The day after arriving in Phnom Penh, Erin's mother Maggie arrived from Colorado. As a highly qualified traveller, she provided some much needed veteran leadership. The main attractions in PP are a prison and the killing fields, memorials dedicated to some of the 3 million people killed here in the late 70's under the rule of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. The country was torn to shreds about 35 years ago and only stabilized in the early 90's. Maggie had visited SE Asia in the early 80's and for obvious reasons couldn't make it to Cambodia. While the US was focused on the war in Vietnam, the Khmer Rouge flew under the radar of global attention. Several of the drivers we met shared their first hand experience of the attrocities. It really shows how futile our differences are in the US and how appreciative I am to live in a stable society. It's amazing how positive the people of Cambodia are despite the turmoil, especially knowing how defensive reactionary Americans get when people encroach on their "freedom". But, let's not get too far down that road, there is a lot to learn about national identity here and I'd be happy to talk about it in person if you care to ask.
Next stop, Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat! This is also where we met with Nick again. We hired a tuk-tuk to pick us up at 5:30am and take us to the famous temples for sunrise. It was pretty cool seeing Angkor Wat for the first time silhouetted by the dawn from across the surrounding moat. We took our time exploring the fine details of the temple which was built in the 9th century. While the area is known for, and referred to as Angkor Wat, there are actually more than 20 ancient temples and monuments to explore. So many in fact that we hired our driver for a second day of exploring. Each site is unique and it is definitely worthwhile to see all you can.
However, Maggie had only 2 weeks in Cambodia and Nick was flying to Laos in 2 days. So we booked a bus to the sleepy town of Battambang the following day to see what the countryside is like. We arrived in the early afternoon and were soon on our way to the Bamboo Train; A dilapidated old train track that was now only ridden on rudimentary bamboo platforms powered by a 6hp engine. If you met another cart driving in the opposite direction, the vehicle with less passengers got up and removed their cart from the track, allowing the others to pass. While the ride was scenic, it was also pretty rough. Later, our driver took us to several other landmarks including a bat cave that is home to 3 million bats. After breaking down twice, we reached the mouth of the cave as the sun was setting and watched for a while as the bats funneled out. Our driver Chin-Chin said it takes up to an hour and a half to empty. That's all I've got to say about that.
Our next stop will be one of the most memorable of the trips, there are a lot of details that made it an interesting stop, but I only have time for the most important ones, and even those will take me a while to explain. A day after Nick left for Laos, the three of us moved to Kampong Chhnang. Being a very small town there was only one tuk-tuk driver that greeted us when we got of the bus (and us being the only people that got off in town). He drove us to a hotel and planned to pick us up the following morning for a tour of the pottery villages the province is known for. That evening, we walked around finding the market and dinner. Our driver, Chamrong, passed us several times making sure we didn't need a lift anywhere. He was unassuming and was really helpful even when we wanted to walk. 
The following morning he took us to the river where a woman paddled us around in her tiny boat. For 2 hours we weaved in and out of houses, fisheries, churches and businesses all of which were floating on the Tonle Sap river (the only river in the world that flows in both directions!(check out Wikipedia for an explanation)). Then Chamrong told us we would head to the pottery village. Along the way he stopped, turned around and asked, here is a place where they make very strong pottery (in perfect English) would you like to stop? Of course we did, and were surprised to find a group of young men working the kiln. They were the only place around that glazed their pottery, they showed us the entire process using our driver as a translator. That place was incredible and I took the opportunity to finally buy the perfect coffee mug, something I've been waiting to do for some time. Next we stopped at several other homes. The village makes a majority of it's dry season income on pottery, during the wet season everybody is in the rice fields. So, under each house, all built on stilts, families produce specialized products. One family makes jars, others make pots, stoves and much more, all made by hand before being fired and sold around the country. One place we stopped happened to be the home of one of Chamrong's friend. The whole family was hanging out having lunch and they were happy to share some with us. 
As we relaxed under their house I asked Chamrong where he learned to speak English so well. He explained that when he was six he followed his mother to the Thai border to escape the Khmer Rouge. For 10 years Chamrong lived in resistance camps in the jungle. There, he taught himself English and Thai. When he returned to his home he was reunited with his 3 siblings that hadn't escaped. A few years later he began working as a driver. While we ate, he also ate, but did so quickly by himself. Although he was now about 40 he was unable to break that habit he developed living in fear for so long. He shared his story so matter-of-factly that it made me realize it was not unusual for middle aged people of Cambodia.
After that heavy discussion we walked across the street to a house where the family collected palm sugar and reduced it to a gooey, gritty, molasses that tastes like caramel. Chamrong dressed us up in traditional garb and showed me how to collect the sap. Finally, it was back to our guesthouse. Chamrong told us where to go for the best sunset. Out on a dirt road, past the Methodist church, we watched the sun set before heading to town for dinner. Chamrong passed us once again and stopped to chat. I asked where he lived and he told us we were close. He invited us to come see his home. We were welcomed onto his porch by his entire family where we all sat while his daughter cut up some mangos from their front yard. The darkness set in as Chamrong elaborated on national moral and the unstable history of Cambodia. We sat for over an hour before he gave us a lift to a friends restaurant. We thanked him again and really tried to communicate our gratitude; nicest guy in Cambodia. 
The following morning we had to catch a bus to get to the coast, a ride that will live in infamy. The connector bus would take us the first 2 hours, unfortunately it was 100 degrees, the air conditioning wasn't working, there were no windows, and the bus was over booked. Didn't really surprise me, but I did sweat through all my clothes. After a second, cooler bus ride we were at the coast. The following day we would catch a boat to the island of Koh Rong. Turned out to be pretty beautiful. The island had just a few bunglows and guesthouses. There was locals cooking up cheap food and our end of the beach was hardly touched. Easily the best beach location of the trip. We took a boat out to do some fishing. We used nothing but fishing line, water bottles for reels and bolts for a weight. Plus our driver grilled all we caught while the sun set behind the island. Otherwise we relaxed, read, played cards, napped in the hammocks, drank Klang and swam. Pretty great lifestyle even for 3 days. 
Next was Kampot. A small river town that has a laid back vibe. We spent our only day exploring the countryside, some caves and a pepper plantation. We ended the day by hanging out by the river in huts and hammocks frequented by locals. We got some durian and swam in the cool water. Then seafood dinner on the river.
Now we are back in Phnom Penh. Maggie flies home tomorrow and Erin and I head north to soak in the Mekong once again. Then Vietnam next week! This post got pretty lenghthy, but there are some very memorable details that have made Cambodia one of the most enjoyable places to visit. 
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