My flight to Cambodia was at 8am, so I essentially booked a hotel room for only 4 hours last night in Bangkok (one night in Bangkok, la la la la la la). When I was younger, I would have just crashed in a quiet area of the airport. I'm too old for that now. Lol. Even 4 hours with a pillow in a regular bed is awesome after a long bus ride.
My flight was in a pretty nice prop plane. Not nearly as sketchy as the ones I've flown in other countries! (Panama was the craziest. No glass in the windows, and guys struggling to get the propellers going by spinning them by hand, and they kept sputtering out)
We landed in Siem Reap within an hour, and were processed through customs. I was told that I needed an extra passport photo for my visa application, but didn't go out of my way to get one in advance in Thailand. It ended up being no problem at all - I paid the normal visa processing fee, and just had to tack on an extra buck for not having a photo. No sweat.
The tuk tuk ride from the airport to my hotel on the other side of town was $2. I like it here already. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face during the ride. I was spoiled in Thailand. It's really pretty western and hard to escape the touristy areas, because it's so beautiful and people just flock there. Cambodia is a whole different experience, and one that I've really been yearning for. It is as third world as it gets. Government corruption and communism prevails and is evident everywhere, people rely heavily on crops and fishing, and do everything by hand without tractors, regular fishing rigs, etc. It's cultural shock, and I love it. I'm absorbing it all and am feeling so humbled and in awe of this world.
I dropped my bag at the hotel ($10 a night, fantastic), and immediately grabbed a tuk tuk to head out to the Beng Mealea temple. It's about 2 hours each way, and boy was it a ride... My driver took me through the countryside, instead of taking the main road, and I'm so thankful he did. Passing through the tiny villages along the way was really special. The playing children would wave and chase after the tuk tuk, I was able to see families working their rice paddies, people bathing in the creeks along the road... The ride itself would have been enough culture for the day, but I had yet to visit the ruins.
I was soooo happy to be there! Lol. I actually got choked up several times and my guide, an old Cambodian man, kept reassuring me "it okayyyy" and saying "Very beautiful. Love my country, love my country". I was just so moved by the beauty and history. It was built in the 12th century, and it's just so overgrown and awe inspiring.
After an amazing day exploring the ruins, I had worked up a pretty good appetite and was excited to try the Khmer food. I hit up pub street, a few blocks from my hotel.
After dinner (and a few beers with a new friend), I was feeling a like it was time for a little late night snack. What better than some crickets, grasshoppers, and a crusty snake on a stick?
Time for bed, but first I need to pick the bug legs out of my teeth. ;)
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