It was time to cross the border from Thailand into Cambodia. After the long and very uneventful drive we reached the border where we all filled out our visa applications and crossed it into the much poorer cousin of Thailand. There is a massive gap between the wealthy and the poverty stricken here and it is obvious as soon as you set foot in the country. There are many amputees from the landmine problem that has plagued Cambodia from the infamous Khmer Rouge.
After 4 hours driving through farm country and poor road side villages we arrived in Siem Reap, the home of Angkor Wat and the Khmer Empire (as it was originally known). What an incredible place. The people are friendly and the city of 200,000 people is a hive of activity. From night markets to circuses this place has heaps to offer. It is a shame we only have 2 nights here. After our first night we woke up at 4am and made the journey to see Angkor Wat, the legendary temple that was built for the Hindu religion and then later included Buddhism. It took 37 years to build with 300,000 people working on the project.
Little did we know, but there are hundreds of temples dotted around Angkor Wat, so needless to say we spent the better part of 7 hours exploring the temple complex with the help of our guide. A magical place indeed. - Kyle