Knocked Off of My Bucket List

Posted by Tina on 26 September, 2015

What prompted my trip to Cambodia was my question to other travel aficionados – what is the most amazing site that you’ve ever seen? About 98% responded with Angkor Wat. Machu Pichu ran a close second. Therefore, Cambodia got thrown into the midst of this year’s Thailand/Bali trip. It was time to get Angkor Wat knocked off of my Bucket List.

I booked a tour guide, who was also an amateur photographer, through the www.withlocals.com website well in advance. Unlike in Bali, this tour guide was very good at keeping in touch with me beforehand. His name was So and he was at my hotel with a tuk tuk driver, Sokha, promptly at 5:00 a.m., as promised. So is married to an Australian, thus has a good grasp of English, although once in awhile I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. He was extremely friendly, extremely chatty and quite comfortable to be around. We were at Angkor Wat by 5:30 a.m., along with hundreds of others. I purchased a one day pass for the temples, they took my picture and we started the walk to the temple. I parked myself in front of the reflecting pools, hoping for a spectacular sunrise. Once it became apparent that it wasn’t going to be one of those exceptional sunrises, I took a few photos and started walking around with So. He was very good at giving me a history lesson on the temple, the carvings, the past rulers, etc. Having an amateur photographer was also convenient to have around when you want YOUR photo taken! By 8:00 a.m. it was already VERY hot. I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible.

After Angkor Wat, So took me to the school for monks that’s adjacent to the temple. Most people take no notice of it. Even when they do, it’s rare that someone goes there. So, however, had been educated there for several years, as his father hoped for him to become a monk. Although So didn’t become a monk, he visits there frequently. I glimpsed a young monk crying and asked So what had happened. After some questioning in Cambodian, So explained that the other boys had been teasing him. He chatted with the young boys, who seemed quite happy. I took several photos with them, although So cautioned me not to touch them. We chatted with a young man who was studying, as well as with another man who seemed to be delivering bread. It was then time for the water blessing. The priest picked blossoms from a tree and put them in a bowl of water. I was instructed to put my hands together to pray and to bow my head. During this time, the priest chanted and flicked water on me for a very long time, it seemed. So had the opportunity to take several photos of me with his camera, as well as with both of mine. At the end of the blessing, the priest tied a yarn bracelet on my right wrist.

We continued on to another temple, which was not famous at all. In fact, we were the only ones there! We took a little break to eat some chips and fresh pineapple, which he provided. Then I wandered about taking photos by myself. After that temple, it must have been about 11:30 a.m. when So dropped me back at my hotel. He was giving me a two hour break to relax, freshen up and/or eat something before he returned.

Once he picked me up again, I mentioned that someone said Khmer boxing was being held that day at 4:00 p.m. or thereabouts. Since I really wanted to see the boxing, he took me to an agency to purchase a ticket. Afterwards, he took me to two more famous temples – Ta Prohm (a.k.a. the Tomb Raiders temple) and Angkor Thom (a.k.a. Bayon). Both of them were fascinating. At the latter, I was taking photos of “nuns,” as he called them, from a distance. They motioned for me to come closer. We walked over and So, being the chatty guy that he is, engaged them in conversation. As I continued to take photos, one of the nuns handed me incense. I looked to So for instruction and was told where to place the incense, to put my hands together and down three times and to give them a small donation of $1 or $2, after which they put a double yarn bracelet on my left wrist. Once again, So was there to catch it on film.

By then, it was time for the start of the Khmer boxing. So was going home, but left his tuk tuk driver, Sokha, with me. I went inside and handed them my ticket, but wasn’t sure if there was a specific section that I was supposed to be sitting in. I just sat in the second row which had a very clear view of the arena. Then I noticed that several tourists were on an elevated platform drinking beer with an unobstructed view. I preferred to sit with the locals, anyway. As a matter of fact, they thought I was local, until I whipped out the DSLR. There were a few glances, but nothing more. The Khmer boxing, though good, was not as brutal as Thai kick boxing. I was still elated to be there. At the end of the matches, I walked outside and looked around for Sokha, but couldn’t find him. I decided to wait near the entrance for awhile. If he didn’t show up, I’d bargain with another driver to take me back to the hotel. Sokha found me, though. As he dropped me at the hotel, he asked if he could take me to the airport for my departing flight. I apologized, but explained that my original driver, Sey, had already asked to take me. I did, however, tell Sokha that he could return later that evening and take me to a particular restaurant for dinner, which he agreed to.

Based on my thus far limited experience, Cambodian food had failed to impress me. It didn’t seem to have layers and layers of flavors like Vietnamese, nor was it spicy like Thai. However, thanks to Facebook, someone suggested a good restaurant to me called Square 24. I dressed up and waited for Sokha. He dropped me at the restaurant, then said he’d be back in awhile. The restaurant was beautiful, but I was the only person there. The staff was more than excited to see me and buzzed around me like busy bees. I ordered beef salad (asked for it to be spicy) and chicken amok (also asked that it be spicy), as well as drinking a glass of Grenache syrah and a banana daiquiri. The food was very good and the service was excellent; couldn’t have been happier. It was, by far, my best meal in Cambodia. They even brought some type of complimentary banana dessert for me. I ordered fish amok and steamed rice to go, then packed those up with the banana dessert and gave them to Sokha. “For me?!” he asked incredulously. He seemed happy to have it; hope so.

Back at the hotel, I changed clothes and trolled the market for awhile. On my walk back to the hotel, I noticed a woman in the park with her two small boys. They were sleeping on the ground and, though she was sitting up, she was asleep, too. I tapped her on the shoulder, which definitely startled her. As I handed her some money, she smiled and thanked me