Back to Bangkok
I'm back, for the third time in 2 months. And I can't deny it: I love it here. Sure, it's super-touristy, but it doesn't take much to still take in plenty of "Thai-ness," something that a person could only understand if he or she visited here.
After my last update, we spent three spectacular days in Siem Reap, (which incidently is Khmer language for "Defeated Thai") home of the timeless ruins known as Angkor Wat. In fact, Angkor Wat is only one of several magnificent temples in and around Siem Reap--all of which should be visited, if time were not an issue. Even though it was for me, we managed to squeeze in as much as possible into 3 days. My pictures will reflect as much.
We spent all day yesterday on a long march back to Bangkok. The bus, an old piece of second-hand Korean junk, somehow survived the trip. I believe we only lost 2 or 3 stragglers along the way which, I am told, is better than average (just kidding). But, to be more serious, the road from Siem Reap to the border is not a road at all. It varies between one of two options: bog of mud or dustbowl. Again, see the back-to-back pictures of the road. It was more-or-less unbelievable. But, we made it. For a look, see the map I hastily made on MSPaint here at the internet cafe. It shows where we traveled inside of Cambodia, including the boat trip to Phnom Penh.
Angkor was built at the peak of Khmer civilization, beginning around 1100 AD. What remains today is the classic definition of ruins, but any visitor is still struck by the magnitude of what was constructed. In turn, an appreciation of the people and the culture that constructed these hundreds of temples begins to form. Some people complain that the temples are not well-preserved. I believe that this is true. However, deep-down, this actually appealed to me because exploration is possible at every turn. There are almost no barriers saying "Do not enter!" Several times I ended up carrying on for more than a half hour by myself, despite the throngs of thousands of (mostly Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean) tourists that populate Siem Reap). In other words, breaking off from the guided tour is the best possible thing to do. At one point, I found myself alone some 20 meters above ground after climbing for 20 minutes, nearly missing the fact that there was no stone floor in front of me. I sat down and stared out into the jungle. There wasn't a soul to be seen for the entire horizon. Such is Cambodia.
And this country, one of those many that I have had the pleasure of visiting this summer, was towards the end of my trip. This proved to be more than appropriate, because there is a fascination with hammocks in Cambodia, allowing me to reflect on the entire journey whilst knocking back cheap Angkor beers. In traveling to all of these places, I have seen the best and the worst of Asia. I have seen laughter, everywhere. Toothy grins, children that jump on you only because they want to play with the westerner, the deepest levels of kindness, and a degree of fascination that nearly surpasses my own. Passionate and energetic cities, sleepy villages, man-made wonders, deeply-rooted spiritualism, raging features of the earth such as volcanos, waterfalls, rivers, seas, and oceans, and an effort to tame and modernize all of these things which reflects a level of resourcefulness unparalleled anywhere else on earth. I have, of course, been an outsider, and so I have also at times been a (mostly unsuccessful) target of cheats and scams. These did not deter me. And, bluntly, the good side of Asia has an unbelievable quality: once it pries you open, manages to slip inside you, and causes you to fall in love with its beauty, its people, and its treasures, you can only smile, laugh, and walk away from the bad. Moreover, you can sip on a cold, 30-cent beer while doing it.
After meeting so many amazing people, after taking so many trains to places more foreign than the last, after flying across a continent only to cross my own path again and again, and after breathing in so much humanity, I have grown to know myself more. I have had revelations about what I want (and don't want) to do with my life. I have had immense feelings about the present and the past, and thoughts and dreams about the future--for me, for Asia, for the world. This summer, I have become a great deal more human. Come visit this part of the world, and you will too.
No matter where I have traveled, I made a concerted effort to get off of the beaten path and get to know the locals. Most of it was spur-of-the-moment which allowed little time for reflection--but all of it together painted a picture to me that I will keep until my grave:
Timelessly, everywhere on earth, the sun rises. People, rich and poor, wake up and begin their days. And although most face difficulties in life, people, no matter their nationality or ethnicity, collectively choose to push forward, everyday. And no matter what forces, man-made or natural, try to impede this progress, the most comforting aspect of it all lay at the foundation of each breath; it is the truth I have discovered as a young observer of humanity: We are all in this together.
With these thoughts in mind, I now leave Asia. I am not done reflecting. I have more people to meet, more experiences to be had, and more decisions to reach. But, for now, I say goodbye! I will write again when I reach Honduras in a few days.
Until then,
--RWD