Waking up to a reasonably cool 35 centigrade morning, after a non air conditioned night, provides a short respite in the blazing inferno that is northern Cambodia in spring. After loading up a tuk-tuk, pre-arranged the night before, with gallons of water, it was finally time to dive into the drying jungle to witness one of the truest marvels of past human civilizations. As the sun rose ever higher over the morning, I could already feel the first beads of sweat being tried to my temples by the motorway breeze.

Impressive and astounding. Not purely in terms of design and history, but by the sheer vastness of temples spread out in every direction for kilometres and kilometres. Angkor Wat is definitely on of those places which will stick in my mind for the entirety of my ever decreasing life.

However this vastness is also an ally of the enemy, working in cahoots with the satanic heat of Cambodia. After spending only a few hours in the ever-rising temperatures, sneaking in shadows as much as possible and consuming wild amounts of hydrogen dioxide, I was beyond exhausted. Dry as a church organ. Done.

Luckily Siem Reap, the city in-boom by the tourist flows in-and-out of Angkor Wat, provides some less gigantic distractions for a vary traveller. Quiet temples and cemeteries, the sounds and sights of craftsmen and women, fishing and picnics by the river, the good life.

My stop in Cambodia was very short indeed, and on purpose. From the stories I gathered from fellow travellers along the route, the country seems to be full of hidden jewels worthy of a trip more dedicated to this corner of Southeast Asia. Now however, my mind was fixated on escaping the scalding inland temperatures for some soothing sea breezes on tropical islands. Time to take on Thailand.

-Markus