Siem Reap...finally!

So I finally made the trip up to Angkor Wat (8-9 hour busride on my way up...including 2 hours sitting waiting for the bus to be repaired...sigh)...my motivation was a fellow UNC Sobsey friend, Nicole, who had been travelling through SE Asia and was now in Siem Reap. I'm pretty sure I set a record for the length of time that I've been in Cambodia and not been to the most famous place around. And I'm so glad that I went and will definitely be going back again in the next few months. It's a fun town to hang out in and the temples are amazing.

Here is Angkor Wat in late afternoon, although we did wake up at 4:30 to see it at (a cloudy) sunrise as well... and one of the "libraries" in its foreground.





That's me, face to face with a face at the Bayon temple. And then, the temple made super famous by Lara Croft, Tomb Raider...the Cambodians actually call it "The Tomb Raider" temple...or maybe they do that because that's what all the foreigners know it as...anyway, it was an absolutely stunning area. So picturesque and yet pictures can't capture it.

For you, Mom!

Some recent pictures. The first three are from a couple weeks ago when we took a weekend trip to Kep, Rabbit Island and Kampot. So it's the rainy season here and maybe that isn't the best time to try to go to an island, but we wanted to, so we did it anyway. The first two pictures are from the boat trip...and I guess we do look pretty happy in them, but it's more that nervous giddiness from wondering if we're going to be swimming to shore at any moment. ha. We did make it safely though. The peace sign I'm flashing is because, well, I AM in Asia and that's what they do. :) The third picture is on a railroad bridge in the town of Kampot...a beautiful, peaceful riverside town set at the base of the mountains.