Angkor Temples

For the past two and a half days, I have been exploring the Angkor Temples. They are very big and very impressive. There really is no good way to describe them; it would be best just to show pictures, but I think that will have to wait. Unfortunately, the pictures wont upload here. We had to hire a tuk-tuk driver to take us around the complex because the temples are huge and spread over various areas of the forest. The temples are worth seeing but the 600 year old trees growing on top of them make the experience something unique.

I have one more day of the temples here in Siem Reap then after that Ill stick around for one more day at the Floating Market. After that Ill head onto Sihanoukville before I head for Saigon, Vietnam.

Yesterday, I booked my ticket into Australia. I leave from Bali, Indonesia for Sydney, Australia on the 19th of December. It will get me there just in time for Christmas and New Year's. I heard both would be best to experience in Sydney. I am pretty eager to get there. Money is starting to get tight. I have about $3500 left for the next 3 months. I have more money in case I need it, so if I go over budget I am not in any real danger but my trip will be. I am really counting on getting a working visa in Australia before I get there. Ill begin my application for that soon.

My plans right now prior to getting into Australia, which I know have flipped back and forth a lot, are to go north through Vietnam and then fly to Kaula Lumpar, Malaysia and check that out. Then Ill head south into Singapore and from there hop on a plane or boat whichever is the cheapest to Borneo where Ill hang out with some orangutans. Then Ill slip on further down to Java and get my surf on for a bit before I head down under. That seems to be the best plan as of right now and I dont see much that will make me deviate from it.

The past few days have been pretty exhausting; Phnom Penh particularly. In my first taxi ride from my hotel I saw 3 monkeys playing on a telephone wire and guy just pull down his pants in the middle of a busy traffic circle and go to the bathroom. I also saw my first automatich weapon on the street. I saw a bunch of cops carrying them on several different occasions. It is a very busy, dirty but interesting place. Five days there was ample. So in Siem Reap I splurged for a nice room. It has a hot shower, fan, clean beds, and a TV. My first TV since Ive left Bangkok the first time.

Yesterday or the day before, I woke up and was able to catch game 3 of the Phillies/Brewers playoffs. The 9th inning was pretty exciting. It went from good to great to awful so quickly. Phillies' baseball right there.

But I can honestly say, Im not surprised that the Phillies' first National League Championship in 15 years, let alone a post season win, is coinciding with the US Financial Markets Crumpling. It makes total sense to me.

Besides that things are going well. . . . . . My beard is coming in kind of lopsided but no worries. The front part is coming in well. So it looks fine in pictures, but I look like a lunatic from my profile. It helps keeps the soliciting tuk-tuk drivers at bay. I think Ill just need a haircut soon.