Exploring Cambodia

One of the places in Asia I heard so much about but I never managed to visit until now was Cambodia. So I was very excited to be on the plane on my way to Siem Reap, so excited that I got my first beer at 6:30 am on the plane just to celebrate that this plan of visiting the place is becoming a reality:):):).
Right after I landed, met my friends from Romania and had breakfast, we went to see the famous temples in the Angkor complex. Some of them have a 1000+ years and I have to tell you, it is an amazing feeling to walk among them.
I have a way of realizing if something or somebody is very unique and appealing to me. And that’s by making pictures. I think that great things are very very hard to capture on a picture and if I take few hundred pictures and feel that still did not capture the essence of it, then that’s an indication of greatness for me. It means that besides beauty, those feelings that I feel there are not capturable / expressible. I took few hundred pictures at Angkor but I feel that I still did not capture that thousand year that these temples represent and lived through.
I guess not much to write about Angkor, you have to see it and feel it. Hope that the few pictures here can give you a glimpse of it.
I think Cambodia is an amazing place not just for its thousand year temples but for its people as well. I am always overwhelmed by meeting the nicest people in places like Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines. I am back for two weeks but I still remember the faces of the people I met, the kindness and the smiles. I always feel that they know something about life that I don’t know, some sort of secret that makes them happy and good people. In the past two weeks I am thinking quite often about our tuc – tuc driver, Mr. Lim. He is one of the most genuine and humble people I have met and he seems to know that special thing about life and happiness. Somehow these people have the same smile and look in their eyes as my grandfather had, and he is among those people that I think knew something very essential about life.

When I go to these places I always feel that I need to move there and stay among them for a long time to understand and learn that secret of life. Or maybe it is within us, and we just need to let it come to surface by being good people generally.

One more thing that is quite stunning, you don’t really see old people in Cambodia due to the genocide, and you see lots of disabled people because of landmines remained from the war and you see so many kids. And those kids are so so cute. It really makes you fell like you want to become a father and have few of those kids. I stop here before this idea gets rooted in my mind, hehehe. It is amazing that they speak some really good English and they are extremely smart in the way they communicate and they reply to you. Fascinating. Again, I feel that it is something you need to experience and it is really hard to describe. And guys, the Cambodian women are so beautiful and sensual. Worth doing the trip just to understand what beautiful women means.
I would not be a true Asian if I would not comment on two things: food and spa. Some of my friends did not really like the food there but I think it is amazing. A must try is the Amok fish, but I ate some stewed veggie as well made by the hostel owner for the special Cambodian dinner and it was amazing and have to recommend it. At least o could it my friend’s portion as well, hehehe. I like the food more in Cambodia, Vietnam Thailand, Indonesia then the Chinese food. It is just fits better my tastes. And after walking so much around the temples we went for a massage as well. For 8 USD I got an hour of pure pampering and oil massage. So good. Wish I could have that every day here in Singapore for that price :):):).

It was also good to catch up with friends in Cambodia and have some good wine in the evening with them. It is interesting to meet people from Romania in a place like Cambodia.

Unfortunately could not stay too much in Cambodia because I had to come back to work, but it definitely got into the places I want to see and explore again. Who is joining me?