Angkor What?

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We did our pilgrimage to Angkor Wat and it was well worth it. Everyone raves about how great it is, and for good reason. We spent two days wandering around the temples admiring the great architecture etc and it was fab. If you read the travel guides they say you need at least three days. Not so. We were pretty much templed out after two. It's all very beautiful but there is only so much you can take in.

The children selling their wares add an extra dimension to the visit. Their bargaining skills are a weird mix of adult and child. They know how to bargain the numbers, but as soon as they don't get what they want they bring out the tears and tantrums. It can be hard to bare. You have to be pretty tough. I admit we did end up buying some useless trinkets simply because we could only say no to ten year olds for so long. I kept thinking about my nieces and nephews and what a different life they have. Talk about pulling on my heart strings!

After Angkor Wat it was a "quick" trip back to Phnom Penh to buy an overpriced visa to Vietnam (that is a whole other story - and a little too embarrassing to tell), then we were off. One more country to go!

-Fi

My trigger finger hurt after Angkor. As everyone knows the secret to taking good pictures is to take pictures until your eyes bleed and your camera overheats. Actually that's not really the secret. That's Gabe's lame short cut to greatness. If you take a couple thousand pictures one or two have to turn out ok right? Incidently I don't put my favorites on the web. I can't handle the rejection. So don't judge me too harshly.

Angkor Wat as everyone knows is a wonder of the world blah blah blah. Go see it lazy bums. Which is better a picture of the pyramids or seeing them in person? Which is better reading my blog or riding an awful bus for 36 hours? Whatever, harden up people. Cambodia's great. The people are fucking fantastic. My type of Joes. Someone has seriously screwed up the reputations of the Cambodians and the Laos. Just reverse it. The Lao aren't that friendly. They really aren't, but the Cambodians sure are. Of course everybody's trying to get in your wallet but as I'm wildly, outrageously wealthy where's the harm in spreading the wealth. I'm off topic.

Angkor...... Go see it. Did I say that? The place has a great sound track. All the jungle sounds are there. Everything that's not being restored right now has just the right look. Couldn't be better. You really get the vibe. I could really see people walking around with torches, really smell the offerings. Just go ok? It saves me having to try to describe something so achingly beautiful in my poor prose.

--Gabe

P.S. I got lyrics to go.

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Photos

Head
heh....head

Fi
... in a typically bad mood.

Dirty
If I told you what that particular piece of gear represented you'd blush. Poon.

Tongue
of FIRE!

Pig
That pig is still alive and very pissed.

Dance
We can get down, baby we can get down.

That's Neat
Hmmmm....

Dancing in the Rain
There was no music playing. This kid was going nuts while we huddled in the ruins hiding from the rain. He only went crazier when he saw me paying attention.