milling tourists. as we climbed the hill to the temple we saw people clambering and shoving on every surface, it was so sad and disrespectful. we pretty much turned around and headed home, not the experience we were looking for. i suppose the best sunsets are the unexpected ones.
the following morning we ventured out at 5am, scaling the walls of our hotel to get out as the gate was locked and we didn't want to wake anyone. we set off to see the sunrise at sra srang, a peaceful reservoir on the other side of the park. we were bracing ourselves for another monstrous crowd, but ended up thankfully with only about 15 people joining us. the sunrise was mystical, with the morning cook fires and mist adding to the experience.
we hope all is well at home, and that the new year brings peace, health and happiness. much love, kendra and stin
