Joom Reab Suor

Joom Reab Suor!?

So, our trip to Cambodia..... our short 2 hour flight from Malaysia to Cambodia landed us in a beautiful country filled with more history than my ignorant mind could have imagined.

As we arrive in Siem Reap, Bong and I get in line to receive our Visa.... Bong was born in Cambodia, so for him it is free. "Free" meaning he does not have to pay the $20 fee that I do, but a donation to the pocket of the man issuing him the visa is required. A $20 donation.

We then turn to the immigration line. The man gets very excited to see a Cambodian native. He starts speaking secretively and excitedly, leaning over the counter to be close to Bong. Of course, Bong plays dumb......It is then explained to me for the first time, the corruption that takes place in Cambodia, corruption that I see and is explained to me by family thoughout our journey. The government official was asking for money.

As we exit the immigration line, we are greeted by E and Boo (Aunt and Uncle). They are as excited to see Bong as we to see them. We pile in the truck and head off to Siem Reap. We are driven to our hotel which costs a mere $20 a night. We drop our luggage, shower, change and head out to see this beautiful city.


We first head to Angkor Wat. I was unaware until this adventure, that Angkor Wat is made up of over 1,000 temples. Anglor Wat was built for the king during the 12th century for the purpose of prayer. Words and photos could never give justice to the beauty and architectural excellence that make up these temples. The craft was completed by hand and the detail is more intricate than anything I have seen before.

After the hours of walking through many different temples and climbing over 10,000 stairs, sweating off 10 pounds and convinced I might be loosing a lower limb, we head to Bakhent Mountain to watch the sunset. Many will be surprised at the fact that I have not yet started to complain (out loud). We hike the mountain and reach the top.... I felt as if I accomplished the most amazing hike ever attempted... but I must explain, this, too, was followed with the steepest set of stone stairs I had seen yet that day (which doesn't sound like much unless you know thae stairs of Angkor Wat).
I climb the stairs...ok, well I sort of crawled up them....but made it to the top safely and contemplated how I might make it down. I allowed Bong to take another 500 photos and then we started our hike down. Despite the pain and suffering I was forced to endure, it was the most GORGEOUS sunset I had ever seen in my life. The sky became shades of blue, yellow, orange, violet... colors I did not know the sky could become. It was a beauty that words could never quite explain....a vision that a picture could never quite capture.

After returning to the hotel, I immediately passed out with a terrible migraine! Bong kindly went looking for my Excedrine Extra Strength, but to our surprise it was no longer there. You see, these medicines we take for granted and when we landed from Malaysia, my bag was the slightest bit unzippered. I thought nothing of it until this moment. Only my 2 ziplock bags remain, empty of my excedrine, lactaid pills, and tylenol. I am too tired to even care. Might I just add, I have yet to complain out loud! :)

Bong enjoys a nice dinner out, while I fall sweetly into a sound sleep in bed. Just to add a quick note here-->the beds are not what we are used to home in the states. Don't set that picture in your mind where I am so very comfortable on my feather plush mattress! I am actually laying on the equivalent to a car seat. After the walking and climbing from the day, you could have put my on concrete and it would have felt like heaven, though!

I have to add, I wish this was something that everyone could see. It is a beauty that just can not be explained by words. Nothing I write could ever give justice to the amazing sites that have been seen.