Nov 22-25: Siem Reap, Cambodia

I finished my English teaching job in Bien Hoa, Vietnam on November 16th. Since I don't start my new job in Shanghai, China until January, I decided to spend the rest of the year traveling. How lucky am I?

For my first stop, my friend Michael I. from Arizona met me in Siem Reap, Cambodia where we toured the ruins of Angkor Wat. These ruins were massive, beautiful, amazing. I dare to say they are the best ruins I've seen, which includes Teotihuacan in Mexico City & Machu Picchu in Peru. We got tons of photos of the crumbled structures from every angle, from far away & zoomed in close. But the two dimensional images just don't reveal the depth of the sights, the sounds, the awe of it all.

I was surprised to find that US dollars were used everywhere: at the hotel, at the entrance to the ruins, in the restaurants, at the market - everything was in US dollars. When I tried to use Cambodian riels it actually threw them for a loop. They looked bewildered, even slightly annoyed. I wonder if US dollars are used throughout the country or it it's just that way in Siem Reap because of all the tourists.

With the days ruined, so to speak, we spent the evenings in the backpacker area of Siem Reap, swilling Angkor beer & watching the people go by. There was a slight chill in the air, a welcome change from the sticky heat of south Vietnam. What a great way to start the trip.