“Why do you want to go there?”, my student asked me. I will admit that Cambodia was not high on my list of places to visit when I decided to move to southeast Asia. However, after reading about the tragedies of the Khmer Rouge Regime in the late nineties, I was drawn to visit this nation. It turned out to be a marvelous place and has found its way onto my travel recommendation list. In true SE Asian style, my fellow teacher, Andy and I caught an 8 hour bus from Bangkok to the city of Siem Reap. Once there we met his friend Kelly who is an American Peace Corp volunteer in Cambodia. Kelly, fluent in the Khmer language, served as our guide even though she had never been to the city of Siem Reap. I was glad that she could speak Khmer as I thought it would help with negotiating prices.
Fortunately, after our arrival in Siem Reap, the first thing I noticed was how inexpensive the cost of living was. There
was no need to negotiate prices. The local draft beer “Angkor” was sold for the equivalent of 50 cents a bottle. The guesthouse we stayed in was $4 a night for 2 twin beds. Towards the end of the trip, I found myself in desperate need of a shave as my hair clippers stopped working right before I left Thailand. I had about 2 weeks worth of a beard growing when I decided to find a barber shop. I was lucky enough to get a shave, scalp wash, and head massage for $2. I did tip her another $2 dollars. Many establishments actually preferred the US dollar versus the Cambodian riel. Hopefully in the near future, the country of Cambodia will utilize its own currency more. However, what the country lacks in currency stability is dwarfed by the richness of its land.
To the north of Siem Reap is the magnificent land of Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat is a religious temple complex which dates back to the 12th century. The views were simply stunning and words cannot describe them justly. I felt like a frog jumping from lily pad to lily pad as we hiked over moss covered rocks. We could have been characters in movies like Lord of the Rings or Hunger Games if I didn’t know any better. Other portions of movies like Tomb Raider and The Jungle Book were 
actually filmed on site at Angkor Wat. One particular temple required a strenuous stair/ladder climb to reach the top. I do not do well with heights but the view was well worth the anxious moments on the ladder. Once at the top, I looked down to see people swimming in the moat, and kids frolicking through the green pastures without a care in the world. Standing at the top of that temple and gazing out, I felt like I was one of those kids. Simply put, Angkor Wat is a must visit for anyone who enjoys traveling.
Please view the rest of my photos from Cambodia here: Cambodia Photos