Ancient Angkors, Siem Reap, Cambodia

You miss a lot when you fly. You miss the changes in landscape from one place to another. You miss the different clothing, or houses, or markets on the roadside. These differences are subtle, of course, but they prepare you for your destination. Arriving at the Siem Reap airport from Vientiane, I felt discombobulated. I didn't even realize most of the country is as flat as a pancake until my bus journey to Phnom Penh. Most people arrive in Siem Reap to the sound of "Hallo Laydeeee. You need guesthouse? Where you stay? Where you go?" I arrived to a sign that said Deb Shea. No need to worry about transportation or a guesthouse, Raksa is in charge here. Raksa is the "little brother" of my friend Kurt in L.A., who met Raksa on a trip to Cambodia and is helping him with his education. Raksa gave me the royal treatment. For three days he took me around the town and to the Angkor temples. Showing up here, I had no idea there was more than one temple, Angkor Wat. It turns out there are over sixty! And several are almost as big and just as overwhelming in their impact. They are all Hindu or Buddhist and built for various Angkorean kings during the 9th - 12th centuries. My favorites are Bayon, comprised of hundreds of huge carved faces with that mysterious Mona Lisa smile, like they know something you don't. Ta Phrom which has several trees perched on top of the ruins with roots reaching down as if to strangle the stone beneath. And Beng Mealea, a temple left unrestored that is completely jungle-ravaged and you get to climb under, through, and on top of giant stone blocks to explore the place, a la Indiana Jones. After three days of melting in the heat though, I did get a bit templed out.

One thing about Siem Reap, that as a barang you cannot escape, is the constant begging by little kids. When you get out of the car at any temple you are surrounded. Some want to sell you books, some origami-like lizards, most postcards, and others want your money for nothing. One little 8 year old girl even memorized the capitols of all 50 states! After a while this gets a bit depressing, and truthfully wore me down. Most of the kids, if not all, are working for behind-the-scenes adults and don't receive much for their efforts. But this is all part of Cambodia and this is a poor country, and it's much more visible, especially when compared to Laos.

Siem Reap clearly caters to more upscale tourists (I spent more here than anywhere else in SE Asia), and it's growing fast, but I'm not convinced the Cambodians are making out so big. For example, Raksa told me the #1 visiting nationality is Koreans, but they stay in Korean hotels, travel on Korean buses, and eat in Korean restaurants. Makes you wonder if they even experience Cambodia at all. Fortunately, with Raksa's help, I had a more authentic Cambodian experience. The first night he took me to a disco (club) where I was the only barang. Upon entering you are pursued to a table by four or five beer girls who are completely in-your-face until you choose a beer. (They get a commission.) Soon Raksa decides we should be dancing. I am a terrible dancer anyway and I really don't need the extra attention that comes my way, being the only old, white, gargantuan in the room. Most people here look 18, but if you put that through the Asian equation they are probably at least 26. They are also tiny, requiring a word that goes beyond petite. Strangely, there are people who's sole job is to make sure your beer is full of ice. I swear, that's all they do. (I found this all over Cambodia.) Otherwise this modern disco looks like it could be anywhere. Raksa also took me to a Cambodian wedding reception. I don't know what the ceremony was like (another day) but it was very similar to a reception in the US with lots of drinking, eating, and dancing. The bride and groom wore very bright colorful outfits, even changing once. Raksa really helped make Siem Reap a great experience despite it's very touristy nature.

For photos of Siem Reap, click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39463330@N00/sets/72057594092599342/