Seim Reap, Cambodia

Saturday December 24th Day 6 through Monday December 26th Day 8

We landed in Seim Reap in the afternoon. This is were we met our new guide Phon and driver Han. They dropped off us at a very nice hotel in downtown Seim Reap and told us to rest for the rest of they day...a day of leisure. Guess he doesn't know this family very well. He did arrange for us a dinner buffet and show after we asked for dinner suggestions. $12 per person for an incredible amount of food and a great celestial dance show. It was difficult (or impossible) to hear the announcer (due to audience talking) describe the different dance we were about to see, but it was fun to watch anyway.

We decided as a family as just part of our discussion that Cambodia was our favorite country on this trip. We really enjoyed visiting the 1000+-year-old sandstone temples as we found them so much more interesting then the later temples we saw in Loas.  We also really liked this guide. He was small and had so much energy. He always seemed so happy even though he had so much poverty and hardship in his life. He told us stories about when he was growing up and his dad was a farmer and he really wanted Pan to learn English and Phon really didn't want to study, so he would go to bed early and pretend to be sleeping.  I guess if he would make mistakes his dad would beat him. He also told of how when his dad died a few years ago, Phon became the head of the house and gave up going to school to support his family. He has put his brother through college and now his sister is in college. He lives with his mom to take care of her, but he did buy some land for $3,000 and has that paid off and now he is trying to save money to build a house. He thinks this will cost him around $5,000. He also told us he was planning to get married this May but his girlfriend turned him down after he couldn't afford a few thousand dollar engagement ring. He does hope to go back to school someday to learn better English.

Celestial dancer or Apsara dancer. Telling their stories through dance.

The next morning we went to Angkor Wat. Meaning city temple and a temple complex built for King Suryovaman II in the early 12th century. Built as the kings state temple and capital city. It is known to be the worlds largest religious building. It has a moat and outer wall the spans over 2.2 miles long that was hand dug. This temple is 5.5. km north of Seim Reap. Made mostly of sandstone. The carvings and decorations were everywhere. It is known for the greatest linear arrangement of stone carvings. Our guide told us that hundreds of thousands of people that worked to build this temple and the amounts of hours, estimated over 30 years to build. Just thinking about all of the time and energy that go into these buildings and the beautiful carvings is just amazing. He said that if a sculptors who made a mistake while working on the temple would be punished severely, including having an arm removed.

They are doing some restoration work on Angkor Wat. You could see a lot of bullet holes and area that were destroyed during Cambodia's recent civil war.

Almost all of the surfaces of Angkor Wat are carved.  These was carvings all tell a story. The detail is amazing.

Bryan, going back in time.  American tourists!

This level of the temple had really steep stairs leading up to it. This level was called heaven. They stopped people from going up to this level if you weren't properly dressed. (Clothes covering down to the knees, shoulders covered etc)

Very near to Angkor Wat, only 1.7 km north , this temple is called Angkor Thom.  It was built in the late 12th century by King Jayavaman II as he felt he needed a temple built just for him.

Terrace of Elephants. Viewing platform for royal parties.

This temple is called Ta Prohm.Built by King Jayvarman Vll in honor of his family.This was built in the late 12th century and early 13th century. It was built as a Buddhist monastery and university.   Best known as "Tomb Raider" Yes, Angelina Jolie made her film here. Our guide seemed pretty proud of that fact and the fact that she adopted Maddox from Cambodia. This temple is best known because of natures triumph over the structure. Like all temples here they have been neglected for hundreds of years but have decided to leave the trees for now, as the trees growing out of the ruins seems to be the most distinctive feature of Ta Prohm.

See the little carving trying to peek out of the gnarly roots?

Bryan and Jessica in the remaking of the Tomb Raider!

We went to another temple that was supposed to have a great sunset view. So we hiked the trail up with hundreds of other people and waited...and waited...

view of Angkor Wat from this temple

Okay...this is it. Not really the final sunset but it got too cloudy to see the sun after this shot.

The next morning we were off to a private boat cruise to go and see some floating fishing villages. The poverty and lifestyle here was pretty extreme. The average floating family annual income is $500. They do move as needed during the rainy versus dry seasons.

Our guide...Phon

Little kids having a great time floating around in their metal tubs. One had a snake around his neck.

Croc farming here is also pretty popular.

Little boy helping his dad out on the boat. He gave me and Bryan a little back massage during the boat ride. So yep...had to tip him:) Kids only go to school is these countries we have visited for about 4 hours per day. Either morning or afternoon. They only "have to" attend for 5 years. Most of the kids we saw on their way to or from school were wearing uniforms. Either walking or riding their bikes. Never saw any kind of school bus.

Last temple area we saw our guide called "the killing fields". This was a place they placed skulls and bones of people they found out in the fields.

Mark's observations, guest writer:  the Kingdom of Cambodia seemed the most friendly country we visited.  In Siem Reap, they have built new roads, new hotels and a new airport to serve tourists on their way to see Angkor Wat.  They use USA currency more than their own.  Phon was passionate and honest, and we learned some valuable insight from him.  He spoke to tears about the hardship his family has seen, including the horrible years under the KhmerRouge (1975-1979), which we only knew from the "killing fields."  Phon had personal stories of labor camps, killing of intellectuals, and famine.  Phon was optimistic about his country's future, admitting that recent elections were not real democracy, but going the right direction.