Melting

I didn’t know too much about Cambodia before I went, and I’m actually really glad that I didn’t do too much reading or preparing for my traveling there, as I was pleasantly surprised by many things there, especially the main tourist sights such as Angkor Wat, Tuol Sleng Museum and the Kratie Irrawaddy dolphins, along with the delicious food and the warm and friendly people. Learning about what a horrible history the country has had, makes travel there even more interesting, especially when you realize their civil war only really ended about 9 years ago. The infrastructure is appalling however, and getting to and from certain places definitely needs patience, and sometimes, buns of steel. First impressions the day or two at the border crossing aside, I found my travels through the country my most rewarding so far. Sometimes, the worst day or event turned into my favorite memory or adventure, which is something that no guidebook can arrange for you. [read on]

The sun was shining brightly as I woke up in our luxurious guesthouse in Pnomh Penh. I checked my watch, and it was only about 8:30am, which was clearly not a long enough sleep after the previous days’ travel, but with the prospect of no rain, I forced myself out of bed and tried to calmly wake Paul up. Finally, after some negotiating, he too realized that it was too nice of a day, and while we were in no mood for sightseeing some of the major attractions in Pnomh Penh, we wanted to get out and explore the city. But our first goal would have to be food. We set off in what would be the first of many tuk-tuk rides to find something to eat, and began to catch of glimpse of what a completely different place Cambodia is, to what our first two days impression was. [read on]

(Congratulations to my sister and her husband on the birth of their son, born July 7th. I love you guys!) The small town of Trat in southern Thailand is the last stopover before crossing over the border into Cambodia, about an ... [Continue reading this entry]