Vientiane to Siem Reap

On our way from Vang Viang to Cambodia, Angie and I spent a day in Vientiane and while I don't think you would need more time than that, it's actually quite a nice little city. We found JoMa Cafe and had lunch then walked to COPE, a rehabilitation and visitor centre for victims of UXO's (or bombies). What an amazing place! They provide medical care, artificial limbs, rehabilitation services and help people to not only learn to survive but get back to their daily lives. Really cool experience! After that we took a tuk tuk out to That Louang and I have to say it is probably the most beautiful temple I've seen yet. Unfortunately, I was too engrossed in taking pictures with my camera I didn't take one with my phone. But take my word for it, they were beautiful. Solid gold, elaborate temples with manicured gardens and a massive lying down Buddha. The best part as we arrived right at sunset and got some amazing photos. Really good day.

The next day we hopped an early flight to Siem Reap, haggled a good deal from a nice van driver who helped us find a good guesthouse and then biked to Angkor. This city is so full of contrast. There are $300 a night hotels lining the streets and palm trees and paved roads so that while biking to Ankgor you feel like you're in LA. And then there is the extreme poverty - the beggars on the streets asking for food, the children carrying babies asking you to buy them milk. Last night I saw a tourist grab a little boy because she'd for some reason given him $15 USD (I believe she thought she was buying milk for the baby?) and then he tried to run off. She'd grabbed him and was shouting at him, threatening to call the police if he didn't give her money back. She was shaking him and he was crying. Some other tourists intervened and made her let go of him and the kid ran off. All this over $15 - something that woman would have spent easily on one meal yet half a months wages for someone here.

Ankgor was pretty (an amazing architectural feat, very beautiful) but full of tourists - a little like disneyland without the rides. I ended up having to buy a t-shirt to go up to the third level of the temple (apparantly my scarf wasn't good enough) I was a bit choked, and felt like I was just being conned into spending money, but on the way out of the temple we passed a woman who was clearly down and out, begging. I offered her my t-shirt and she almost cried she was so happy. It made buying the shirt worth it. We'll go back tomorrow to check out some more temples and i'll get some pictures.

After Ankgor, Angie and I found the Children's Hospital and I gave blood for the first time. Another awesome day.