Cambodia

It's hot! That's all... just kidding!

I thought about just posting those two words, because they pretty much sum it up. We all know there is a lot more to Cambodia than those two words. I think we arrived in Cambodia early Saturday morning around 8:00 a.m. It is getting difficult to remember dates. We changed time zones again, so it is getting especially tough to remember dates and time. One thing I can be sure of is that we haven't stopped since we stepped off of the plane. As soon as we got here we checked in to our room and went straight to Angkor Wat. If you aren't familiar with Angkor Wat google it. It is pretty amazing and just mind blowing. There are so many ancient temples still standing. It is astonishing to me that the people here are so use to seeing these huge historical temples everyday. There isn't anything in the U.S. that can compare to the temples,

The temples were built by the ruling king at the time. Each King would practice a different religion. Some temples were built as Buddhist temples and some temples were built as Hindu temples. When a new King took over he changed the temples to fit his religion. In some temples we could see where the Buddha carvings had been carved over to resemble Hindu gods. Or sometimes the Buddha statues would be removed and just a whole was left. Yesterday we visited the temple where Angelina Jolie filmed Tomb Raider. We got up at 4:30 a.m. yesterday to watch the sunrise. It was beautiful. We went to this overlook area where there was a man made lake and it was gorgeous.

Most of the people we have talked to speak English. Their English may be broken, but it is still understandable. I have noticed that when I'm speaking to a local that my English is broken as well. The other day I was ordering a drink and instead of saying "I will have water to drink" I said "To drink. I have water." I think all of us in our group have spoken like that at least a couple of times. The funny thing is that we don't even notice we are doing it until someone in the group points it out.

One thing that I had to get use to very quickly is the driving here. Although we aren't driving, we are riding, it is still nerve wrecking. We have tuk tuk drivers who will drive us around and it seems to me there aren't many rules as to where you can drive. The biggest mode of transportation is motorcycle. There are a few cars, but mainly motorcycles and bicycles. Even though they may have designated sides of the road, everyone pretty much drives where ever they want. There have been several times when I thought we were going to crash. I asked my driver if he had to get a special license to be a tuk tuk driver and he said yes. He even showed it to me. He is really good, it is just so different and it seems chaotic to us, but it is everyday driving to them. Don't worry, I caught one of my experiences on video and I will post it so everyone can see.

I didn't realize how little I knew about Cambodia's history. I have learned a lot since I've been here. The country has been stricken with war and poverty for so long. We visited a landmine museum yesterday and learned how and why there were so many landmines placed in Cambodia. There are still landmines today. Just last year a young boy was injured when he stepped on a landmine located on a farm. Landmines that were set 20 or 30 years ago are still injuring people today. The Cambodian people have faced so much hardship. I can't even imagine living through some of the things they did. I could give a brief history lesson, but that would be a very long blog. I encourage you to look up the Khmer Rouge when you can.

Last night for dinner I had cow stomach, fried crickets, huge shrimp, clams and beef. I love trying new things and the local cuisine, but I'm not sure if I will be craving cow stomach or fried crickets for a while. I also had my first massage yesterday. Once I made myself relax it was quite enjoyable.

That is all for now. We are staying in Cambodia for a few more days and then it is off to Vietnam. Have a great day!