Why Not?

**We updated pictures on all blogs so if you're interested check them out! Full moon party is still yet to come!**

We are on the bus headed to stop #2 in Cambodia and wow, it sure has a lot to live up to after our first stop in Siem Reap. Please excuse if this doesn't make sense but I'm having trouble staying focused as there is some sort of slap-stick Khmer comedy show absolutely blasting into my ear right now from the speaker directly above our heads.. I have earplugs in and it is still almost unbearable! At least there is AC, but the nasal yelling is getting to me... Only five more hours... all part of the experience!
Anyway, we've been in SR for five nights and it felt like saying goodbye to family when we left, we were treated so well! Now, Siem Reap has a good night life on Pub Street and is the city closest to Angkor Wat, the biggest sight to see in Cambodia and one of the wonders of the world. Chris has been to Macchu  Picchu and Stonehenge and I've checked out the Acropolis and the Colosseum, but Angkor Wat is on a different scale completely. First of all the size of the area is way bigger and the level of detail that remains intact though it is so old is astounding. So Siem Reap does have it's own charm and there are many tourists who stay for more days than expected to check out all it has to offer. Still, there are a lot of things about Cambodia that are a challenge and a constant test of patience (I must say it has been good practice for me!). This is the hottest place we have been by far with no water nearby to escape! We've been scammed (especially when it comes to transportation) a few times and it's unsettling to feel like you can't trust anyone, not even banks and post offices, because of the corruption the country struggles with. There are children begging on the streets, and count on never being able to go anywhere without hearing "tuk tuk, lady?" "lady, you like massage?", "you buy something from me, special price?" or "you want some ting to eat, lady"? The constant harassment combined with the heat can be absolutely exhausting.
But... While Thailand somewhat lacked in culture and experiences with the locals, the Cambodian people (outside of the central tourist area) are to me what give Cambodia it's charm.

One of Whynot's suggestions - a local swimming hole.  We were literally the only white people there among THOUSANDS of Khmer (Cambodian) people.  The kids were all practising their English with "Hello, how are you?" and "What is your name".  Absolutely adorable, we splashed around and laughed and had a great time.  Priceless!

This is what the lake looked like: shelters with hammocks and mats that you could rent for 25 cents.  People everywhere, this is a less busy part of the beach!

Adorable kids hamming it up for the camera!!!

Specifically... Mr. Whynot (his name yes, because the answer to any request you may have is 'why not?').
This man is the most incredible person, along with his welcoming family and adorable three little girls.  We had read online reviews of the hostel (Angkor Wonder Hotel, dont stay anywhere else! $14/night with AC!) saying how amazing he was but he still managed to exceed expectations. He sits down and spends ages going through where to go and possible places to see. He goes out of his way to invite you out to spend time with him and some local people, to show you what true life is like in cambodia, expecting nothing in return.
During the Khmer New year celebrations he took at least 15 of us out on a sketchy tuk tuk ride way out to the 'burbs' of siem reap. There mats were spread out all over the ground and in the centre bowls of fresh mango and a big feed waiting for us, along with buckets full of ice cold beer all courtesy of Mr. Whynot.  They had gone to so much trouble to show us a good time and the other Khmer people were so eager to dance with us, have "beer o'clock" (as they called it!) with us and eat and laugh the night away. We got to experience the kindness and happiness of Khmer people that night as we bonded wordlessly through dance and drink. Papa Tom (an experienced traveller who stopped at whynot's  place intending to stay for 2 nights but who is now essentially part of the family and planning to live out his retired life in SR) found out it was my birthday the next day and promised we would have another celebration. He fits right into whynot's family in the generosity department! We met a bunch of travelers that night and bonded over our mutual astonishment of whynot's generosity as a conversation piece (and a lot of dancing!). The night was so fun that I could even overlook the 5-year old boy begging with his arms wrapped tightly around mine, who was charming and irresistible up until he point he realized I wasn't going to cave and left me with a kick in the shin and a f#%* you! Yeah... you gotta take the good with the bad in this place!

Eating and drinking with the locals with limited English but similar intentions,.. Love it!

Some of our friends we met that night and who we continue to bump into along our way... they all celebrated my 30th as well, fun!!

My 30th Birthday...
Not many could say that they watched the sunrise over Angkor wat for their birthday. Chris was a trooper, we had to get up at 5 in order to get there by bicycle on time, and he's just not a morning person.. Although who is that early in the am after a night of drinking?! At 5:30 am we were both dripping with sweat from the 7k ride out. Hint, don't try and be ambitious and bike around the temples.. Its hard enough walking through all of them in the crippling heat without also exerting yourself on the roads in between. We spent 6 hours checking out the various temples, battling the sweat and 40 degree heat the whole way. It was an amazing experience and as i sit here on an air-conditioned bus with a tank top that's not soaked with sweat, I can look back on the experience and say how amazing the place was. At the time however, I was more of the "get-me-the-hell-out-of-here-and-into-some-AC" mentality. It was a challenge, intense but rewarding. Chris was  patient with my impatience and we saw everything we set out to see and then some. Seriously though, just hire a tuk tuk! We did have a great time shaking our heads in awe of the clothes people were wearing to face walking around in intense heat and lots of stairs. Some of our favorites include:
-Spike heels two sizes to big (at least), with socks of course!
-a faux-fur jacket and gloves
-a turtleneck with a jacket on top for that little bit of added warmth (a sweaty-mess kind of cozy!)
And... Our personal favorite, the garbage man, sporting full jeans, sweater, gloves and to top it all off, a wooly balaclava!!!
Shit, we were looking around us all day thinking, "are we the only ones dying of heat here?"
Well, we made it back to the city after a 12k bike ride with the sun directly overhead. Pizza for lunch followed, then napping in our AC heaven, and a salad for dinner. Not a single grain of rice or noodle all day long, a welcome break!

Our travel buddies say "Women don't sweat, they glow!"  I was definitely glowing after our bike ride to Angkor Wat!

Chris wasn't glowing, he was sweating! But we cooled off over a fruit shake eventually. It's so incredibly hot in Siem Reap, the hottest place by far!

These smiles appear natural, but mask the suffering of intense heat.  When you go into the temples (well, certain parts) you have to have your shoulders covered.  Seeing as I only have tank tops, here I am with a long-sleeved black sweater holding back tears.... ha ha no not that bad, but these are our brave faces!

Why hello.. how are you?

My and Chris' favorite temple: Ta Prohm, where they filmed Tomb Raider and where nature has caused most of the destruction of the temple.  This is one of many examples of the trees growing right around the ruins.. awesome!

We then returned to the hostel, to find the front garden/terrace transformed into a birthday party!! Balloons were strung all throughout the palm trees, the table was set with sparklers at every place setting, people were once again enjoying coolers full of beer provided by Whynot, and the Angry Birds cake that Papa Tom had made for me sitting in the middle of the table (I don't think there is a single kid without an Angry Birds shirt here, they even make collared dress shirts!). The generosity of these people is incredible, they went out of their way to make sure it was a special night!!! The little girls sang happy birthday while waving sparklers at least 20 times (maybe they were going for 30?), and let me serve up about half of the cake before they were scraping off the icing and wiping fingertips all over the guest's faces. We sat and drank and chilled till late and it was a perfect way to celebrate with new found friends. To top it off the next day Chris treated me to a fancy oil massage and went on a mission to find us a pool so we could spend the day relaxing and staying cool. That combined with all the Facebook messages and emails from home and I sure felt loved on my birthday. Thanks everyone!
We spent another couple of days chilling with new friends around Siem Reap, one more than originally planned while we waited out Chris' 24-hour stomach sickness. The poor guy was in bed for almost 24 hours straight and feeling extremely 'shitty',. Luckily he is almost back to his normal cheery fun self and able to eat food again... Though he'll probably be laying off the spicy foods for a while! Me too, I'm scared I'll be next! Ah, the joys of traveling...
Anyway we're now headed to Phnom Penh where we plan on depressing ourselves by going to the killing fields from cambodia's not too distant, war-ridden past. I think it's an important part in understanding why cambodia is the way it is and how its struggles during that time affect how the country is today.
And now it is time for me to damage my eardrums by blasting my music in an attempt to drown out the obnoxious blasting of the TV speakers... Wish me luck!
So about those Canucks..... Yikes!

Glowing once again, that night it was 36 degrees at 6:30pm (felt like 41 with humidity)!! So nice that it cools down in the evenings! (PS, Have been trying not to be frustrated with the lack of photography skills of others.. ha ha oh well!)

Happy Birthday to ME!! Yay! These are my personal birthday singers, before they wrecked the cake!

Lauren and Chris xo