Cambodia

I can not describe exactly what happens as you cross the border from Thailand to Cambodia but their is a subtle change. The landscape begins to change ever so slightly and it seems there is more water everywhere. We stop a few times along the way and while a lot of the food sounds familiar, it actually looks and tastes a little different. The children are different…a lot more of them are working on the  streets to supplement their families income. I am not sure I can explain the difference yet  but I am excited to experience this for what it is. We are excited to be here!

Our bus ride to the border was easy. The bus was new, clean, and very cool. The air conditioning was so good we wore our coats the whole way. And believe me, we are not complaining. It is an incredibly beautiful country and we are impressed. It was relatively easy at this land border crossing and we were pleasantly surprised. We had heard it could take hours to get your visa and get through the border. We experienced none of that. The ride from the border to Siem Reap is about three hours and as we ride in we take in all that is before us and we are excited to be here.

We arrived at our hotel late in the evening and took  a dip into our pool. It was wonderfully refreshing and we feel ready to begin exploring this area.  Downtown Siem Reap is much more modern than I had expected,  reminding me very much of New Orleans. Cambodia was under French rule at one time and it is easy to see the influence and style of the French  even today. We are staying near the Night Bazaar and Old Market on a small and quiet street. We are close enough to everything yet far enough away to enjoy some tranquilly. There is a lively night life which we look forward to being apart of with is a jazz club right down the street.

We will venture out to Angkor Wat tomorrow and are excited to see one of the Wonders of the World. We are still in awe to be here…excited to see what tomorrow brings. We are back in our sabbatical mode anxious to experience and savor all that Cambodia has for us. We will let you know...