Cambodia Confidential: Hello from Krong Siem Reap. We got temples!

Suostei from Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia. We were ready for a change of scenery, so we headed over to Cambodia to see Angkor Wat.

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Before I forget, here’s this week’s question: Have you ever had an unexpected animal encounter in your travels? Maybe you were roaming the back alleys of Istanbul and encountered a cute kitten. Or you were strolling along the beaches of Bali and ended up befriending a dog. Or maybe it was an unpleasant animal encounter, like a shark. Do tell! The comments are open.

I promised photos of Angkor Wat, and here they are …

Aren sets up his camera for sunrise over Angkor. They actually filmed part of the original Tomb Raider movie here, according to our guide.

Oh, I know. We are such tourists.

Remember all those stories about people carving graffiti into the sides of the Angkor? It’s no joke. But you can never be sure if it’s random scribbling or if the writing has a deeper meaning. Even our guide did not know about these carvings.

We recorded this week’s podcast from the Anantara Angkor Resort & Spa. The hotel has one of the most unique welcoming ceremonies we’ve ever seen. It involves a large gong, a traditional Cambodian scarf called a krama, and a foot-washing ceremony. I’ll write more about it soon.

Don’t forget this week’s question: Have you ever had an unexpected animal encounter in your travels?

We’ll try to find some pictures of temple cats to post next week.