YA LEUM 20 — Difference between traveling and holidays
I arrived in Siem Reap, my last destination!
Siem Reap is the city that hosts Angkor Wat, the number one reason to visit Cambodia.
Angkor Wat is the place where Tomb Raider was filmed, but certainly not special because of that but thanks to the magical and immense beauty of the place.
Wait, I will get you there.
I booked a couchsurfing place, which ended up being in a hostel. Courchsurfing is an online platform of travelers that offer their couch to sleep to other travelers. I have had a lot of couchsurfing experiences, but never in a hostel. The story was, the owner of the hostel, a nice young Moroccan-Dutch guy, used to offer free spots at his hostel when there was not a big occupancy.
I checked in early and had a nice chat with him, because he used to live in The Netherlands, so a few things we had in common. Later, I jumped to discover the delights of this city.
Siem Reap is a place to get lost — bars, restaurants, shopping, sightseeing and daily activities, this city has it all. Although relatively small, it is easy to spend a few days trying out the new things.
Although the highlight is the Temples of Angkor, mostly known by Angkor Wat.
Angkor Wat is one of the largest and most impressive religious monuments ever created, built in 12th century by King Suryavarman II. There are more than a thousand of beautiful and majestic buildings evoking Hinduism religious motifs to dedicate to the gods Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu.
The visit until Angkor Wat requires preparation because you need to buy a ticket in advance, wake up around 3am, avoid being ripped off by moto taxis and be in a traffic jam until the entrance.
If you do things wrong, it can turn out an expensive visit. Since there were quite to organize, I decided to contact the community travelers on Facebook to find an Angkor Wat partner.
Soon, a group of friends told me they were looking for someone else to join their group to share costs. Perfect!
I met them in the hotel they were staying. With a pool, a bar, terrace and young people. Nice place to meet up!
We planned our Angkor Wat day and then we had drinks together. I connected very well with them and at the end of the night, we realized one of the girls had dated one of my friends! Those coincidences!
The day of the big visit arrived!
I woke up at 3 am to meet them at their hotel. At that time, there were plenty of tuk tuk on the road because everyone wants to arrive by the sunrise.
The lines to get in are long but move relatively quick. The temples are away from each other, so it is necessary to move with a bicycle or a tuk tuk. We chose the second option.
The visit consists in strolling around a lost forgotten civilization, climbing marble stairs to dive in superb pieces of architecture.
The temples are emerged in the forest, giving the feeling of a magic untold tale.
The day was tiring but fulfilling! We have witnessed one of the 7 Wonders of the world!
Still, that day, we met at the hotel pool bar to have drinks. I became friend specially with one of them, Sun, a Syrian man with a big hope to make the world a better place.
These days in Siem Reap were easy. They tasted like holiday.
There is a difference between traveling and holidays. The first requires an adventurous spirit, an immersion in the local life, a deeper exploration in the culture and traditions… a part of me stays with the place. I bring the place with me in memories and lessons that I carry all my life.
Holidays, on the other hand, are about enjoying life, living lightly and be mostly within a bubble. Such vital bubble that allows me to appreciate the pleasure of doing nothing and enjoy the place as it shows and nothing else.
Like a summer love, that makes me feel a passion that I want it to last forever. Yet, I know before it starts there will be an end.
Cambodia, dear Cambodia, I traveled with you and you traveled within myself.
We have exchanged love that we keep secretly inside.
You were a summer love,
You were no temporary place,
I ask your permission to take you with me
Because I know it is not the end.
Cambodia, July 2017
Patricia Assis
