I added a new album of photos, a little late, from my birthday weekend in Koh Chang, Thailand.
http://s16.photobucket.com/albums/b3/matt5058/My%20Birthday%20in%20Koh%20Chang%20May%202010/
A couple weekends ago, Hanna and I took the bus up to Siem Reap to spend a nice weekend. The bus ride was about six hours, overnight, so we arrived in Siem Reap pretty early in the morning and hired a tuk tuk to help us find a guesthouse or hotel to stay at. We found a decent place pretty quickly and prepared to enjoy a nice weekend away from Phnom Penh. The first day was pretty lazy, mostly spend wandering around the town of Siem Reap, avoiding annoying tuk tuk drivers, eating good food, enjoying 50 cent draft beers (after a month of not drinking any beer), and just relaxing. We checked out the night markets, some restaurants and bars, played pool, and even got a "Dr. Fish Massage". Basically you pay a couple bucks, sit down with your feet in a pool or aquarium and a bunch of tiny fish nibble at your feet for 20 minutes. It tickles and feels really good, it's almost impossible not to laugh and smile. The fish basically eat the dead skin off of your feet. Also, the 'massage' comes with a free beer. Heck of a deal if you ask me.
The second day in Siem Reap, we rented bicycles and rode the 5 or 6 kilometers from the town to Angkor Wat. We spent the next six hours checking out the vast array of temples, riding the bicycles from temple to temple, just enjoying and appreciating the beauty and history of the whole experience, taking pictures and stopping for a cold drink or some fresh fruit here and there. The whole experience of riding bicycles around one of the seven wonders of the world was so surreal, just absolutely amazing and beautiful. It's difficult to find the words to accurately describe the experience, but I can easily say that it's one weekend that I will always remember. Despite my frustrations and inability to understand/accept the many problems in Cambodia, I still believe it's a beautiful place to visit and I think anyone who has the chance, should definitely take a trip to Angkor Wat. We are considering going again before we leave the country. Here's a link to my Facebook album of pictures from Siem Reap and Angkor Wat.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2083243&id=72206395&l=45d954d660
Speaking of leaving, I've booked my travel arrangements to come back to the U.S. I'm coming back in early September, spending a week in Los Angeles before flying back to Colorado. I've been to the U.S./Colorado twice in the past two years since I left but neither trip was very long. I feel like, after being away from the U.S., my family, my friends, my dogs, and just life back home for so long, I need to come back for a lot longer this time. I legitimately feel homesick and eager to be back in Colorado for the first time in over two years and I am excited about spending more time at home while I plan my next moves in life. More on that as the time gets closer. In the meanwhile I am going to continue to teach part time, work on reaching my personal fitness goals, read, and enjoy life. More posts and pictures to come, as always.
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