Subject: # 2

 

Dear family and friends

we are 3 days in the Kingdom of Cambodia- small, poor country of 14 mil. Khmer people sqeezed in between 2 powerful neibours Thailand and Vietnam, part of Indochina, used to be a powerful Khmer Empire  around 9- 14 centuries,

 

we are in town  Siem Reap-ancient capital of Khmer Empire which  has  a buddist  temple Angkor Wat- mother of all  temples,  the largest religious structure in the world, famous  for more than 3 000 carved heavinly nymphs into the walls and it is matched to by few spots on Earth such as Maccu Piccu and Taj Mahal according to Lonely Planet Travel Publication [i have seen both of them on my World Tour],

 

it is  about 90-97 F, humidity 100 %, we are walking and climbing very high steps  of temples, so we have great work out and sweat out !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

we had  a boat trip to floating village, people move  their boat house according to the level of water, our tour guide told us  horrible stories  of  wars in the past 30 years, children hardly walk but already running after tourists ,selling something , asking for a dollar, it is heart breaking,  impossible to give to everybody, our group consists of 7 Americans and we talk how lucky we are and our children and our grandchildren,

 

one can see influence of French colonial style, by the way Thai people are very proud that Thailand [Siam ] was never colonized like  neighbors- Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam,

 

some interesting facts about Cambodia:

life expectancy -57,4 years

number of tourists  1 million per year and growing, it is a hot spot now,

number of monks -59 470

number of psychiatrists  -20 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

we also went to a Shool of Fine Arts which is sponsored by Swiss and saw deaf students, painting, cacving and sculpting, we had a tour of a very primitive silk factory but they produce very beautiful silk,

 

so, next is The Socialist Republic of Vietnam,

 

love to all.