Siem Reap, Cambodia

We said our goodbyes to Thailand (for now) and flew to the Cambodian city of Siem Reap. We felt as if we were transported back in time when we were picked up from the airport in a small tuk tuk and driven through the countryside to our upmarket hostel in the heart of the city. It was fun seeing the small children ride by on huge bikes.. they had to get a running start to jump up onto the seat.

Our first evening we went to a phenomenal Cambodian circus performed by refugees from the Cambodian war. The circus school trains 1200 performers, musicians, and artists each year and there was some serious talent in that tent. The whole audience was engrossed and amazed.

We spent a day exploring the city by bikes and haggling with vendors at the local market. I think we are finally getting the hang of this bartering business.

Our final day we woke up at 4am to see the sunrise over the famous temple of Angkor Wat. It was amazing how many other people had the same idea as us. In the dark we walked with the masses to our viewing spot. As the sun rose we saw a spectacular sight as the temple pillars reflected onto the glassy lake below. It was a very special and surreal experience seeing these ancient ruins. We spent the next few hours walking around the temple enjoying the architecture and the ancient carvings. It is hard to imagine that elephants dragged each stone about 40km to the temple site in the early 12th century. Our tuk tuk driver spent the rest of the morning taking us to other temples. We saw a temple with large heads that reminded us of Aztec ruins as well as an overgrown temple covered by giant trees. Apparently this was the temple where they filmed the old Tomb Raider movie. It was an amazing experience we will never forget. Next, we bus to Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh.Read more