My mom, sister and I spent a total of 5 days in Siem Reap, Cambodia. To be honest, at first I was a bit apprehensive at the thought of going to Cambodia, and I wasn't too keen on the idea of traveling to an area where mosquitoes are not only abundant but also carry the malaria parasite. Siem Reap surprised me though. Coming from Bangkok's polluted and crowded streets, I suddenly found myself in the middle of a charming and quiet little city. Siem Reap is accelerated mainly by its tourism industry, and strong evidence of this lies in the fact that nearly all the locals in the downtown old market area speak fluent English. It's a plus being able to communicate with everyone, but after having hordes of children run after and badger you to buy postcards for " only 1 US dollar" all day long, you begin to wonder how such a beautiful country has reduced its people to begging from foreigners. My heart ached a little for our tuk tuk taxi driver, who waited patiently for us everyday at the crack of dawn (even though we would sleep in til noon, lol...) so that he would not miss his chance out of a competitive daily salary allowance ($10) from us.
Siem Reap's main attraction is Angkor Wat, the fabled temple which has drawn people from all over the world to behold its beauty. Angkor Wat is the largest religious site in the world, and within its perimeter there are also dozens of other temples resurrected from the era of the Khmer Empire, but the aforementioned is the most grand and elaborate. The tiers of stone cascading down in a lotus-formation and the intricate carvings within the walls that have been preserved for hundreds of years are breathtaking; It really is no wonder why so many people have made the pilgrimage to come see this.
--
Stone carvings in the walls of Angkor Wat
Khmer children playing in the temples
Stone heads guarding the entrance to a temple. This one has obviously been restored, and its conspicuousness made me giggle [:
View of the moat surrounding Angkor Wat at sunset
Stone ruins.
---
currently in: Nha Trang, Vietnam! Famous for its white sandy beaches, but I have yet to be impressed (I've probably been too spoiled by the nearly uninhabited Phu Quoc island [: ). The nem nuong cuon here is to die for though; Brodards ain't got nothin on this shit! Hope everyone is having a lovely holiday season, whether you are abroad or at home. I celebrated Christmas in Saigon, where everyone and their mothers flooded the streets with their motorbikes and partied until 4 in the morning. Saigon has been the most memorable (no, I did not partake in any of the Saigon Christmas debauchery if thats what you were thinking) and meaningful portion of this trip to me so far. But that will come in a later post [:
love,
chau
No comments:
Post a Comment