This past weekend was spent in Siem Reap, along with two extra vacation days taken to have just enough time to see the sites. Living in Phnom Penh is something I never particularly planned to do. I never saw myself living in Cambodia or even had the desire to, but then life happened and I found myself here. The beauty I saw this weekend hit me even harder than those days I realize I'm in Cambodia in the first place.
The French Quarter was quaint, the riverside was beautifully illuminated, and the foreigners were everywhere. Although it may be a haven for tourists worldwide, that does not make this place any less special. Pub Street was busy night after night as we hopped from bar to bar. The sites seemed to get better and better each day. I saw temples, waterfalls, and saw rice fields by horseback. In these short four days I saw so much that I never imagined I would.
Waking up at 4am to make my way to Angkor Wat was something I cannot explain. I heard so much about this temple and have seen numerous photos, but what would I feel when I arrived? Walking down that causeway as the sun started to rise, there were red, blue and purple clouds scattered across the sky.
Spending close to ten hours climbing, walking, hiking, and exploring temple after temple did not lose it's magic, even under the midday sun. With every step I took and every turn I made I found something new. Something new to appreciate, to be amazed by, to fall in love with.
I swam under a waterfall on Kulen Mountain, saw the reclining buddha statue at Preah Ang Thom, saw ancient carvings in the river of Kbal Spean - I did so much and I saw so much. I followed a barefoot four year old into the woods without a word spoken. I joined the three woman standing around a hole in the ground with crystal clear water. Welcomed to watch with them, appreciate with them, and be with them even if only for a brief moment.
I dipped my hand into Tonle Sap, the largest lake in Southeast Asia. I saw a whole village built on stilts in the water. The houses, schools, and spirit houses all standing high above the water just waiting for the level to rise. I went on a boat through a mango forest, yet little did I know there were even forests in water to begin with.
This trip cannot be condensed into a blog post. This trip cannot be condensed into a story to my friends and family. This trip is something that I will hold in my memory and hopefully never forget what I felt at all of those sites. I may have never expected to live in Cambodia, but I definitely never expected to see the things I saw this weekend and have the experience of a lifetime - and it isn't over yet.