June 1: Siem Reap

Thanks for all your nice e-mails, which I have read this afternoon in an Internet cafe in Siem Reap. I slept until 9:30 this morning, the first time that has happened in days, or maybe weeks. I'll need it tomorrow, when I'll be up at 4:30 to head to Angkor Wat for sunrise.

I met Bunny, the man who drives a tuk tuk for the guest house where I'm staying, last night. His English is great and he seems like a really friendly guy. So after breakfast this morning, I hired him to take me to Aki Ra's land mine museum north of town. It's a fascinating place, supported entirely by donations, where a small group of land mine victims live and study. I met Chet, a 16-year-old former street hustler from Phnom Penh, who gave me a tour of the museum. His biography, printed and laminated and hung on the wall at the museum, says he's "a better dancer with one real leg and one plastic one than most people are with two real legs." The museum itself was sobering and depressing and reminded me -- and probably everyone else who visits -- how cruel we can be to each other. If you have a moment, read the link above. The history of the museum and its founder is truly interesting.

Bunny dropped me off at "E-Cafe," reportedly the only Internet cafe in town to have DSL access, where I've caught up on a week's worth of blogs and am soon going to head out to the market. I'll meet Bunny back at the guest house at 4:30 to head to Angkor Wat, about 6 km north of town, for sunset. If you buy your ticket after 5:00 p.m., it's good for sunset and the next day, so I'll be able to squeeze in a little more time at Angkor Wat. Then, we'll leave at 5:00 tomorrow morning to be there for sunrise. I'll visit the main structures during the day and will, in all probability, be exhausted tomorrow night. One day isn't enough to visit Angkor Wat, I'm sure, but I'm not really in Cambodia for the temples. With the other places I want to visit, one day will have to do it.

I'm planning on heading to Phnom Penh on Saturday for a few days, where I'll organize my onward travels. Next week, I plan to be in southern Cambodia and Phnom Penh, primarily.