All Templed Out and On My Way Home

I am truly sorry to report that this will be my last blog from Indochina. Today is our last official day in Cambodia, and tomorrow will be spent driving from Siem Reap back to Bangkok. I am so happy to have completed this trip, to have literally traveled through South East Asia and survived with a smile on my face. I was speaking with Adam, tour leader, and he told me that whether I liked it or not, I would be changed by this trip. I feel like same old Colleen, I told him, but he said the change will be subtle but it will be there. If you can walk away from an experience like this and want more... you will be back. I could write for hours what being in Cambodia has been like. I can't wait to talk to some of you, and tell you my stories, and perhaps get you interested in Cambodia, and traveling. This is by far the most corrupt, backwards, upsidedown place I've ever been. A police officer sold me a beer on the top of a 12th Century temple yesterday where I sat to watch the sunset! The election that is going to occur on Sunday (tomorrow) has already been decided. But I did see a European man wearing a blue vest which read, "European Union: Election Observation Mission 2008: Cambodia" Could you imagine the EU coming to the states to observe our elections! HA! And finally you have to pay the government to get a "good"job here, but teachers quit because there is more money in Motorbike Taxi driving.

I did see Angkor Wat yesterday, along with about 4 other huge temple sites. It is unbelievable the structures and carvings that were done with the most basic of tools. I will upload photos when I get home. One Wat (temple) was still covered with jungle trees and vines, and it was eerie to walk around. Another had 216 stone faces at the top of 56 different towers! I walked and templed from 5 am to 7 pm yesterday (no joke) and as you can imagine I was exhausted by the end. I have never been so consistently dirty, sweaty, smelly, and happy ever in my life! We reached a point yesterday where we almost killed a Frenchman who told our sweet Cambodian van driver to turn off our van to save the planet. Cambodia has bigger fish to fry than one van driver who likes his A/C. We went out last night to say good-bye to my two dear Irish friends, and our leader in training, Derek. Turns out there is no way to be hydrated enough here, and my few drinks (okay maybe it was more than a few) caused me to wake up with my ONLY SE Asian hangover! Thank goodness we didn't have to get going until 9 this morning! Tomorrow we board the van at 6:30 am, and due to the election tomorrow there is no beer for sale in Cambodia.

I do want to thank you all for reading along on my journey. As you can probably tell, this blog has turned in to more of a journal than anything else, but I really enjoyed this form of communication. I am already preparing my ear and voice for all the chatting I am anticipating next week!! (Look out Mom, Beccah and D!) And I'm looking forward to catching up with all my L.A. friends as well. It's strange, but I definitely view LA as home now, and have missed it! I hope that through my experience you had an opportunity to learn a little about this complicated wild area, and if you want more info. SIGN UP TO GO FOR YOUR OWN TRIP!!!!!! Love to you all from Cambodia! xoxoxo