I always find it funny how the end of a journey always comes with some reflection. The thoughts of: if I knew what I know now what would I have done differently, the excitement of seeing friends and family back home, and the uneasiness of returning to the ways of home are just a few of the thoughts racing through my head these days. As we approach Bangkok for the last time, I can’t help but think back to the four of us being dropped off on Khao San Road just a few months ago and think of how fast the time and places have flown by. Traveling this region of the world has been a humbling experience to say the least and it will be sad to have this trip come to an end. Although I can’t help but be a little excited to see what the next adventure brings (let’s hope for lots of single track).
Cambodia is amazing and has been one of our highlights for sure. The country is beautiful, and the people are warm and friendly despite the atrocities committed against them in the not so distant past. Not all the history here is disparaging though. Our last stop in Cambodia has been Siem Reap which is home to
the world heritage site of Angkor Wat. Approx. 2000 years ago the angkorian kings erected hundreds magnificent temples through out the country. The most famous of these temples are Angkor Wat and Angkor Throm.
We spent our days pedaling our way around these ancient temples and ruins. The architecture was absolutely amazing. The fact that its still standing today is a testament to that. Not to mention the attention to detail of the km’s of engravings or the 1000’s of stone carvings. The days were hot, the steps were way steep, but it was worth it to experience Angkor’s magnificent historical footprint.
We choose to bike to and around the temples, but the most popular method of seeing the temples is by tuk tuk, little carriages towed by motor bikes, and they meant business! First off I have never seen so many tuk tuks, they are everywhere and the drivers although more pleasant than in some other places we have been are constantly trying to get you to take a ride with them. The tuk tuks did differ slightly though from the others we have seen. In order to differentiate themselves from each other, most of them have pimp’d there rides. We saw many superheroes themed rides, as well as Ferrari, caterpillar (the insect not the company), and a Che Guevara inspired paint jobs. Who wouldn’t want batman to swoop them home safely after a night of parting…
The night markets and street BBQs were also spectacular. I bought more chop sticks and scarves than you can shake a stick at, as well as countless other useful… souvenirs. As for the BBQ, the chicken and beef kabobs have me stoked to get grilling this summer. The chicken breast massacre wasn’t bad either. At one restaurant I ordered the chicken and got 5 breasts along with the veggies and rice (beached as after that one). The most unique though had to be the cobra. My friend Penny once told me that Q’d rattler had been highly recommended in Utah… although if I had had to skin it and clean it, I’m sure we wouldn’t have eaten our snake either… but that’s another story. For those wondering what the meat was like, it had a unique but chickenish flavor and was extremely chewy. Chewy isn’t a quality I would look for in meat, but it worked in this instance. Overall I’d say I liked the snake meat better than the crocodile stake we tried in Sihanoukville. But, if the opportunity ever arises I wouldn’t shy away from either.
