Siem Reap 1/2 Marathon

I've been back to Siem Reap about 5 or 6 times now, so when I heard about the annual 1/2 marathon through Angkor I couldn't pass it up! I've never been much of a runner but I started training and I'm so glad I did! It was so awesome. It was definitely hot and humid so I'm pleasantly surprised I didn't get heat exhaustion and die by the end.

 

Had to stop for this pic! Yes, I ran with my camera.



Highlights:

- Running to bring artificial limbs to landmine survivors and save youth from HIV/AIDS. Such a great cause!

 - Little kids standing to the side giving us high fives and cheering us on.

- Running through a wat full of monks all watching the runners.

-  Seeing Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm, and running through Angkor Thom right before the finish!

I love the smell of trees and having red dirt on my shoes at the end of the day. I love being in awe all over again everytime I go. :)

Angkor Marathon!



Monks watching the runners. :)




Bon Om Touk- Water Festival and subsequent stampede

This weekend was the water festival in Phnom Penh! It breaks my heart to say that it ended tragically, with more than 350 people dying in a stampede on a bridge going to Diamond Island, which is not far from my apartment. It is such a tragedy. The city doesnt have the infrastructure for the influx of people that the Water Festival brings, nor does the city do enough to plan in advance by way of toilets or safety precautions. I hope something is learned from this before next year but it is doubtful. The government has already said no one is at fault and no one will be punished because it was an accident. Many early reports suggested people died from electrocution after police sprayed them with water hoses on a bridge with electric cords used for the lighting. Many more were trampled and some jumped off the bridge and died in the water below. Devastating.

This is even more horrible because, otherwise, it was a beautiful event and such a proud moment for Cambodia and especially Phnom Penh. I was having a great time watching the dragon boat races, seeing all the Khmer people from the provinces flood the city, and even seeing the King attend the races.

The morning after the stampede on diamond island, people visit to pay respect and make offerings.

People watch the bridge where the stampede took place as police investigate. There are still shoes and clothes left everywhere.

Kep and Kampot

I'm currently in Kampot, having visited Kep for several days. Kep is breathtaking and quiet and jungly and awesome. Kampot I haven't seen much of due to severe illness. Yikes.

During the Khmer Rouge, much of Kep and Kampot were destroyed. Once considered the "Hamptons" of Asia, the former glory days of this town are now just a memory. The pristine colonial style homes that Khmer royalty often vacationed in are now merely skeletons. I'm told there are old killing fields nearby, left behind by the Khmer Rouge. It's easy to imagine what this town once was, and heartbreaking to imagine what could have been. That said, I do not think it will take long for the world to learn about this beautiful beachside town and turn it into a major tourist destination (for better and for worse).

The crab in Kep is delicious, as anyone who has visited can attest to. The world renowned Kampot pepper is also pretty good, though I advise against eating the peppercorns whole when you go to a pepper plantation as they suggest. Ludicrous! 





Crab Market in Kep

 


Pepper plants in Kampot

In Kep we stayed at the Botanica guesthouse for around $8 a night. It is a jungle-like botanical (obviously) oasis! I loved it. Our little room was so cute and I would stay here all the time if it weren't for the creatures that terrorized me in the night! Normally I am not so afraid of lizards, spiders etc, but before going to bed, we were brushing our teeth and a GIANT lizard jumped from the ceiling into the sink. I pretty much jumped out of my skin. He wasn't kidding around, I guess. I also saw an insanely large spider after being told there weren't many spiders in the area. A mosquito net can only provide so much of a respite.



Afforementioned giant spider



House between Kep and Kampot

Fishing village between Kep and Kampot



Crab Market





Rainy Season in Cambodia

It's rainy season in Cambodia. It pours for awhile, the streets flood, and then a few hours later, all the water is gone. The kids love it, for obvious reasons. Even the motos and tuk-tuks manage to drive through this. I love seeing the moto drivers ride through with their knees pressed up against their handle bars. haha I've always thought someone who likely get electrocuted during one of these downpours but never heard of it actually happening.

Kids playing in flood water outside National Museum

School kids heading home in the water

Moscow!

Being in Moscow feels like being in a movie. I saw Lenin's mausoleum, St. Basil's Cathedral, Red Square, etc, drank vodka. I am done here! I'm way too deliriously tired to appreciate the beauty here. No one speaks English and it's very difficult getting around the city on zero hours of sleep for the past couple days.



St. Basil's Cathedral