Cambodia

One of the best things about Kuala Lumpur, is not just the close proximity to all of SE Asia, but the multitude of 3 day weekends that make travel a breeze! I should also mention AirAsia who will pack you in a sardine can and slingshot you to practically anywhere you want to go for whatever you have in your pocket!

So this long weekend we put down a map weighed our options:

"Hong Kong sounds cool...nah we live amongst the bright lights and big city, we need fresh air."

"Oh! But what about Hanoi? Shikes, no flights la. hmmm..."

"Bali? Not ready for that, sounds like the Cancun of SE Asia"

"Cambodia? What is the food Like there? What kind of money do they use? Actually, I don't know much about it at all...Let's find out!"

This was last Tuesday. So the research began, and with every bit of information we have learned, the draw to visit this wonderful country grew. I don't want to bore the world with a 10 page blog, so please use the following itinerary as a discussion guideline the next time I buy you a beer! I'll fill in all the detail then!

4:00am - Wake up! Kim went to bed a 9:00 like a normal human being, David stayed up till 1:ooam reading and playing with his new congas (to be introduced in a later blog).

4:30am - Cabby meets us downstairs for the long haul to the LCCT (low cost carrier terminal) at KLIA.

7:00am - David and Kim board flight with Egg McMuffin in their bellies. For some reason it is acceptable to eat McDonald's at the LCCT before early morning flights...still not sure why.

8:00am - Siem Reap! Visa process takes a while, and we didn't bring photos for the Visa. A bit of the "dumb tourist" act and a couple fines later and we are home free!

8:30am - Mr. Piyep picks us up in a Cambodian style Tuk Tuk, which is basically a rickshaw attached to a moped. With the wind in our hair and our lives in Mr. Piyep's hands, we navigate towards our hotel!

9:00am - Checked into the Golden Temple Hotel (Highly recommended)...breakfast time! The waiter chats to us the entire meal, and I get the proper pronunciations of all the Khmer words I have been destroying all morning. Kim gets the best banana pancake I've ever tried (after posting I will go have another!). After breakfast we decide to have a beer...why? Why not!?!?!

10:00am - Back on Mr. Piyep's rickshaw, we head to Angkor Wat. Roughly 38 seconds after leaving the rickshaw, Kim drops the water bottle in the moat. David fetches the bottle of water and the smell reminds him of Huntsville State Park.

10:00am to noon - Angkor Wat has made it's impression. It is absolutely stunning. We walked all around the complex, took breaks in little alcoves and read aloud, as tourists do, the meanings of the chambers and artwork throughout.

noon to 3 - Visited Ta Prohm temple complex. Now we're talking! This was found not long ago, and the jungle was in the process of reclaiming it! We had free reign the the entire place and crawled through the entire complex. We were Indie and Lara! There were these massive trees with roots snaking through the ruins, and I couldn't tell whether they were supporting the fragile structure and tearing it down. Stunning, magical, like nothing I've ever seen. It's in my top 5.

3:30pm - Mr. Piyep takes the adventurers home. David was fading so he grabbed his book and a beer, and beat feet to the hammocks. Roughly half a beer later he was out cold!

5:00pm - Kim read about "Happy Special Pizza," a local shop that puts a local herb in their pizza that produces a satisfied customer. The pizza was happy, and no doubt special, but I'm pretty sure the herb is a marketing ploy.

7:00pm - Stop by the the "Lounge Lizard" for a drink and some hookah. Yum! Beers are $0.75!

9:00pm - We make it home, and fall into bed after a cold shower.

It's been a long day and we need to conserve our energy for our big day tomorrow. We plan to...well actually there is no plan. We'll play it by ear again; seemed to work today!

P.S. Sorry for no photos. I added a few links here an there to help visualize!