Bangkok, Thailand/Siem Reap, Cambodia

So, I was able to go to another trip!!! I went for 5 days to Bangkok, Thailand and Siem Reap, Cambodia. I only had 5 days for the Korean holiday Chuseok (like their version of Thanksgiving). I went with one of my great friends, Jane. We flew into Bangkok but only had 1 day to spend there so we only had enough time to do a few things. We went to a temple to see a 'reclining Buddha.' it was sooooooooooooooo big. i could not believe it. Then we went to the 'floating market'. i am very glad i was able to go there but it was a little disappointing. i thought it would be all locals selling fruit and vegetables and such. Unfortunately, it has just turned into a big tourist trap, full of people selling the same souvenirs they sell everywhere in Thailand. i did find some nice things to buy though and we were able to buy some fruit, mango seed which is very good. Then we went to the 'Tiger temple' where i was albe to pet a tiger!! it was also a little bit disappointing because i was only able to sit behind the tiger and pet it from behind. it was great that the volunteers there took my camera and took pictures for me, but they would take me to a tiger, take a picture and then take me to the next tiger. i was able to pet about 7 different tigers but only for about 5 seconds each. but i guess that is all i could expect to do with a wild animal. i am still happy i was able to do it.

The next day we got on a bus to Cambodia. The country side was beautiful. We got there just in time for dinner. Siem Reap is a city full of nothing but hotels and restaurants. It exists only for tourists. There was a small street called Pub Street full of only about 20 restaurants. Across the street was a section where locals would set up outdoor restaurants every day. We ate their twice. The food was amazing. We tried the BBQ and I tried Amok, the Cambodian version of curry. We went to dinner with a Cambodian guy, Sarath. A friend of ours had gone to Cambodia last year and had met this guy. He was very helpful to her and so she had sent a gift for him. When we met him to give him the gift, he was the most gracious and thoughtful person I have ever met. Every time we turned around he had bought us waters, or fruit, or something to drink. We kept trying to insist to him that he did not need to do this but he insisted. The next day we went to Angkor Wat. It was amazing and beautiful. The pictures speak for themselves. We went to dinner again but this time, there was a group of orphaned boys break dancing in the street trying to raise money. I wanted to take them all home with me. Our last day Sarath took us to a floating city. It was amazing. We stopped to play with some local children. I had so much fun spinning them in circles and making them jump. Again, I wanted to take them all home with me. I could have stayed there all day. After that, Sarath took us to a real Cambodian home in the country side. It was just a shack, and yet they fed us. They had boiled rice and soybean inside a banana leaf and we ate it with sugar. It was so simple but so good. We had to leave the next day and I was so sad to go. I could see myself staying there and working with kids for a while. (other than the unbearable hot weather)

Mud Festival

Every year a city in Koera, Boreyon, has a festival called The Mud Festival. Think the show "Wipe Out" but with all mud. We got painted with colored mud, and did a few blow up obstical courses. All good fun. But i need to remember sun screen next time!

Raining cats and dogs

So only in Asia would you find a cafe full of either cats or dogs. But, they are here in Korea! I have been told they have them in Japan also. Both cafes my friends and I stumbled upon, but we had a ton of fun in each. I think they can exist here because the cities are so crowded, and the apartments are so small that most people don't have room for a pet. So, there are cafe's where you can play with one instead.

I went paragliding!! it is just like parachuting but instead of jumping out of a plane, you run off the end of a hill. And instead of falling, you just float all the way down. It took about 5 to 10 minutes to get to the bottom. You go tandem, so the trainer glides you around. it was a lot of fun.

Picnic!

In Korea, the school year starts in March (not September). So my schedule changed and I was given new classes. One of my new classes, and my new favorite, is KG5 (4 year olds). They are so cute. The parents are all really sweet. Last week we went to the park for a picnic. We played games, played with bubbles and ate.