Siem Reap Report, then on to China
06/06/2009
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I'm hoping that's true since it is late and I need to get a good night's rest before tomorrow morning's flight to Guilin, China.
My visit to Siem Reap was amazing, incredible, fantastic...can you think of any more superlatives. I learned so much about Khmer culture, Buddhism, Hinduism, and the Angkor period. Naturally, I saw Angkor Wat, but only after I saw many other temples, each of them unique and impressive. One was a place of healing, an early hospital, if you will.
For three days I hiked up and down and all around temples until I didn't think my legs could take any more. Great exercise for the quads, I must say! See what centuries have done to these magnificent temples.
You can't take the country out of the girl, so every chance possible I like to get into the countryside. On Thursday the driver took me about 50 kilometers north of Siem Reap, and along the way I saw lots of rice fields and a few water buffalo. They tie them in certain places, or else they will eat the rice crop. Along the way I noticed white signs with American flags and names of people on them. Upon asking, I learned that 80% of Cambodian people do not have access to safe drinking water, and an American tourist began a project to build pumping wells throughout the countryside. He gets people to sponsor a well--as I understand it, the cost is around $400 per well. Imagine that! I will never again take my drinking water for granted, along with a few thousand other things.
I also asked the driver to stop at a school, and we received permission to visit this first grade room. What do you think? I was struck by the male-female ratio, in this room, at least.
I could say more about the victims of land mines that I saw playing music to support their families. But I will save those thoughts for another day.
Postscript, June 7, 2009
I wrote the above last night in my hotel room, and am now in the airport waiting for my flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hong Kong, the first of three flights today that will take me to Guilin, China, where I hopefully will meet up with my friends Sunan and Deb. I want to give you one more example of Vietnamese hospitality. The wonderful tour guide Deb and I had in March met me at the airport last evening to say hello, and we had a wonderful visit over coffee after I checked into the hotel. He took a long bus ride to do this, and I'm sure had an equally long ride home, just to give me warm wishes and some small gifts. This morning I left for the airport at 8, after receiving a text message from him saying that he just had to say goodbye in person. True to his word, Kim was there outside the departure terminal wearing the IU Hoosiers hat Deb had given him in March.
I feel much more emotional than I expected today, knowing that I'm really leaving Vietnam. My experience here has been so moving and meaningful, and I treasure the friends I've made and the lessons learned about friendship, family, and life. I will carry them in my heart.
And now, on to China!
