Cambodia part deux... PP

Cambodia is a very emotional place... or at least it was for us. We had some great laughs with fellow travellers and the locals (who always seem to be smiling).

The first think most folks think when you say Cambodia is Angkar Wat (it's even on the Cambodian flag)... ... but the next thought is about the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge. To pay our respects to the victims and to learn a bit more about it we visited S-21 prison and the Killing Fields in Phenom Penh. I don't have the the heart to convey the atrocities that occurred throughout the country during Pol Pot's regime, but it was a sobering reminder that a totalitarian authority of any kind can be a very slick slope towards corruption and evildoing .

A small portion of the list of names whose lives were taken by Pol Pot.


Cambodian School Bus...


The one and only road biker we saw in Cambodia. He passed our Tuk-Tuk.






Mekong urinal.


... didn't get Kimbo's approval for these pics so you should look quick before it gets taken down...


Devouring a Dragon Fruit.


We asked the chef if we could sample some Red Ant... turned out to be Yellow... which was disappointing... and it was really gross.


We're in the land of serving cold beer on ice.


Cambodian roads were quite hazardous from the little that we saw. Not only did we pass this over turned tar truck (the bus driver had to get out and get the tar off the tires 50 m after passing this). We passed a few more minor accidents... and a store that was literally blowing up. It was on fire... and something exploded and hit the side of the bus. Amazingly I slept through it all...

Angkar Wat

...ok back to SE Asia. If you are lost on our blog... we went to Nepal for October... then back to Bangkok and flew to Phuket in S. Thailand. Did some climbing (Rai leh), and visited some beaches (Ko Phi Phi, Ko Lanta), and back to Bangkok to get my new Japanese passport and Lao visas. Then through Cambodia, and up to Lao...

Taking the train to the Cambodian border.


Then a tuk-tuk to the border....


Cambodian's were scooter crazy compared to Thai


Another bus ride, a quick snooze, and we're at Angkar Wat for sunrise before we knew it.


The only farang (foreigner) we've seen with a mosquito net on his head the entire trip...


Monkeys!!!


Gotta have a handstand pic at every major ruin.


Many of the stairs are really, really steep... they say that this is so that you have to use your hands and so you respect the Angkar gods as you approach.


Many many faces of Bayon


Angkar's unique co-habitation with the jungle is what draws many of the visitors.


The size of this place is daunting...


And many sites are still under excavation.


The intricate details on every temple, every pillar is astonishing.










Here's where EVERYONE goes for sunset... looks nice right? A beautiful sunset, in an exotic country, at a famous ruin....


To share with a thousand others...


... ok, we'll catch you up a bit more later.

Jasper!

My buddy Jasper, who I have known since I was 10 or so from Ashland has been quite a welcome addition for the last month or so. He's having a great time here... although he tells us he misses that awesome northwest weather... and when he whines, we start calling him Jasmin.

Here is a self-portrait from in a Cambodian toilet...


On the way back from Ankar Wat after picking up a few roadies.


And since one of you commented... here he is with a roadside snack in cambodia. He was pretty hungover and this was hour 3 of a 6 hour bus ride...


So we'll excuse him for not eating the trantula (I had it instead... mmmm....) but we did get him to try some frog legs.

Noname Poo

I ordered #20. Turns out it's deep fried crab legs.


... with the shell on and everything... didn't make any sense to me. Should be "nonsense poo" if you ask me.

Fred!

Had a great week with Fred in Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta. Having familiar company while traveling is quite a treat as you get to talk about home, skiing, your traveling experiences, and philosophies...

Here he is trying to prove that hermit crabs "can't" hurt you (and doing a horrible job at it).

The day I (Yu) met Me and Him (SP?)

... was a rather fine day.

First we rented scooters.


passed a rubber tree farm...


Hiked to a waterfall (which was more like a trickle)... but the hike was nice, and there were some dead skin eating fish on the way... they liked Kimbo.


and the hike passed a pretty cool cave with cool roots...


After some more scooterin' we played some beach volleyball.


.... drank cheep beer (not recommended).


And went back to the restaurant we ate at the night before. As it was some of the best food we'd had on the trip.


And as I was using the urinal, the fire dancer came in and asked, "what's your name?" I told him my name, then asked his... got a good kick out of it when I heard him say "me"... but he gave me a blank stare back so I wasn't sure he understood why I was laughing so hard. Then he came over with the other waiter named "him." (L -> R... Him, Me, You)... really should've asked how they spelled it... alas.


And since we were back for the second night in a row, the bartender decided to give us a "special" shot... that had a cobra biting a scorpion in it...


This is when peer pressure works wonders.


for better or worse...


...


the sky even put on a lightening show soon afterwards...