Re-exposure to American society has started in earnest. Seeing and hearing so many Americans in Chiang Mai was jarring, somewhat uncomfortable, but a healthy change as my time to visit CA nears. Spending time with my friends Daisy and Katie started me remembering good times in Vermont and things I miss. Using actual USD, supplied by all local atms (I don’t know how it’s possible) was a celebration. But occasionally, like last Monday, I see an unwelcome side of America.

Getting on the bus to shuttle me to the plane at Bangkok airport, I was confronted with an American couple and their baby sitting in her stroller blocking me just inside the shuttle door. I stepped onto the stairs, then realized the door could not close with my pack on behind me, so I swung around to face the door and in the process passed my pack through the space over the stroller. The mother threw out her hands and moved my pack away, giving me an aghast look and saying something about it not being okay for me to be where I was. As if my pack would spontaneous explode its contents, or I would just decide to drop it on their child. Her husband consoled her, joked about the little girl kicking the man in front of her, and I remained where I was taking up space next to their bubble, pushed against other passengers.

I tried to not get annoyed and reflected on the [American?] expectation that other people modify their behaviors to accommodate YOU, instead of modifying your own behavior to exist smoothly with the physical and cultural environment you find yourself in. They could have moved further from the door or opted to hold their child, but instead expected other people to…I don’t know. Not fit on the bus? Make three other people uncomfortable instead? Two minutes later after mumbling something in French they realized they would have to carry their child anyway, and started breaking down the stroller.

It was a small thing but it got me thinking. I do still have my moments of cultural frustration. People unabashedly cutting queues or pushing me still can get my blood going, but even that bothers me less now than it used to. I think I have been outside of the US for long enough that I can see how our culture differs from the English, Australian, German, French, and certainly Asian cultures. I am looking forward to many things, but occasionally I see something like the attitude displayed by this family that I do not want to re-acclimate to. (They later approached me for help in the Visa line, so at least no ill will was held.)

Anyway, the city of Siem Reap was nearly as touristy as Chiang Mai was. I bet a lot of folks were doing exactly what we were; hitting the big thai festivals and then going to Angkor Wat for the sight-of-a-lifetime. And Oh My God, what an amazing place it is. Being there is unreal. I have seen pictures for years and it was hard to really believe I was there, seeing it.

We started with the famous Angkor Wat and neighboring Angkor Thom, but in reality the Angkor Archaeological Complex is huge; over 400 km sq with dozens of temples and buildings of different styles from the 9th to the 15th century.
Angkor Wat:

Being renovated:

Angkor Thom:

My favorite was the Ta Phrom temple that was used in the Tomb Raider set. Enormous trees are growing all over the ruins and it is an incredible feeling there. We went first thing in the morning and there were only a few other visitors there.

I also went up to Banteay Srei, which is small but has some of the best preserved carvings. It is built with pink stone which gives it a different feel than the rest of the complex. It is beautiful. (Here some Australians who had positioned themselves behind me in the shade made a loud comment about ‘people with umbrellas blocking everything,’ referring to me with my little sun-brella. I turned around and said Excuse Me. So maybe it’s not just Americans with the attitude I described above…)

We went even further afield to find a place called Kbal Spean, or “The Valley of a Thousand Lingas.” The “linga” is a phallic representation of the hindu god Shiva; as far as I can tell anything that looks like a rounded cylinder can be considered a linga. Anyway, this place was amazing and unique. Hermits 900 years ago carved 1,000 lingas as well as other hindu figures into the rock IN THE RIVERBED. Like, submerged under the water. I have no idea how they haven’t all been eroded away. We completely missed them the first time we walked by, looking for a temple. We had to ask for directions and a local guide just pointed to a hand sticking out of the water ten feet from us. We followed the river from there:

The tuk tuk ride out to these less visited places was one of my favorite parts. I love mountains, and I have the idea that flat land bores me. But Cambodia is surprisingly flat and is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen.

They sell gasoline by the liter:

We returned to do this ridiculous tourist thing: watch the sunset from the top of the only temple above the tree line. I thought it would be a cool backlight view if the Angkor Wat, but no. Just another beautiful sunset packed amongst tons of European and Asian tourists. It was pretty anyway:

But not nearly as striking as sunrise the next day: