Whirlwind Cambodia--AKA the Nutshell

Last time we checked in we were finishing some great, hot days in the southern end of Laos. We've come a long ways since then, and without really thinking about time--only about how to stay cool--we are now ending our stay in Cambodia. Here's a recap of the past few weeks. With as many photos as I could tolerate uploading on these incredibly slow machines.

Like always, border crossings can be interesting experiences, and heading into Cambodia from Laos was no exception. Delays, sizzling hot bus journeys, and a slew of people trying to get our dollars. All in a days work. Our first stop, the trash laden town of Kratie, was primarily for one reason and one reason only. To see the mysterious and near-endangered Irawaddy Dolphin of the Mekong River. After two boiling days and several attempted scams by our guesthouse, we did manage to see the strange mammals--from a distance. In fact, I don't even have a picture worth showing. Hindsight reveals that we could have done without this stop, which was something like a waste of money and and another long, expensive bus journey. (Seems to be the norm in this country.) Live and learn.

Our next destination was the grand prize of any trip to Cambodia, and what I do believe is the last large monumental site (i.e. Macchu Picchu, Taj Mahal) we will see on this trip. The city is Siem Reap and the place is the amazing Angkor Wat. Did I sat amazing? Yeah, I meant really amazing. Some of the structures here date back as far as 800BC, and they were built with incredible precision and have truly withstood the tests of time. Unreal to see, and near impossible to imagine how these cities, temples and complexes were constructed so long ago.

Beacause Siem Reap and the surrounding area was indeed just a few degrees cooler than hell itself, we started our tour days in the back of a tuk-tuk at about 5:30 am. By 9:00 we had each departed with about gallon of sweat, and by Noon we would try and be back in the city and in a cool place before complete meltdown. The bonus of getting up so early, besides beating the sun for a few hours, is that sunrise is a really wonderful time to be at the sites. Also, being up so early ensured we would beat at least some of the tourist buses that transport--what in numbers could have been-- small armies or Thai, Chinese and Japanese tourists.

With the heat, two days of sight seeing was enough. Siem Reap was a nice enough town (with excellent burritos Shanon would like to add), but Angkor is the attraction and there's not much else to see or do, so we hopped another bus and headed onward to the tumultuous capital of Phnom Penh.

The history of this country, and this city are start reminders of the dark past the country has experienced over the last 50 years. Although modern in places, the city itself is still regarded as a frontier town choke full of drugs, guns and prostituion (or so they say). It is also home to the notorious 'Killing Fields' and the S-21 prison camp (former high school) where Cambodia experienced genocide in the late 1970's. A humbling experience to witness the wicked ways of men. Rich and poor, old and new--that would be a good summary of the city itself.

And with that, we're off to Vietnam. Starting in the south and working our way north, this is the last country we had scheduled in our original itinerary so be sure and stay tuned. We're also busy scheming several different ways to end the trip itself....possibly wrapping it all up with something a little closer to home. When we know, you'll know.

Camera Update: Our camera does in fact have a virus and we are trying to fix it, but with minimal success so far. Hence fewer pictures than usual. So sorry, I know you'd rather look at photo than read my ramblings.