Siem Reap

Part 1.

This weekend was really amazing. In class on Friday we took 2 test, one part was grammar (yuck) and the other was Phonetics and class room management.  I was really nervous about the Grammar part. It was something I knew going into this I would have to face either way, I mean I am here to Teach English! We got our grades back today and to my surprise, I got a 92 on the grammar and 96 on the Phonetics, Nick did good as well.. getting a 95% on both! So after our stressful (and I use that term loosely) exams.. we packed our bags and loaded on to our ride for the weekend. A 25 seat 70's style bus, complete with retro style curtains. The bus ride there wasn't too bad.. It took 6 hours from the capitol of Cambodia, Phnom Pehn to the old capitol, Siem Reap where a ton of Temples are located. We got to visit 4 different temples or as the Asians call them, "Wats". Essentially, Nick could be referred to as Mr. Temple.

So I did it, I finally decided it was time to try some sort of foreign food. Being in Cambodia, I am surrounded by new things, but when I saw people trying Tarantula .. I knew this was it! To be honest, it wasn't half bad. Feeling adventurous I also dabbled in some stuffed frog, which was actually rather refreshing. It was stuffed with lemon grass, and it pretty much overtook the taste of anything else. Surprisingly, Nick was not interested in trying either! 

The ride there was pretty intense it went by fast but the view along the way was very third-world feeling. Huts along the roads with little kids running around naked, traffic jams cause by families of cows. Bathroom breaks were usually a miserable adventure,the fact that they don't believe in toilet paper I can occasionally put up with.. but when all I have to work with is a porcelain hole in the ground with a bucket of water and a scoop, which I haven't actually figured out a purpose for… It can really get to a person. After a while, squatting in a bush was becoming more appealing!  

On a classier note, the hotel we stayed at was really nice! Big king size bed, a fridge, AC, hot shower… to American standards probably about 3 stars, Cambodian about 4.  After a 6 hour bumpy bus ride it was just what the doctor ordered. After we settled in a little our whole group went to this place called "Happy Pizza" , Luckily I was informed ahead a time why the pizza was so happy. Basically, they can put a particular illegal herb onto any pizza, and you order it by how much you would like IE: a little happy, medium happy, and extra happy. I stuck with the cashew chicken, which was tasty! The food here in Cambodia is pretty good, but the selection of what ill try is not that extensive. Although I finally ventured into a curry dish which was really tasty, it had the same lemon grass that the frog was stuffed with so it was really refreshing and served over steamed rice. After that some party animals stayed out, but my bed was calling my name. We had a full day of Temples to wander around and I wanted all of my energy!

To be Continued....

(I am having a little trouble uploading and keeping up with my blogs because internet is turned off around 12 at night and doesnt come back on till about 7 in the morning.. which is right before i have to go to class.. not giving me much time, but I am doing the best i can at the moment, many more to come!)