I knew we were taking a risk when I decided it would be a good idea to use an app to apply for the Cambodia E-Visa on arrival. Reading the reviews it sounded very straight forward and helpful. It should work, right? Like it did for all those other people?

Unfortunately, our experience was the part where you pay the entry fee twice because we were never granted a visa on arrival through the app as our status was stuck in a state of pending approval, despite following the instructions, completing online forms, submitting payments and receiving a confirmation email. We were two of the last people from our plane to get through customs and the tuk-tuk driver waiting for us from the hotel thought we were lost somewhere. Mr. Yo Hen was a fantastic driver. We travelled with him several more times to see the temples of Angkor and Siem Reap country side.

The whole country looked like it was on fire when the plane was landing. Later we experienced the smokey, red dust garbage-burning air of Cambodia during a dry season going into a drought. Despite the awkward bumpy beginning and very hazy atmosphere I think we ended up loving Cambodia and would love to be back during the rainy season just to see how different the country looks.

Every evening the sky had a beautiful hazy red glow that reminded me of some post-apocalyptic alternate universe where it's also very hot. It's the kind of air you can chew on, cough up and spit out.

It made my eyes burn.

We attended a shadow puppet play and watched traditional dance performed by deaf children at La Noria Restaurant. They did a wonderful job!

One afternoon we borrowed bicycles from the hotel and rode down to visit the Artisans of Angkor. It’s a workshop, studio space and art school located close to the market in Siem Reap. They’ve trained and employed more than 1,300 artists and work from traditional Khmer arts and craft techniques with designs found at various temple sites. Also, the artists have worked on major commissions for large hotels, the international airport and to replace some of the statuary that has been removed illegally from temple sites during Cambodia’s turbulent history. There are several rural studios located throughout Cambodia so the artists trained at Artisans of Angkor are able to go back and work in their villages.

Traditional silk painting at the table while the woman working on the floor prepares a new canvas.

Traditional Khmer techniques are used for carving stones.

A picture from the wood shop. The artists are working to shape and carve statues that will be for sale in the gift shop or other Artisans of Angkor stores around Cambodia.

This is the kind of place I want to come back to with an extra suit case and fill up with gifts for people because the work they’re doing in the studio is beautiful and very well made. You can read more about the program’s history and success here.

We had a wonderful stay at Motherhome Inn and one of the staff, Mr. Jan (aka Mr. Bond) quickly became a new travel friend. He was super helpful arranging transportation and the Vietnam Visas for us. He also patiently answered all of my questions. We ended up meeting him with his friends one night and had the opportunity to learn more about what it's like for him and his family living in Siem Reap. Mr. Bond said he goes to the same bar with his friends, every night not far from his house. In addition to working full-time at the hotel he's in school studying the law to become a cop.

Mr. Bond is the best! When I forgot my purse at the hotel he arranged for it to be delivered to us in Battambang. I think he also let Ryan win a game of snooker this night.

Traveling in Indonesia and now Southeast Asia has made a strong impression of how fortunate I am to have been born in America and into an economy that allows Ryan and I to save money and travel. There are entire nations who will likely never afford the cost of one plane ticket, let alone visa fees and room and board for extended travel away from home. Like Bali, the people of Cambodia on average earn $5 a day. Mr. Bond's family rents an apartment and he became the head of the household at age 14 when he started working as he was earning more than his Dad. His family was very poor, despite being a family of four and him and his father working. Things are better now but they still struggle. Mr. Bond has loans to pay for school, which sounds similar to us but I don't think he will have the same earning opportunities afforded to us as college graduates in America.

Cambodia is a place of juxtapositions with children sitting in the back of hacked together trailers, hitched to hacked together motorbikes, streaming music on their smartphones, white earbuds showing beneath the layers of dusty work clothes. Most people in Cambodia work on farms and Cambodia is also a place with one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world. But who am I to judge people trying to make a living in a part of the world where you can work all day, doing manual labor for $5, or cut down a tree illegally and sell it for $15,000? A note here, I believe the people responsible for the deforestation of Cambodia are working on an enterprise level, not one guy with a chainsaw and motorbike. People say they just bulldoze trees into a pile and light them on fire because it's too expensive and time consuming to try and manage the tree removal more responsibly. And then they plant rubber trees or some other crops.

Speaking of food, one of the delicious restaurants we ate at in Siem Reap was called Butterflies Garden and it had a butterfly garden. They served the most delicious cold coconuts we've ever had. We went back several times because the food was awesome and they donate proceeds from the restaurant to support disadvantaged children and families.

One night during dinner at the restaurant I overheard a little girl, (the restaurant managers three year old daughter), singing The Wheels on the Bus, in English on a tablet device. I asked him about it because it was so interesting to think my nieces on the other side of the world could be doing the exact same thing. He said she goes to preschool and has homework every night and he helps her practice English. She even has writing assignments. I wonder what Cambodia will be like for her when she's older and what her choices will be.

Ryan and I spent some time sketching and painting that morning. A crowd of young children who live nearby patiently watched as we worked.

Detail from one of the corridors inside Angkor Wat.

Oh yeah, the Temples of Angkor Wat. When you go to Cambodia consider giving yourself a couple days to tour the largest religious site in the world, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I recommend hiring a guide too because they will tell great stories and give you a chance to learn more about Cambodia as well as the temple.

Mr. Ra was our guide and he trained as a monk for 16 years, starting at the age of 14 before leaving and becoming a tour guide. He showed us pictures of himself on his tablet as proof. I sort of cared less about the old stones and was more interested to hear stories and learn from someone who has called Siem Reap home his entire life. (Cambodia has a pretty awful, violent history that’s not that old.) Mr. Ra has never been to Thailand or Vietnam and he doesn’t care to go there even though he speaks their languages. He told us a great story that Vietnamese want to work in Cambodia. Cambodians want to work in Thailand. The Thais want to work in Singapore and the people of Singapore want to work in America. (Note here, our tuk-tuk driver in Phnom Penh said he and his wife were leaving Cambodia during the slow season to go work in Thailand, but would be back again during the high season.)

He pointed out the differences between the bullet holes on the sides of the columns and the elephant holes made for towing the large sandstone blocks into place. He gave us the option of selecting which gate we wanted to enter the temple through as there are five to choose from, one for each different class of people. Naturally I choose the peasant door, also used by elephants. Although the temples were designed to segment visitors by status, all were welcome here; it’s not like the poor people couldn’t visit. They just weren’t welcome to party up in the high towers with the religious elite. Who wants to climb all those stairs anyway? It gets hot in Cambodia!

Ryan climbed to the top of Baphuon Temple to take this image. I was too hot and lazy to follow him up there.

Here's an example of some of the sculpture the Artisans of Angkor are working to replace around the Angkor Wat complex.

A corridor in Preah Khan Temple (Sacred Sword). This was one of our favorite temples to explore along with Banteay Srei.

Outside the Preah Khan Temple. I could just imagine how different this place must look during the wet season.

Another image outside Preah Khan Temple. It's amazing how the trees just take over the temple sites.

More trees crushing doorways at Preah Khan.

Banteay Srei, "Citadel of the Women" is said to have been built by women as the carvings are too fine and elaborate for the hand of a man.

One of the 216 faces to be seen at the Bayon Temple.

Detail from the Terrace of the Leper King at Angkor Thom.

A note about the elephants working in the Temple complex.

Beyond Mr. Yo Hen's blurry helmet are two of the elephants who work at Angkor Wat. Notice how the last elephant's rib cage is a lot more compressed compared to the elephant walking in front.

If you want to help elephants, please don’t ride them. Elephants are not meant to carry people in platforms on their rib cages. It’s bad for the elephants and promotes tourism that profits from suffering animals.

In fact here’s a story about an elephant who died of heat exhaustion at Angkor Wat last week.

These elephants belong in the forest and naturally spend most of their time eating and searching for food. Not walking up and down asphalt roads with no shade.

You know what’s great?

That place exists! In Cambodia! And you can read about it in our next post when Ryan describes what it’s like to spend time with elephants in the jungle. Next time!