Cambodia was an incredible place to visit. Its a developing nation in every way and I couldn't be more impressed with the people and the sights. For being as corrupt at the top as I'm told it is, the people just seem happy to be living without genocide and civil war and go out of their way to welcome you. Even the littlest things like random people just saying hello as you pass by distinguish the place. Additionally, they jus have such character in personality and looks. Some of the women would be drop dead beautiful models if they weren't all about 5 feet tall. I'm glad I made it when I did because this place will be discovered (and ruined I suspect) very soon, and already has shown signs of this eventual discovery since they are building hotels like crazy in Siem Reap - so I suggest everyone book tickets asap... All in all a great visit though.
So I arrived in Bangkok from Siem Reap and just getting to the city isn't without its own set of adventures. Finding cabs was hard enough, but the one I wound up in turned out to be some strange relay where one guy passes me on to his buddy in a fully tinted volvo who then drove me to the side of the highway to pass me off to his buddy in a celica to take me to the hotel. Sketchy as best... And after being out way too late last night watching the Champions League finals at a bar in town I'm in bad shape to handle it. The celica driver is just some dude as it turns out looking to make a buck through this relay system and has no clue about anything or where the hotel is so we sit in traffic in Bangkok for about an hour before he finds out where he's meant to take me and I finally made it. It was worth the wait... staying at the Mandarin Oriental here, which could possibly be the nicest hotel I've ever stayed at. You don't check in in the lobby, you're escorted to your room where you check in at your desk with a personal receptionist. I have a butler. When I went to the gym, they all knew my name and I just arrived. It's over the top, and because of the ML corporate rate I'm paying the same amount I paid to stay at the Hilton in Ithaca a couple months ago... One other feature that is minor is the fact I have a scale in the bathroom which confirmed my suspicion that I've lost a ton of weight here, 10 lbs officially. Not because I haven't enjoyed the food either, just you only eat 3 times a day and everything is just fresh and healthy and you get only enough to make you not hungry anymore, not to fill you up. Just interesting, I thought. Time to see what this town has to offer now, I'm expecting madness given what I've heard.
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