Welcome to Cambodia!

I was sadly misinformed about there being a Pizza Hut in the Seoul-Incheon airport. However, there was a Quizno`s and Caribou Coffee to treat ourselves during the 4-hour Sunday layover. Late that night we arrived in Siem Riep, and took a breezy tuk-tuk (motorized rickshaw) ride to the Green Palace Village, our brightly-painted hotel set far back from the dusty street. The gathering area out front featured a tiki bar, pool, and palm-frond huts shading lounge chairs or hammocks, all lushly bordered by tropical plants (glowing with twinkle lights after dark) and potted orchids strung up in rows. Geckos everywhere. A haven after what would be two full days of hiking through ruins upon ruins in the sun and sweltering mid-90`s temps.Borrowing two cruiser bikes proved the best way to explore the Angkor area. Most tourists rent tuk-tuks, but it was great fun to be pedaling the flat roads alongside the locals (they riding double), catching a cool breeze. On the first day, we visited Angkor Wat, UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest religious structure in the world. And this is where people officially began asking us to buy things, which I unfondly recalled from visiting Thailand last year. Stand still, and be swarmed: Tuk-tuk? Bracelets, three for one dollar! You want cold drink? Very cheap! You want food? You want books? Scarf? Postcards? Tour guide? The constant inquiries—from both adults and children, who latch onto tourists and follow them, asking over and over, gradually lowering their prices, despite however many “No, thank you”s people may give—can be a difficult aspect of travel in this region. I know that most of the people who ask need the money. I think I understand why they ask. I imagine the vast majority are good people. But constantly warding sellers off, being ever wary of a scam, and being vigilant about carrying valuables was the most tiring part of the trip for me. Perhaps I’ve become less assertive and less cautious over the past year in the safety and complicity of Japanese society? This is not meant whatsoever to overshadow the fact that...Angkor was absolutely amazing. Nearly every stone surface of the massive complex was carved with intricate patterns, images of deities, script. Wooden beams bolstered crumbling walkways, and large chunks of rubble, numbered, lay in corners, waiting to be reassembled.
After lunch at a stand (fried noodles with vegetables...no chicken), we cycled on to Angkor Thom, and the million massive faces of Bayon Square jutting out above the jungle.We took a quick walk around Baphuon, and watched some Cambodian cows ramble past the Terrace of the Elephants......then pedaled back into Siem Riep for coconut-sweet potato curry and ginger soup in the Old Market, a lively cluster of cafes and shops, a more relaxed, mini version of Bangkok’s Khao San.