After the camp’s closing ceremony, we walked out to the road and flagged down a bus headed towards Bangkok. After one night in the city visiting friends, we headed out to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to see the temples of Angkor Wat, the remains of the Hindu and Buddhist influenced Angkorian empire.
Cambodia is similar to Thailand in some ways, but it is also a much poorer and more scarred country. The effects of the Khmer Rouge regime can still be seen. Landmines left behind from the country’s civil war still litter the countryside, and Siem Reap is filled with a generous share of the victims, who have come to the city to seek the charity of the tourists drawn in by the temples.
We spent several days touring the temples. It was an interesting experience: the temples seem almost otherworldly at times. The temples have often served as movie locations when ancient ruins are needed; Tomb Raider had large portions filmed here. (Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures because we managed to misplace the camera in the next town.)
After the temples, we headed to the town of Battambang for a change of pace. Battambang is the country’s second largest “city” with a population of about 100,000 people. The only real city is Phnom Penh, the capital with about four million people. In Battambang, we toured the countryside and also took a cooking course. (The restaurant's name was "Smokin' Pot. From a distance all we could see on the sign was the word "Pot" really big. Somewhat relatedly, they serve "happy soup" there.) Next time you see me, just ask and I’ll whip up Cambodia’s well-known amok curry for you. (Any protein can be substituted for the fish.)
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