There are no words to describe Cambodia. Writing about it seems almost futile because I find it near impossible to articulate exactly how amazing my trip was. It’s absolutely tragic that I could only stay for 3 days because in all honestly, I would leave Bangkok in a hot second to live and work in Siem Reap. Everything about the small town life is alluring to me after living in a big city. Even something as simple as seeing the stars at night gets lost in smoggy mire of the city life, and anyone who knows me, knows how happy the stars make me.

As of late, I’ve been noticing how abrasive I’ve become. I mean, I know I’m pretty funny sometimes (and humble right?), but I have to admit that I can be tactless and downright hateful at times. I’ve been praying for a gentle spirit, and I want so badly to have that “unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” like 1 Peter 3:4 talks about. I’ve also really been drawn to 1 Peter 3:15:

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

Here in Bangkok, it really is essential to do just that, and stand up for my faith in love when people question me or challenge me. I’ve worked hard to build relationships with people here and one harsh word can ruin everything, so gentleness is something I desire. Because of this, I decided to get the Khmer word for “gentleness” as my next Fruit of the Spirit tattoo. (It’s pronounced “pip-slow-boat-don-blon.”) I know it’s hard for some to understand why I do it, but it’s just  my thing. When I look at my foot, it reminds me of where I’ve come from, where I’m going, and the work God’s doing in my life.

So with all that said, I’ll tell you a little bit about my trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The Journey

Well, I woke up at 3am on Saturday morning and finished packing my backpack before leaving to pick up Joey in the taxi. We left the bus station at Mo Chit in Bangkok around 4:30am and began our trip to the boarder of Thailand and Cambodia. I dig bus rides, though, because I love popping my iPod in and staring out the window for hours and hours. Sleep didn’t happen because the bus AC was on full blast, so I contently watched the sun rise on the way while Skype chatting Eric. (Shout out to Skype for continually being there for me and making a long distance relationship not suck as bad as it could.) Once we got to the boarder at Poi Pet, immigration was a nightmare. Oh yes, we waited in line, dripping sweat, being herded like cattle into the tiny building. Oh by the way, Thai people have no concept of waiting your turn or standing in line…that must be a Western thing. So while we were standing in line, utterly livid about the situation, I turn around and catch some nasty perv Thai guy pointing to my butt and actually saying the English word “booty” and nudging his friend. I MEAN REALLY?!?! I just mean mugged him and turned around and laughed about it to Joey because of course that would happen to me. I can’t escape it…my big butt follows me everywhere I go…literally! Haha! So anyway, after finally getting through immigration and obtaining our Cambodian visas 2 hours later, we hit up the boarder casinos. I tried a slot machine, had no idea what I was doing, and successfully lost 100 baht ($3). And that was the end of my gambling experience. Ha. We took a taxi to Siem Reap, and I attempted to sleep. That was hard, however, because our dear taxi driver felt the need to honk his freaking horn constantly for 2 and a half freaking hours the entire way to Siem Reap. I mean, that’s gotta be a joke right? Oh no…I’m not even exaggerating. It’s evidently a culture thing, but no. This girl was not ok with the horn-honking fetish, and I never got used to it. That’s one thing I will not be missing about Cambodia. So, we finally arrived at Siem Reap and got settled into our little guesthouse. It was quaint and cute, and I loved it.

Angkor Wat

Honestly, other than the fact that God called me to Asia, Angkor Wat was one of the reasons I wanted to come back. I will never forget waking up at 4:30am to go see it at sunrise. The stars were perfect, the air was cool and crisp, and all was right with my world. (sigh) There’s just something about it that’s so hauntingly beautiful to me, and I’m quite obsessed with it. I’ve read a lot about it, and of course researched it’s ancient astronomical alignments, as well as the other temples surrounding it. (Astronomy nerd? Yes.) It was built in Angkor, Cambodia (near Siem Reap) in the early 12th century as a state temple and capitol city for King Suryavarman II. It was first built as a Hindu temple, dedicated to the god Vishnu, but as cities rise and fall, it also became a Buddhist temple. Over time, Angkor Wat has become a symbol of Cambodia, and it even appears on the Cambodian flag today. Over the last couple years, tourism has increased exponentially in Siem Reap because of the renewed interest in Angkor Wat and its surrounding temples, and also because it’s now safe for tourists to travel in Cambodia after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. I’m not really sure about the political details, but all I know is that I traveled to Siem Reap in full confidence that I would NOT get blown up by a land mine. Evidently that’s a new sentiment. Haha.

The Cambodian People

It’s a dichotomy really, the people of Cambodia. Poverty encompasses every aspect of their demeanor, yet the genuine contentment shines through the dirt and grime as they smile. One of my favorite parts of the trip was seeing the Cambodian children. They won my heart in an instant. I wish I could have had more time to visit the villages and actually hang out with the kids. I ended up with random over-priced bracelets and postcards because I just couldn’t say no to an adorable smiling kid with an NBA shirt on…how can you resist that?? Well, when I finally learned to say “I’m sorry, but no,” I was met with the reply, “I’m sorry doesn’t get anything!” Yeah, that was from a teenage boy with a serious attitude problem. Instead of coaxing me into buying his crap, he almost got a one way ticket to a broken nose. But I will give the kid props on his English. In fact, it’s absolutely unreal how good everyone is at speaking English there. They put Thai people in Bangkok to shame. The 6-year-old NBA kid spoke better English than most of my 6th graders at BCC. While 3-waying on a motorbike around the temples with Joey and a random Cambodian guy, I just straight up asked him why he was so good at English and all he said was, “Oh, we’re required to learn it in school.” Well, good job Cambodia…impressive education system for sure.

Ok, so as in every situation, with the good comes the bad. The most annoying thing in Siem Reap were the tuk tuk drivers. I mean, if I wanna hail a tuk tuk, I’ll let ya know…you don’t have to constantly yell at me because I’m white while you automatically assume I’m gullible, retarded, and all kinds of dumb, thinking you’re gonna weasel some money out of me. Hmph. Ok, venting over. Just had to get that out.

But really, the Cambodian people stole my heart. I loved seeing all of the local people around the temples. While we were at Angkor Wat, a marathon race was going on (such bad timing!) and it was adorable how all of the kids would line the streets and give the runners water and high fives as they ran past the villages. We rode by on a tuk tuk and I just kept snapping pictures the entire time. I couldn’t get enough of the kids! (I should never say I’m not a kid person, because everyday I’m realizing that I’m lying to myself. Haha.)

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So, all in all, Cambodia was amazing. If I can find a spare weekend or extra day or two to return, I most certainly will. I successfully got my photos of Angkor Wat and my Khmer tattoo for “gentleness” so I am a happy traveler. Mark those off the Bucket List!  Just call me Angelina Jolie from now on…because I already got tatted up, and I’m tryin to adopt a Cambodian baby on the ASAP. :)

Also, be sure and check out my Cambodia page at http://cwalk430.com/cambodia/ for pictures and more information.

I’m out. //Cwalk.