Christine's Travel Adventures: Siem Reap, Cambodia

We arrive in Siem Reap in the afternoon on January 4. Walking out of the airport we are all struck by the heat. We had to layer up while in Laos and now the sweat immediately begins to pour from our pores. We are met by two vans and a couple of guides. We put the luggage in one van and we are all stuffed into another. Luckily the hotel is not far from the airport.

Leaving Laos

Siem Reap is a booming metropolis compared to where we've been. Because of the Angkor Wat temples, millions of tourists come to Siem Reap each year. It's a smallish town that is totally focused on tourism. I wonder what it was like before the temples were re-discovered. We check into the lovely Kralanh Petite Villa, a lovely boutique hotel with six rooms, which we have taken over. It is a sweet place and I'm glad we will be here for 5 nights. Lidia from Together For Cambodia, an organization that Dick supports meets us there. We have a nice chat and plan to meet her for dinner. We have some nice time to relax and go for a swim until then.

Welcome drink at Kralanh Petite Villa

Carlo and darling Caitlin

Later in the evening we meet at a funny local restaurant where there is karaoke happening and beer flowing. There are about 15 of us and we have a nice time dancing, eating and singing. It's very festive. Until it comes time to pay the bill. The "drink girls" are notorious for adding extra drinks and beers that were never ordered. They begin to pull empty beer bottles from under the table that were probably there before we arrived. So there was a lot of back and forth until we finally came to an agreement on the bill.

Lidia and Dick Grace

Urmi and Richard

The next day we go to Lidia's school for a tour. I was here last year when they had first broken ground and it's amazing to see it complete now. She's done a tremendous (and huge) job planning and working with the builders. There are separate boys and girls sleeping buildings, a school building with library and computer rooms and a kitchen with study hall/community room above. It warms my heart to see Lidia's dream a reality. I first met Lidia in 2014 when she was honored by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in an event that I had the honor of helping to produce, Unsung Heroes of Compassion.

But the heat is getting to us and we are all a bit wilted by the time the tour ends....luckily we have the evening free and Urmi and I get a luxurious one hour foot massage followed by some divine noodles from a street cart (cost $1). We considered going to a place called Happy Pizza where they make pizza crust infused with ganja, but decided against it. For this time anyway....

Early the next day, after a delicious breakfast at the hotel (fresh fruit, banana pancake, hot coffee, and eggs) we load up in the vans and head to and Angkor Wat temple complex that spans more than 500 acres. We are met there by a company that provides bike rentals. Each mountain bike has our name on it and a helmet to match.

We get situated with seat heights, gears, helmets, etc and then we are off on a bike adventure. What an incredible experience, biking through these ancient cities. We bike around the moat that runs outside of the great Angkor Wat temple. We peddle past the city walls and gates, each gate with a special meaning according to the direction it faces, and each with the beautiful stone head in the likeness of King Jayavarman, who built this city over many years. Very beautiful, kind faces with huge entrances to bike through - although they were originally built to walk or push a small cart through. We stop along the way and our guide fills us in on the history of this amazing place. I love it here. I could stay for months just exploring the absolutely otherworldly temples that seem to go on and on.....

The bike trail is narrow and our group of 13 rides on for about 2 hours with many stops. We are all sweating and laughing and enjoying the day. I feel so confidant on the bike - a surprise to me since I haven't been on a bike in at least a year. The breeze is caressing my face, I am balanced on two wheels and feeling so great to be outside and moving my body. Wow....