Cambodia - See It Soon

Cambodia is our favorite place of the trip. The town we stayed in, Siem Reap, is a small town based around the temples of Angkor Wat. These are very famous temples you have probably seen but didn't realize. The temples are amazing. The people of Cambodia are nice and proud people, much more genuine than other places we have been. The town itself is very small, only one main area called Pub Street that has bars and restaurants. Lots of pictures here. Most of our time spent was touring the temples and hanging out on Pub Street at night.

Of note, this place has changed a lot in ten years according to the locals. The west is slowly creeping in and with it the town is becomeing a typical tourist trap. Lots of hotels are moving in and the numbers of visitors will be going up. If you ever what to see this place, sooner is better.

2009 7-24

Massage

So we’ve had a few massages while on this trip. I thought I would take a second and describe our experiences, maybe save others some trouble in the future.

Our first massage was in the Maldives. We were tired after Germany and India and wanted some pampering. We took a spa day and had a traditional Lomi Lomi massage. This was more of what I expected as a traditional Swedish massage, much like you would get anywhere back home. Sweeping, smooth movements of the hands on the major muscle groups, tirelessly working out knots and relaxing us away.

Our next experience was a mall massage in Bangkok. We had been walking for hours through different malls and outdoor markets. We decided to get a foot massage. For about $15 you get a 40 minute foot and leg massage from a store right inside the shopping mall. After a welcome tea, we were taken to a back room and given a very soothing foot and leg massage. Most of the time was spent on the feet, lifting away the exhaustion of the day. Very nice.

Thai massage. Not for me. A good friend had described this as a torture method. I tried it anyway. We went to the traditional Thai massage school in Bangkok, the site where this movement began and is still taught today. For about $5 we got a 30 minute Thai massage. I’m not sure what they actually did, but it reminded me of forced Yoga and Pro Wrestling , WWF style I had watched as a kid. Headlocks, Full Nelsons, Elbow drops body positions I didn’t want to be in. I think they choked me out once. This is not for the faint of heart. I left feeling not relaxed, but more like I had just lost a match.

Kelley liked it, she’s weird.

We had a few more here and there. Massages can be had for as little as $5 and hour in a non air conditioned group style room to over $100 an hour at fancy hotel spas. Our last Bangkok stop was a place called Healthland, a large establishment where you can walk in and get any treatment you want. We got a traditional 1.5 hour massage and a 1 hour foot reflexology treatment for about $20. Very nice, clean, air conditioned.

Lessons learned: traditional massages and foot massages well worth the money. Thai massages not for me.