"I PROMISE I WILL FINISH SCHOOL,"

SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA

Temperature: 28 degrees celsius (aka cold)

Track of the day: "Let it Be", Beatles

"The air is thick this morning," Alecs says while we wait in the hotel lobby for Rattana to arrive, "and it's really humid too." A calm silence fills the muggy morning air, a dog howls in the distance and we can hear the faint sound of motorbikes beginning to fill the streets. "I think he's here," I say to Alecs hearing the familiar sound of Rattana's bike coming down the narrow alley. Sure enough he pulls around the corner and we both jump from our seats to greet him. "It looks like it might rain," Rattana says, pointing to some dark clouds in the distance, "but hopefully not." Taking our usual seats in the back of the tuk-tuk we settle in for a long ride through the country to the temple of Beng Mealea. Just as we pass the busy market on the outskirts of the city we begin feeling drops of rain hit our faces. A motorbike passes us 

by where a sedated big lies upside down, hogtied behind the driver. Th

e sky becomes almost black and within moments rain pours down in buckets. "Do you want to turn back?" Rattana shouts through the sound of rain pounding against the pavement. "It's up to you, I can keep going if you can," Alecs yells. We all cover ourselves in ponchos and continue pressing onwards hoping the weather will clear up sooner rather than later. Sooner never comes and although it seems impossible it begins to pour ever harder. "This isn't fair to Rattana," I say to Alecs looking at him squinting through his helmet, the sideways rain hitting him in the face. Alecs nods his head, signals for Rattana to pull over and asks him to turn back. We treat Rattana to breakfast at one of our favorite places, a quaint community oriented restaurant serving vegetarian/seafood meals for very reasonable prices. The rain pours off the roof and we

 struggle to hear each other but still manage to have a great conversation about politics. It seems that like so many other developing countries that although Cambodia is democratic the peoples votes do not seem to matter. "It doesn't matter if we vote or not," Rattana tells us, "the people of Cambodia have no power." On our way back to the hotel Alecs and I both discus how we both take our freedom for granted and it only takes listening to the struggles of someone who doesn't have that freedom to fully understand it. "I want to take you to Baray for sunset tonight if it stops raining," Rattana says before dropping us off. "That sounds great," I say rubbing my ear which has been getting progressively more and more sore for the last couple days. "I think I need to see a doctor," I tell Alecs, trying to open my jaw after Rattana leaves, "I can barely talk because my ear infection is now affecting my mouth." Alecs of course becomes very concerned and we head straight to Good Na 

Restaurant to ask about doctor recommendations. Ate Cathy advises us to call Dr. Jun who will come to the restaurant to do a check-up that will only cost $10. Sure enough the doctor agrees to see me and prescribes a new set of drugs advising me that I have an inner ear infection. You gotta love having connections with people who will take care of you. Shortly after my check-up, Rattana picks us up and we head out to Baray. Baray (more commonly referred to as West Baray) is outside the Angkor Wat complex where the Mebon temple, or what's left of it stands.  The three of us hire a boat to take us to the island which is supposed to have wonderful views of sunset over the reservoir. Upon arriving swarms of children form a pack around us trying to sell their handicrafts. Alecs and I both tense up, not making eye contact and trying to ignore them, but after Rattana tells us sunset is still an hour away we decide to make friends. These kids, mostly girls are the 

friendliest vendors we've encountered yet and although Alecs can only speak one or two Khmer words he tries convincing them he is Cambodian. "You can't be Khmer," one of the girls says, "you don't speak it." Alecs smiles and tell them his mother dropped him on his head and he can only remember English. "You look Cambodian, but you don't speak so you cannot be," she says giggling and smiling. The children are all fascinated with Alecs who entertains them to no end. We walk around the small island as the sun dips in the sky and the beginning shades of red start seeping into the clouds. A large group of European tourists arrive on the island and all but one of the children leaves our side. "Why don't you go sell to the prang (foreigners)," Alecs says to his new friend. "Because I'm going to stay with you. she says smiling" Rattana tours us around the ruins telling us it's entire history, and by entire history I mean every possible detail you could think of. "Should we break our rule?" I whisper to Alecs as the sun falls behind the clouds, "and buy some postcards from her?" Many of the children selling goods at Angkor Wat do not attend school and for that reason we never buy from children as it encourages their parents not to enroll them in classes. However, this 14 year old girl says she attends school during the day but comes here at night to help her family out. "What classes are you taking?" Alecs questions her, "what exactly are you learning?." He asks her where her school is, how far away it is, how she gets there, what her favorite 

subjects are and when he's finally convinced she attends school and plans to continue her education he asks her to make him a promise. "You have to promise me," Alecs says looking directly at her, "that when I come back here in ten years you won't be here, you can be whatever you want to be if you go through with your education," he tells her. "I promise," she says, looking deep into Alecs' eyes, "I promise I will finish school." With that, Alecs and I break our rule and buy some postcards. "You remind me of my cousin Jhoy," Alecs says as we board our boat, "good luck and stay in school," he shouts as we leave the island. Cambodia and it's people have a long way to go, but Lonely Planet describes it as the 'comeback kid of the century' and I think we'd both have to agree.

Tomorrow we will again attempt to visit Beng Mealea, weather permitting of course.

So long for now,

Alecs and Meg in Siem Reap

Photos are taking FOREVER to upload so hopefully tomorrow's connection will be better and we will post them.