Cambodia was beautiful and heartbreaking. The temples of Angkor were best explored on bicycles with friends. Ruins only slightly spoiled by bus loads of tourists, but I suppose we were part it. Parting ways with Keelin and Ian was strange, part of me felt like I should have been on the plane with them back to Seattle, celebrating the holidays in the cold and rain and with family.
Early morning at Angkor Wat
After parting ways I hopped on a bus to Phnom Penh, ate some crickets (tasty snack, as long as you don't look at them for too long before putting them in your mouth), and braved crossing the streets (you just have to commit). Two days in Phnom Penh was enough - big cities aren't really my thing, so I took a bus to the south coast. Really, though, I wanted to go to the Northeast and cross into Laos from there. Dodgy border and unreliable transportation made me wish I wasn't traveling alone, so I took the safe route. Sometimes you have to sacrifice.
Cambodia was difficult at times - shoeless children trying to sell you their bracelets, land mine amputees begging everywhere - it's hard to know what to do. The wounds of the Khmer Rouge are still fresh, but even the beggers and amputees, after just smiling and wishing them the best, find it in them to smile, genuinely, back. Except for the five year old who tried to sell me a bracelet that called me a "tight ass white girl" after I (kindly) refused.
Next stop is Northern Thailand. Bangkok for one night was enough, but I'm glad I got to experience Khao San at midnight on a Saturday: eighty cent pad thai, drunk Westerners passed out, literally, on the street, tuk-tuk drivers trying to get you to go to 'ping-pong shows' (don't even want to know), loads of lady-boys, and endless trinkets, clothes, bags, shoes, etc. to be bought.
