Greetings!

After a perfect stay in Laos we flew over to Siem Reap, Cambodia for our next adventure.  Our first full day was spent bicycling around the Angkor complex visiting the famed ancient temples here like Angkor Wat, Ta Phrom (The Tomb Raider Temple), and Bayon.  These magnificently large structures range from 600-1200 years old!

On day 2 we hired a boat to take us through one of the floating villages on Tonle Sap, Southeast Asia’s largest lake.  These floating communities began as refuges for the displaced but are now thriving villages, complete with floating homes, schools, and markets.  We closed off day 2 with the Phare Cambodian Circus.  This audio visual delight was comprised of a series of acrobatic skits depicting some of the more comedic confusions that occur in interactions between Cambodians and western visitors. While in Cambodia, we also took a short break for the students to enjoy a fish massage (look it up!). 

Our last day in Cambodia was an informative one.  We began at the Cambodian Landmine Museum, where the director, Bill, walked us through their efforts to de-mine the countryside, a long and arduous task due to lack of funding.  We learned about the Khmer Rouge and the effects of the Vietnam War in Cambodia.  After that we visited Banteay Srei, or the Women’s Temple, another ancient structure in Siem Reap known for its intricate and ornate carvings.  Then, after 3 days of the delicious Khmer cuisine we were ready for a taste of home, so we got our western fix at a pizza joint in town owned by a man from Boston.  We boarded our flight the next day excited for the last leg of our journey – our island getaway!

Talk to you soon friends and family!

-Alyssa & Ryan