ALL ABOUT THE BUCKET LIST

I can now say that I have visited the largest religious monument in the world.

I am sitting in my room at ABAC having just gotten back from my first weekend trip to Cambodia.  Specifically, I travelled to Siem Reap to see the Temples of Angkor.  I must tell you that the whole weekend trip was planned in basically a day and a half.  With very little notice, I travelled with three other girls from Bangkok to Siem Reap.  We journeyed by bus from the port authority of Bangkok, 4 hours to the Thailand/Cambodia border, to get back on the bus and travel 3 more hours to Siem Reap.  Crossing over the border into Cambodia was one of the most eyeopening experiences I have ever had.  Unlike flying, we were dropped off on the side of the road to then figure out what to do.  We physically had to walk from Thailand into Cambodia something that I will never forget.

As soon as we got off the bus men were swarming us telling us to follow them to get a Visa for 1500Baht.  We knew that we paid for our visa using USD not Baht so we knew something was fishy.  A couple from London on our bus also knew something was weird.  Together we were able to maneuverer through the insane streets of the border and find out where to go to get the correct Visa.  These men were trying to scam us to spend more money then what we should have.  The process of getting the Visa and walking around the border made me feel like I was in Iraq.  It was so hot, the roads were dust covered, and there were people walking and riding bikes and motorcycles everywhere.  The experience is unlike anything in the US.

Finally making it to Siem Reap was so rewarding.  We got off the bus and was able to get a Tuk-tuk, the taxicab of Cambodia, to help us find a hotel to stay in.  We got our room with 3 beds and a private bathroom for $6 a night (welcome to Southeast Asia)!!!!  We went out to explore the area that night and we stumbled upon a pub crawl.  It turned into a Loyola reunion.  Almost all of us decided to do the crawl.  Siem Reap is filled with Westerners.  It is filled with young backpackers who are travelling through Southeast Asia.  The people I met at the pub crawl were some of the coolest people.  I met people from Britain, Australia, South Africa, Germany, Ireland, people were from all over.  Some were on vacation while others were volunteering at schools in Siem Reap. 

The next morning was an early wake up call.  At 5AM our took-tuk driver picked us up to go see the Angkor Temples, and specifically Angkor Wat at sunrise.  Angkor Wat is simply indescribable.  It is massive, ancient, and like nothing else in the world.  The day was really cloudy so there wasn't much of a sunrise to see, but the experience and physically being there at that time of the day was an experience that I will remember forever.  We then walked all around Angkor Wat taking pictures and taking it all in.  With our pass we were able to see 4 other temples.  We saw Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Bayon Temple, and Baphuon.  Each of them were gorgeous and all different in the way that they were constructed and what they symbolized.  All of the temples look like something out of an Indiana Jones or Mummy movie.  The way that these temples were built is so unique and so symbolic of the time period they were built and the history of Hindu and Buddhism in Cambodia.  

Siem Reap is fairly small and the main area is really fun and Westernized for all the toursits.  The Main Street is Pub Street, a small street that is jammed packed with backpackers from all over the world.  The street is lined with restaurants, bars, and clubs that serve french fries and beer for $.50.

Going to Cambodia was a huge learning experience.  Not only was it my first independent travel while abroad, but Cambodia is very different then Thailand and Bangkok.  Cambodia is an extremely poor and corrupt country.  The way that tourists are treated is crazy.  In a way, you feel like you are being harassed.  The tuk-tuk drivers, the people on the street, and the vendors at the big Night Market right near Pub Street are obsessed with your money, they are aggressive towards you.  They will walk with you and follow you until you buy things for nothing.  The US Dollar has a very different value to Cambodians.  Cambodia showed me how safe I feel in Bangkok and at ABAC.  The people look at me differently, and they show more respect towards me as a foreigner.  

I have no regrets going to Cambodia, and for my first indpendent travel, it all went fairly smoothly.  Going to Cambodia is something that not many Americans can say they have done, and I have.  I saw a new side of traveling without my parents.  I met so many young people who are traveling and seeing the world before they go to school and start working.  It was a new view on travel and the way people travel.  The idea is to pack a huge backpack, get on a bus, find a hostel, go explore, and meet cool people.

Tomorrow, I leave for Ko Samet, an island that is part of the Gulf of Thailand.  All 38 of us are going to relax and have fun in the sun before classes start next Monday.  I'll share about my first real Thai beach experience soon!!!

Love from a girl with a growing passport,
K
xoxo