Part I: Cambodia



We recently spent almost three weeks touring around Cambodia and Thailand. This was our longest family trip to date, and it was wonderful. Because my employer allows me to work remotely and Geoff is a government employee with ample time off, we did not have to rush around from site to site, plus we had down time to relax, too. Both countries were beautiful, interesting, and unique cultural experiences.

First up are our Cambodia trip highlights, which include Angkor Wat, the Phare Circus, local markets, and the food.





Cambodia's fast facts:

population: 13.5 million
socioeconomics: poor; one-third lives off less than $1 a day
religion: 95 percent Buddhist
language: Khmer
climate: really hot
food: very, very delicious noodle and rice dishes; blends of spice, citrus and peanuts
cultural influences: Chinese, French
claims to fame: temples with deep historical meaning that have also served as film sites for Hollywood action films; rice-paddy countrysides; artisanal crafts; silk; attention from Angelina Jolie
noteworthy: Cambodia was under Thai and then later Vietnamese occupation; bombed by the United States during the Vietnam War; suffered under Pol Pot's "reign of terror" when an estimated 1.7 million people died (the Killing Fields genocide); and devastated by civil war in the early '90s. The country is being aided by other nations to rebuild itself and also restore its ancient temples. There are massive amounts of tourists coming to Siem Reap and the Angkor Wat temples, but the area still retains its authenticity. We loved our time here.

Look out Cambodia, here we come!

Siem Reap:
Siem Reap is the tourist capital of Cambodia because it is near the temples of Angkor Wat. The city is great, too, with Chinese-style architecture in its Old French Quarter and Old Market. This area is really lively, especially Pub Street, which is surrounded by open-air markets, vendor stalls, restaurants, and bars.

The most common mode of transportation is a tuk-tuk,
some of which are have neon lights and play '90s rock music that Eri danced to.

These women are making candy
beneath a little road-side hut just outside the city. Siem Reap had lots of
artisanal treasures for us to bring home.

This is an organization that teaches impoverished people different
trades, like wood working, painting, or weaving, and then helps sell them.
We ended up with a hand-carved, Buddhist-style relic.

Typical houses outside the city are one,
large room on stilts and no indoor plumbing. We spent the
day in the rural area of Tonle Sap Lake.

The children in this village were so excited
 to see us. Our rule is not to buy from children working,
but I do give them toiletries from our hotel.

Our guide took us on a boat tour of Tonle Sap Lake,
which is lined with homes, a store and a school.

The temperatures were in the mid to high 80s and we were sweaty.

Pub Street / Old Market: My favorite part of touring around Asia is definitely the markets. In Siem Reap, you could pretty much anything for about $1, and we ended up with lots of shirts, purses, etc. with elephants stitched on them.

The heart of downtown has a multi-block market that both locals
and tourists shop at. It has everything from food to locally made clothes and art.

I was really grossed out by Leo touching these chicken
claws until I saw him touching the snout on a severed pig head.
 He had to be bathed in hand sanitizer while I freaked out / gagged.

It wouldn't be a day of sight-seeing in Asia
if we didn't stop for little fish to nibble at our feet.

Pub Street 

Monks are walking around everywhere in Siem Reap,
barefoot and usually with smart phones. Total enlightenment.

There are also many small Buddhist temples in the city that are open to the public.
Leo enjoyed running through the sacred tranquility,
giving worshipers hi-fives and  playing with the shrines.

Angkor Wat:
The temples of Angkor Wat makeup the largest religious monument in the world. They were built between the 8th and 13th centuries as Hindu temples, but became Buddhist temples. The temples span about 40 miles; some temples have been restored, while others are still partially covered by the jungle. They are amazing, and also where  portions of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Raiders of the Lost Ark were filmed. We visited different sites several times with and without a local guide at different times of the day, all of which were equally impressive.

Sunrise

Sunset

Food: We thoroughly enjoyed pretty much every meal we ate in this country.

Pad Thai inside a giant cooked egg.

The spicy curry soups were our favorite.

The Red Roof is famous for being Angelina Jolie's hangout
while she was filming Tomb Raider. Its gimmick is
serving her favorite cocktail (and t-shirts)
and I'll be damned if it isn't the most-delicious mixed drink I've ever had -- twice!

The Phare Circus: We've traveled around and seen a lot, but so far nothing has compared to the performers of the Phare Circus. It isn't actually a circus, but more like Cirque du Soleil without any fancy lighting, equipment, or props -- just crazy acrobatics and stunts performed to a storyline on the floor of a tiny theater. It was incredible.

Next up is Part II: Thailand ...

Travel buddies.