Saturday, November 1, 2008

Winding down in Siem Reap

It's hot, humid and dusty (and sometimes rainy) but I'm still loving Cambodia.

I had am hour long foot massage for $10 last night. Dinner for two cost $15. Large beers are only $3.50 in a nice bar. And it's good beer. We are still harassed by children but at least they smile when they try to sell us their wares for a buck.

Last week, we made our way up to Siem Reap in the northern part of the country. This town is growing very quickly thanks to the largest group of temples in the world. Most people know Angkor Wat but there are many more temples in various stages of decay dotted around this area. For $40, we were able to see as many as we could in three days. For $60, we could have had a pass for an entire week. I have a feeling that Siem Reap is going to be a huge tourist destination in the next five years but for now it still has a lot of charm and the locals still love the tourists.

We've used up our three days but since I'm crazy, I have decided to get early to view the sunrise over Angkor Wat on Monday. The tuk-tuk driver is picking me up at 5 am. Thankfully my camera has auto-focus because my own eyeballs will still be hazed over at that hour.

On Monday, we make our way back to Saigon, then to Manila and then back to Los Angeles. Broke but happy.

I have taken over a thousand pictures and have so many stories to tell. I'll post them when I can when I get back.

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