Do I have cricket in my teeth?...and a couple of temples pt. 1

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Sorry about the delay between posts. Apparently I scared my parents a bit by not writing after I'd said I would post soon.

So we landed in Siem Reap on one hours sleep. Waiting for us at the gorgeous Siem Reap airport were two tuk-tuks, a kind of motorcycle pulled carriage that are all over the place. We headed right into town and found our hotel. Our room wasn't ready for a couple of hours so we decided to go have breakfast and then exploring a bit. A fresh and warm baguette (common in formerly French controlled Cambodia) was a pleasant welcome to Cambodia. After breakfast I went exploring around by myself.

Siem Reap is a booming town that is experiencing a huge boost due to tourism. Apparently even 5 years ago it was nothing compared to today. I first headed to the old market, a labyrinth of every possible souvenir you ever wanted and never wanted. In Cambodia the people have no problem saying, "Sir, please come in and buy something." That is fine except that every stall is saying that. I got too overwhelmed in there so I made my way back to the outside to breathe. I was instantly greeted by four young children who were selling bracelets. I can say no to tuk-tuk drivers and shop owners but children? Well I had to get it our of my system. They followed me for blocks and blocks with me saying no thank you and sorry along the way. I'd get responses like "sorry don't make me business" and "I need money for school". Not exactly easy to say no. Finally I gave in a bought 2 dollars worth of bracelets off of one of the girls. One problem...the other ones also wanted me to buy from them. The boy said "you buy from girl now you must buy from boy". Damn. They also know a neat trick. Once they found out I was from Canada they all say in a hauntingly monotone voice all together, "Canada, capital Ottawa, prime minister Stephen Harper, population 34 million". At least their geography was good. I gave the other 2 a dollar each and they left. I got that out of my system and now I know their little game. It is unfortunate but not knowing where that money is going means that I would much rather give to an organization.

I made it to a place called Artisans d'Angkor. It was recommended in the guide book as an ethical workshops for Cambodians. Just an amazing place. I got a 20 minute private tour with a guide. You go from workshop to workshop learning how each item is made. You start with the workshop for intricate silk painting made by deaf-mutes and move to the wood carving, stone carving, and metal engraving areas. All of the workers are Cambodians who are trained for up to a year and then work for the company. The skill that they exhibit was mind-blowing and they chipped and carved away at little figurines and massive stone pictures. At the end of the tour you end up, where else, the gift shop. The prices are more expensive than the market but you know it is ethically made and helping the people. You also get a better appreciation for the skill it takes to make the products and the price seems to be relatively cheap compared to what that type of skilled labour would get in Canada.

On the way back to the hotel, mind full and sleep deprived, I came across a tuk-tuk driver on the side street. I said I would walk and didn't need his services but he kept offering me something. I couldn't see what it was. Eventually I saw that they were bbq crickets. After a little apprehension (less than maybe I should have) I agreed to try one. You pull of the head and legs and pop them in your mouth. Not too bad actually. A bit crunchy and mainly they taste like chips. I even had 2. I walked back to the hotel just having experienced that most confusing, interesting hour of my life.

That night Kyle and I treated ourselves to 2 hour massages for the whopping price of $12 US. Being that we were still sore from Kinabalu this was much needed and also incredibly painful on the legs. We felt a lot better afterward though. We went to bed early as we were waking up at 5 am to go to Angkor Wat at sunrise.

There is a reason that tourists flock to Angkor Wat. You walk across a bridge over a moat to get to the gate, which is impressive enough. After walking through the gate you see the massive multi-tiered temple with its famous 5 towers. The sunrise itself was less than stellar due to clouds and the crowds were insane. However, once we got inside the temple itself the crowds subsided. We walked around the whole building with all of its nooks and crannies and intricate carvings on the walls and pillars. Pictures are the only real way to convey it. Unfortunately I am having trouble adding pics to the blog without my computer so that will have to wait. I'm sure you can find some on the internet. From Angkor Wat we headed to one of the other large temples, Angkor Thom. Angkor Thom is another huge walled city built near Angkor Wat. All of the temples have a strange mix of Hindu and Buddhist influences, as the Khmer empire flip-flopped back and forth between religions. The biggest temple within Angkor Thom is called Bayon. It has huge faces carved into the towers and is an impressive sight in its own right. While touring the temple we met a group of 13 adolescents and adults from a church in Calgary! One of them was wearing a Calgary shirt which kind of gave it away. We were too tired to tour the rest of Angkor Thom so we took our tuk-tuk (you hire them for the day and they'll take you wherever you want) back to the hotel, passing other temples quickly along the way. The rest of that day was spent relaxing or just walking around the town. It was the first real chance I had all trip to actually relax and catch my breath.

Well I think that is a long enough entry for now. I am currently in Phnom Penh and have some touring around to do. I will finish my entry about the rest of Siem Reap later tonight or tomorrow. Don't worry if I don't write for a couple of days...it usually means I am busy having fun. 😊 I'll try to keep up better though.

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