The Mekong en bateau

Today started off bright and early. I woke up at 4:30 am, ate the breakfast I ordered before bed and headed to Angkor Wat for sunrise. It was nice for a change to be up so early.

The sunrise was rather unremarkable-- not a hint of red, orange or yellow in the sky. The temple site was notheless impressive. With four main towers on the cetral dias, I had to pass though some outer walls before reaching central dias upon which therse towers rested. Like yesterday, I was confronted with some insanely steep stairs that, even though they posed no real danger, still got the adrenaline pumping.

The top was worth the climb (and desent) however. From up there I could see all of the courtyards below and watch all the early rising tourists wandering about and craning their necks like ants looking for food. Their ant size however muvh fiun at the top was a nice reminder of how high up I was as I climbed down to the bottom.

My motorcycle driver was ready and waiting at the entrance. He rushed me to the guest house at top speed where I was scolded by one of the staff for missing my pickup for the boat to Pnom Penh. IT was 6:30 and the boat left at 7. I was already packed, so after checking in my key, the motorcycle guy rushed me to the lake some 10 km away. It seemed that being late prevented me from having to wait around for almost an hour for those toursits who showed up at 7:20.

The boat ride was a relaxing change from the bus ride two daysd before. The guest house had pushed the bus as a cheaper alternative, bu I though I would screw the roads and give water transport a try. In the end, the lake/river route was sceneic and relaxing. I saw boat houses and local fishers. But the neatest thing for me was seeing patches of waterhyacinth everywhere. Too thing that people pay money for it back home. Here it grows like a weed.

I spent the majority of the boat trip on the roof of the boat reading "The Killing Fields." for those who haven't read it, "The Killing Fields" tells the true story (with ficticious elements) of an American journalist and his Cambodian colleague. The two of them choose not to evacuate Cambodia in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge topples the puppet government installed by the Americans.

Today started off bright and early. I woke up at 4:30 am, ate the breakfast I ordered before bed and headed to Angkor Wat for sunrise. It was nice for a change to be up so early.

The sunrise was rather unremarkable-- not a hint of red, orange or yellow in the sky. The temple site was nonetheless impressive. With four main towers on the central dais, I had to pass though some outer walls before reaching central dais upon which these towers rested. Like yesterday, I was confronted with some insanely steep stairs that, even though they posed no real danger, still got the adrenaline pumping.

The top was worth the climb (and descent) however. From up there I could see all of the courtyards below and watch all the early rising tourists wandering about and craning their necks like ants looking for food. Their ant size however much fun at the top was a nice reminder of how high up I was as I climbed down to the bottom.

My motorcycle driver was ready and waiting at the entrance. He rushed me to the guest house at top speed where I was scolded by one of the staff for missing my pickup for the boat to Phnom Penh. IT was 6:30 and the boat left at 7. I was already packed, so after checking in my key, the motorcycle guy rushed me to the lake some 10 km away. It seemed that being late prevented me from having to wait around for almost an hour for those tourists who showed up at 7:20.

The boat ride was a relaxing change from the bus ride two days before. The guest house had pushed the bus as a cheaper alternative, but I though I would screw the roads and give water transport a try. In the end, the lake/river route was scenic and relaxing. I saw boat houses and local fishers. But the neatest thing for me was seeing patches of water hyacinth everywhere. Too thing that people pay money for it back home. Here it grows like a weed.

I spent the majority of the boat trip on the roof of the boat reading "The Killing Fields." for those who haven't read it, "The Killing Fields" tells the true story (with fictitious elements) of an American journalist and his Cambodian colleague. The two of them choose not to evacuate Cambodia in 1975 when the Khmer Rouge topples the puppet government installed by the Americans.

The book goes into some detail of the insanity of the situation. It tells of how the Americans had bombed the country side on the chance that they might hit North Vietnamese forces based on the Cambodian side of the border. It tells of how the Khmer Rouge, upon taking the capital, forced its 2 million citizens (mostly refugees) into the countryside to face starvation and poverty. And it describes the Khmer Rouge's policy of to kill any educated or undesirable people (those with glasses, soft skin on their hands, or a serious illness) in order to create an entire country of peasant farmers. I'd definitely recommend reading it.

I had planned on going shopping this evening, but I was tired, badly sun burnt from the boat, and really into the book I was reading. I think it's time to eat again... mmmm....