We arrived in Siem Reap via Hanoi after a day of travel and hopped in vans to our hotel, tired but excited for the week to come. The next morning we set off for our first tour of the magnificent temples of Ankor Wat. While we might not have been able to understand what our guide was telling us through his thick Cambodian accent, the majestic, ancient beauty of the temples needed no translation. It was incredible to think that at one point these temples were the center of a vibrant ancient civilization. The next day many of us woke up at sunrise to see the main temple Ankor Wat at sunrise. It was difficult to get up at five in the morning, but those that did were rewarded handsomely. The sun rose just behind the main temple and slowly illuminated the lily ponds that stand in front of the temple.
The rest of the week included much relaxing, with superb Cambodian massages, an awesome night market, and most importantly an incredible Thanksgiving celebration. While being away from home on a holiday is never easy, TBB Thanksgiving was a pretty awesome substitute. We had a wonderful meal together that included roasted chicken (there are no turkeys in Cambodia), mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, and many other Thanksgiving classics. After the meal we hung out with the group, made paper turkeys, and played games. After our week of relaxing, we hopped on a short flight from Siem Reap to Phnom Pen, the capital of Cambodia.
Phnom Pen was a change of gears entirely, as we delved into the history of Cambodia for two days, centering on the genocide of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Going to the Killing Fields and Toul Slang, the Khmer Rouge headquarters and prison in Phnom Pen, was a powerful and moving experience. Everyone in the group was deeply affected by what we saw, and it is hard to put into words the feeling of seeing the horrible footprints of terror marring the beautiful history of Cambodia.
We left for Ho Chi Minh relaxed from a week in Siem Reap but also struck and changed by what we had seen in Phnom Pen.