4,000 Islands and into Cambodia

Hello everyone! Its been quite some time since I've last written a post and been meaning to but have been really busy or nowhere near internet. Since the last post my journey has been great and filled with many experiences. When I left Vientiane, Laos we took an overnight bus to Pakse in south region to connect to another bus which would drop us off in the 4,000 islands. The 4,000 islands is part of the Mekong River at the border of Cambodia, still in Laos. We spent four amazing nights in our own bungalow on the river for just $2.50 a night. That's 1.25 a person! On the first day we spent it by renting bicycle's to tour the small island of Don Det and Don Khon. These islands have just recently got electricity (2 years ago) and are very much like village life. While riding you see locals harvesting their rice, re-structuring their homes, fishing, and of course kids playing naked in the river. These kids are living the dream! They have quite the playground with many trees to jump off and makeshift rope swings to fling themselves joyously into the muddy Mekong. People don't have much money at all here but the smiles are larger than i have ever seen. Back in the western world I have always thought how life would be living off the land with no need for money or status. Doing your daily duties with long hours and in the end, tired eyes, leading to great sleep. Most people have so much want and forget what its like to need. These people don't know what its like to want and only know the feeling of need. While riding bike and pondering all these thoughts we find ourselves at the bridge to cross from Don Det to Don Khon. We decide to pay the 3 dollar fee to cross because it includes entrance into the largest water by volume in all of southeast Asia. When we get to the waterfall it is as I imagined! The rainy season has just ended so the water is close to peaking. Your peripherals are filled many falls and your ears with thunderous explosions. In the mix of it all, the locals have some how found a way to put a bamboo fishing trap right in the middle of some rocks where water vigorously rushes through. Whoever positioned this contraption must be very proud, I know I would be. After the falls we explore the rest of Don Khon which highly is uninhabited. We are dead tired now and make our way back to our bungalow which is about 1.5 miles away from town on Don Det. We chose to stay far out of town to get more of an experience and for the tranquil aspect. Each night we would walk into town for dinner and to chill at a local bar/lounge that had great vibes. The next day we spent our time just chilling with no plans, something that we've been wanting to do. We plan to leave the next day for Cambodia but while walking around town the bar owner where we have been chilling tells us that he is putting together a BBQ on an island up the river. It sounds amazing so we decide to stay another night and go on the trip. The group of people that joined us on the trip were amazing and made the trip so much better. With all like minded travelers we depart on our longtail boat for an island somewhere north. We all get acquainted and most of us all live in Colorado. You don't meet many Americans out here let alone Coloradoians, not sure if thats how you say that. We arrive at the island and its definitely not what everyone expected but we all make the most of it. I start by diving right into that mukky mek (this is what I have nicknamed the Mekong, due to its clay color) and instantly feel refreshed. Our day is spent eating, swimming, frisbeeing, lounging, and me building the first ever pyramid tube. Thats right a pyramid tube. It reminds me of when my good friend Liz, aka LDS (Liz Da Shit), invented pyramid beer pong. So pyramid tubing is when you take a bunch of inner tubes and stack them in a pyramid shape. Than each tube is filled with a persons bottom with of course only one person at the top. I did not think it would work but in fact it did. Pictures will be put up one day to show this amazing feat. After all day on the island we end it by tubing the Mekong back to Don Det at sunset. With beer in hand, friends on hand, and the most beautiful sunset in sight. I cant help but smile and chills fill my body. As I write right now I get chills of that moment. Back at Don Det we end the trip at the reggae bar where you can jump off there deck, about 25feet high. I absolutely loved the 4,000 islands and would suggest it to everyone. The next day we woke to take the boat ride to the mainland to get a bus ride into Cambodia! But first I had to get the boat started! The normal boat for transportation was being used by the owner for a fishing trip so his wife would take us to the mainland with her boat. But her boat is much smaller, narrower, and hardly used. After about 5 minutes of me pulling a lawnmower like engine I begin to think that we will not make our trip to Cambodia. But then a roar I never thought I would hear erupts from the engine and the motor is alive. I instantly scream loudly "YESSSSSSSS" and I look back at Amanda and a fellow traveler and we all smile and laugh. We all thought it we weren't gonna make it to the mainland. We spent our day from 8am until 2am the next day in transit to the infamous city of Siam Reap. This was the longest journey we have embarked on as well as the most bumpy. Getting to Siam Reap we are bombarded by dozens of tuk-tuk drivers wanting our business. The bus of course drops us off miles away from town so that tuk-tuk drivers can hassle you for money. We have no choice but to pay them for a ride because I know I would never walk miles down a street at 2am in a city I have no knowledge on. The next day we spend the first couple hours finding a cheap place to stay close to the city center. With great efforts we find a place for 6usd a night right in the middle of town with a balcony overlooking the lively streets. FYI, in Cambodia they use 2 types of currencies, USD and Real. So if something costs 2.50usd and you give them 3usd you will get back 2,000 real. 1usd=4,000 real. Shit is confusing and weird! That day we chill and recoup from the long day of travel. While wondering the streets and the endless amount of markets i find myself really enjoying the city, much more than I expected. I have got a lot of mix reviews from travelers so I knew everyone views this place much different than one another. Amanda has become very agitated with how pushy the locals are and doesnt feel the same way. For me I am looking past the market people, tuk-tuk drivers, and beggars. I am seeing how the people are outside of the tourist industry and see a very kind and happy culture. FYI again, a lot of Americans might not know the history of this great country. The history dates back 1,000's of years but has some crucial parts of it that dates back only 20-30 years ago. Its horrifying to learn what they have been through and experienced. I will not go into the Khmer Rouge regime, but if you know nothing of it, than you must learn! Please! So with that stated I put that in hand with observing the locals and am so bewildered with their extreme smiles and laughs. Such forgiving people so I appreciate that sincerely. I grew up with me being hard to forgive people but with time I have found myself understanding the importance of forgiving. So the rest of that day we spent haggling with marketers with no intentions of buying but just for the sole purpose of fun. The next day we hire a tuk-tuk driver to take us around to the temples that surround Angkor Wat. The driver picks us up from our guesthouse at 4:50am, yeah thats correct, to go to Angkor Wat for the sunrise. Angkor Wat is one of the 7 wonders of the world! The sunrise is vibrantly pink with a grey mixture. There are much clouds on the horizon making the light spread throughout. Some people like there sunrises with no clouds for the view of the sun is sheer blinding but I myself love the way the light scatters through the clouds. Minute by minute the the sky changes with a multitude of colors. As My eyes overdose on beauty I think to myself what it was like 900 years ago building this great architectural accomplishment. With the sun in the sky now we depart Angkor Wat to drive to outer Wats. We dont want to see Angkor first and decide to save it for the next day. So we spend the rest of the day seeing a plethora of sights and by 3pm my eyes and mind grow soar and body tired. The next day we rent bicycles to take in the sights of all the temples. Angkor Wat is first where we see jaw dropping architecture! The highlights of the day are Angkor Wat, Bayon, and Angkor Thom. All are amazing in their own way but i knew i would like Angkor Thom the most. This temple has enormous trees growing on top of the temple showing how old this place really is. They shot Tomb Raider here for all you video game freaks. These temples date back to the year 900 and are not of one religion. There is a mix of Hindu and Buddhist inscriptions on the walls. The reason for this is when travelers came through that region many years ago they brought religion with them. The natives I guess believed in both and have depicted them in their art work. This would be our last night in Siam Reap and I have decided to buy a painting for memories. We search vigorously through markets before i find an amazing one of village life. We then get a foot massage in reward of our extreme past 2 days. We leave the next morning and during the 6hour drive I am stuck reading a book the my friend Mike H told me I need to read. Its called "First They Killed my Father" and its a memoir of a young girl during her tragic time when the Khmer Rouge was in control. While enduring a rough bumpy road my eyes stay fixated on her words of sadness and anger. I am a grown man and I have no problem saying that this book made tear up. Its hard not to put myself in her situation and feel as she feels. Thanks Mike for the read it has made my experience in Cambodia much more fulfilling. When we arrive in Phenom Penh we again are bombarded by tuk-tuk driver but this time its mid-day and we can walk it out. We wonder through this maze of a city in search of a nice place to stay near restaurants and bars. It takes us hours before we find ourselves on the river front, the river is the Tonle Sap. We find a cheap place and than get some food. The streets here are filled, like to the max with locals. That night was the seventh day of mourning of the king. The king died at age 90 and will be in the palace for viewing for the next 3 months. The first seven are most important but the the seventh day is of utmost. We walk down to the palace and there are thousands of monks walking down the streets as if in a parade. The people say there are over a 100,000 people in this area at that moment. Its a sight thats is so hard to explain or fathom. These people loved this King and say hes the best ever. They love him so much that they say they can see him in the moon. They say the moon has never looked this way before. Extreme! It gets crazier because after all the monks walk buy and it is all over thunder strikes with a loud boom. Then again and then a torrential down pour covers the city. The last day of mourning is ended with some of the hardest we've seen on this trip. The gods were crying! Wow what an experience to be in this city at this time. I will never forget that moment. After the rain subdues we got back to the guesthouse for some much needed sleep and the next day we, which is today, is firstly spent at a school that was turned into a prison during the Khmer Rouge. Horrifying, the words of the book I'm reading come to life with visual stimulants. Super sad but had to be seen. I just dont know how they can let the people in charge of the Khmer Rouge stay alive to this day! Still no punishment. We just got back from that and will now go to the palace to go inside for today is the first day the public can see the king. We will leave tomorrow for Sihanouk ville where the beaches are white and empty! I highly enjoyed writing this post because I also highly am enjoying the experiences of Cambodia! Hope you all enjoyed as much as I did! Will write soon!