I flew from Kuala Lumpur to Siem Reap on the 14th, I was surprised at how developed the main strip of Siem Reap was, I felt like I was on Sunset Boulevard. It's easy to see that the world has caught on to Angkor Wat (damn Tomb Raider). I spent my first couple of days exploring the old city of Angkor, visiting the temples, buying/being chased by 8 and 9 year old Cambodian girls and boys selling everything from cold water, postcards and bracelets, to copies of the Lonely Planet and some random Cambodian travel novels. I've taken to traveling by moto instead of auto ricket and even when I got off the bus in Pnhom Penh with backpack and guitar in hand, I jumped on the back of a moto taxi and sailed away to my hotel. I think a moped may be my first purchase when I get back.
Cambodians have been amazing to me and almost all backpackers complement the happy attitude of Cambodians. They've had a crappy past 25 years for sure, but now they all have this cheerful, almost absent minded happiness to them. I mean, I saw a bus almost hit a girl riding a moto and instead of the bus driver muttering curses under his breath, they both kind of looked at eachother and smiled, like .. whoooa, that was a close one, but it happens, now go on your way .. The children are little pitbulls though, they love u, but if you buy from they're friend and not them, let me tell u, they get nasty .. especially the little girls, they run the show around here. The little girls. and yes, I have been punched by them .. but I still love them. (similar to how Marsha courted me) I think almost all children under 10 here are geniouses. Regardless of if you're wearing 10 bracelets on each arm, or have 30 postcards in your pack, they still manage to talk u into buying from them. And then, hours later, they somehow convince u to give them the bracelets back! I'm starting to understand more and more what my dad means when he say's I'm not "Furbu" (thats some serious Italian dialect, people)
Today, I visited Tuol Sleng (the S21 prison) and the killing fields in Pnhom Penh.
I head for Sihanoukville tomorrow to chill on the beach for a few days, then head to Bangkok to meet up with my buddy Matt Shara(!), who will arrive a few days later, on the 31st.
I was fooling around with the settings of my blog and figured out a way to update my blog by sending an email to a secret address. (yes, secret. I can't have guys like Mark Fabbroni updating my blog) So hopefully that means I'll be able to update more often. Also, I found that u can view stats of the blog, and I was amazed, I've had 3,550 views since I've started this blog! Imagine if I was funny!
okay, i'm off for some Cambodian Fish Amuk with Rice, which is brilliant!! I'm hitting the scales at 166 lbs now .. for those wondering, yes, that's my Dairy Queen weight. Oh .. Dairy Queen .. food .. hmm ..
Top Ten foods (and food requests :) for when I get back:

1) Mom's tomato sauce
2) Nanna's meat balls
3) Zia Laura's Christmas Lasagna
4) Marsha's moms Serpathal
5) Turkey with Cranberry Sauce
6) Beef Burrito from Burrito Boyz with the works
7) Spicy Peanut Chicken at Szechuan Szechuan
8) Pizza and Wings from the Pizza Company at Marco's
9) Sashimi Rainbow Roll from HoSu
10) Wendy's Bacon Mushroom Melt Value Meal

John, mouth completely watering now

disclaimer: (despite 3500 hits, John is not accepting any corporate sponsorship for the above Top Ten List... though he is listening)
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