David and Lili's World Tour

CAMBODIA

January 2011 - Siem Reap and Angkor Wat

Recently a dusty outpost, Siem Reap is now a city teeming with tourists, understandable because the archaeological site of Angkor is fantastic! And it's large enough that the tourist hordes are easy to avoid, especially when travelling by bicycle. And what a fabulous thing to do! One can easily spend a week cycling to temples brimming with artistic detail, once the primary monuments of the greatest city on Earth. Go there if you can.

Despite the speedy growth, the modern city remains friendly, shockingly inexpensive, safe, and interesting. Go back in time by eating breakfast in the Old Market. Delicious!

The people are so friendly, one wonders why... After all, Cambodia is one of the world's poorest countries, and it experienced genocide only 40 years ago. But the war and exodus left those who remained with plenty of farm land, and now they're old. And they're Buddhists. Unlike the religions of Abraham, Buddhism teaches how to maintain positivity in the face of suffering. Money does help to be happy, but a great attitude helps more! The lovely Khmer people are another reason to visit Cambodia if you can.

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More: Cambodia (2004)

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