Bali

Yesterday was a Wat day. Temples, temples, temples. It's incredible to think about how magnificent these things would have been in their heyday. This morning we watched sunrise over Angor Wat at 5:30am. The area is still so untouched and everything is very accessible for walking, touching, and truly experiencing. I can imagine that shortly it won't be that way anymore.

We took some time to get to know Bali a bit better as well. He's 31, which means he was born right during the beginning of the Pol Pot regime and genocide. I asked about a large scar he has behind his left ear. When he was 3 he was working in one of the slave labor camps established in the countryside, cleaning up after the cows. He apparently wasn't working hard enough (at THREE) and was cut with a knife as punishment. Just imagining it brought me to tears. It helped to shed some light on why everyone is so happy and friendly despite the conditions they live in now. Freedom will do a lot for your spirit. He has 4 younger siblings and his mom tells them about how during the 70s and early 80s they were emaciated and fortunate enough to make it through. Now Bali is saving up $4000 so he can get married. I think he has his lady picked out, but apparently a wedding is a huge affair here (keep in mind that he probably earns $10 on an average day) so he needs a lot of money. He sends $150 each month to his mother who lives in Phnom Penh (the capital city) with the rest of his siblings. He moved here in order to work 3 years ago. Tourism in Siem Reap is really the strongest industry in the country at this point, so I think it's a good job for him despite his hard work.

As promised, I treated David an Em to a fancy honeymoon dinner last night. We went to this beautiful restaurant with immaculate, modern decoration. In the US I'd expect $25 entrees. We had drinks and dessert as well and for 5 people it was a whopping $45. We could live like kings here!