Siem Reap

So here I am in Cambodia. Siem Reap- at least in the section where we are staying -is just what I was hoping for. Most everyone rides motor bikes or bicycles.Many of the roads are unpaved and the people gather under pavilions made of tin or thatch to watch TV. They are very poor but every bit as friendly as the Thais, if even more so.However things are changing at warp speed. Everywhere you look just a few blocks away there are new giant hotels either just open or being built. Mr Han our tuk tuk driver for the next 3 days tells us the main road was only paved 5 years ago. Prices are high for foreigners but I don''t mind as they need it. On the first night Mr Han showed us around and then took us to the site of the Killing Fields. He had tears in his eyes as he recounted the horror of the Khmer Rouge from 1975-79. They killed nearly 1/3 of the population. There is a monument consisting of their skulls. They were then invaded by Vietnam which actually stopped much of the bloodshed but they were left with nothing, most of their young men dead as well as the children. Currently there is a severe outbreak of dengue fever which we know as hemmorhagic fever. There are signs all over asking for blood as the people can bleed to death. It is mosquito borne so we are being careful and using Deet 100%. There is a doctor here named Dr Beat who plays his cello every night at 7 in concert for free and then asks for donations for his hospital or you can give blood. They say he has saved countless lives.
We are staying in a Khmer style inn but owned by an Aussie couple who are away at home as they have just had a baby and reluctant to bring it here until the Dengue subsides. The inn is mostly run by Cambodian young people who are learning English and being trained in the hospitality business. It is a little difficult to communicate but it is great for them to practice. We had a guide- Kea- who today took us to Ankgor Wat and Angkor Thom. These are the 2 main attractions. They are huge ornate edifices built 1000 years ago in the jungle. Recently reopened after much of the vines and mines were cleared away, the Cambodians are pinning their hopes on its tourism value. It was wonderful climbing all over but I must say it was hot! It had to be 100 and the humidity put Bangkok to shame. We were wringing wet by 9 and spent nearly 6 hours . I could have drunk 5 liters of water but we had only 3 for both of us so we begged off the last temple. Last night Mr Han took us to a quiet small temple in the jungle where we were the only people. The inn had sent a bottle of wine and cheese and olives in a basket. There were parrots yeling at us from the trees that were growing out of the ruins. We stayed until nearly dark. It was mesmerizing. We passed a troop of monkeys who watched us from their perch above on the gate chattering to each other. I think they were discussing us!
As I write this I am sitting in the open air of an internet cafe on a dirt road with folks going by on their mopeds sometimes loaded with 3-4 people. Vendors pushing their carts loaded with fruits. There is a spirit house near me to ward away evil spirits. This has definitely been a worthwhile experience. It has taught me to really pay attention to the world of southeast Asia. Having experienced the heat and insects= let me tell you about how painful it is to be bitten by 20 red ants- I have so much respect for the GIs who served in VietNam. Well, back to the inn where Bert is having a foot massage. We are going tonight to an Aspara Dance show- the royal dance of Cambodia. Tomorrow we go to more temples including Ta Prom which was the one used in the movie Tomb Raiders. I will bring more water. This is supposed to be monsoon season but we have seen very little rain, none of which affected us. Buddha be praised!