Angkor Wat was lovely and hot. Still as impressive as I remember from before, but this time the throngs of chinese and korean tour groups swamped the place and it felt a little more like Disney Land than ancient religious ruins. All the tour groups were on the obnoxious side and made the experience a little dissapointing. I remember exploring the tranquility of the temples all to ourselves in 2003 and this time we often struggled to find peace, space and quiet. The highlight was certainly sun rise over the main temple and Mr. MO our awesome hired tuktuk driver.
This time we also got a chance to head over to the land mine museum.
Mr. Aki Ra learned to plant land mines for the Khmer Rouge at age 5. These days he works to clear land mines free of charge. He set up this museum to educate the public and to help solicit donations to continue his work. He has also adopted over 30 orphans and land mine victims, giving them housing, helping feed them, and sending them to school. We got a tour from a boy who had lost both his parents in the recent civil war as well as the lower half of his left leg. It was both sad and inspiring.
This morning we took a 8 hour boat ride along the Sung Sangker river (i think)
through the Cambodian wetlands. The people and the country side are both beautiful and extremely impoverished. All the bathing children in the river smiled and waved as we passed by. Everyone in Cambodia smiles much more than anywhere else I've been. It seems such a contrast from their dark and violent recent past.And now I find myself in Battambang Cambodia for a night or two before we head down to the coast.
ciao for now.
xo ~ s
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