Cambodia: Siam Reap & Phnom Penh

Hello everyone! I won't go into much detail about my recent travels to Vietnam and Cambodia since there are so many photos to go through and upload. Those of you back in the States, I will tell you more stories as I see you. And my friends from Hong Kong... the time has finally come! I can hardly believe it, but I will be flying home in just one more day. Whether you are staying in HK for another semester or returning to your own countries, I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart! 

Mommy and Baba as we cross the border from Vietnam to Cambodia for a 3-day tour. Dad was born in Vietnam and Mom in Cambodia, and this was the first time they brought me back to their hometowns (30+ years after leaving the country as refugees). According to them, nothing is the same anymore! Imagine the differences 10 years from now, huh? 

Heeey there cutieee!!!

Growing up with my dad as chef of the household, I have acquired a taste for Southeast Asian foods. So the food in Cambodia and Vietnam calls out "home" to me. So yummy! 

oooh, the fresh fruit is to die for! Cambodia is so lush and tropical, everything grows in that soil! 

Since Dad booked a local tour in Vietnam, the tour was conducted in Vietnamese, so I didn't understand a thing! So I slept even more than usual on bus tours, and took pictures from my window seat J

Houses in the countryside as we were driving to Siem Reap. Lots of cows and lotus ponds. The houses were all raised up from the ground with poles to prevent bugs etc. from getting inside. 

Family photo (minus lil bro who opted out from traveling) at an old bridge in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Horses by a pond, on our way to Angkor Wat

Inside on the of the many temples of Angkor Wat.  We were lucky that the weather was on our side!  The warmth and sunshine was a nice contrast from the recently cold foggy mornings of Hong Kong. 

The details everywhere were amazing. And the huge structures in Angkor Wat were even more amazing! And to think these were all built during the 12th century!

Haha, Dad fell for a tourist trap! It's sad, but tourism is the largest source of income for the country. As a consumer, we were fueling their economy! There people make a living in every and any way possible in order to survive... it gives me chills when kids (ranging from 5-15 years old) look me in the eyes and practically beg for me to buy something worth less than one USD. 

They swarmed my dad when he finally gave in a bought some handicrafts from them.

They are expert stalkers. When you arrive at a tourist destination, there are kids who secretly take pictures of you as you are posing in front of an attraction. Then when you are about to leave, they show up at your bus with a printed and framed photo of you and offer it for a dollar!

Wahh, the tree has seen so much in its lifetime! :)

:( One of the saddest parts of my trip was when we visited a really poor village. The older people there escaped the country during the war, but when they tried to return to their homes after the Khmer Rouge, the government would not give them the documents they lost and needed. They have no identities! They're children have no identities! They can't go to public schools or get a real job. And the generations after them will be no different.
I had never felt more hopeless in my life. 

The village is on the water, so we took a boat tour around it. Families, entire families (since they had nothing more productive to do with their time), would row by and beg for money. The dad would row, the mom would carry the babies, the kids would cry and beg. 

The boat dropped us off to donate some food to the local "school". No school materials were in sight. They kids were well-behaved. They welcomed us and sang a thank you song in unison. And as we left, we saw a few sprinting off to play. As rehearsed as it felt, there was nothing I could do, and it was least painful to leave ignorant... we did a good deed, didn't we?

The classic Angkor Wat picture. Definitely worth the trip to see it in person. It will blow you away!

Have you seen "In the Mood for Love" directed by Wong Kar Wai? It is said that people would whisper their deepest darkest secrets into the holes of the walls of Angkor Wat and stuff the hole with dirt to seal them. 

Each face has a different smile and personality

Waiting for the sunset...

FRIED SPIDERS! And you thought anything fried would be appetizing.

x[

Ooo, that's much more suitable to my tastes :d

Mom used to live there, 35 years ago!

The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh

See the monks in orange? Every male in Cambodia must be a monk at least once in their lives to show gratitude for their parents and for life. Instead of mandatory military service, haha. Interesting huh? 

I <3 DESSERTS! 

The classic banana-coconut milk dessert on the left is soooo good. Fried taro chips, fried banana, and exotic fruits (minus the slice of watermelon).