So I am in Siem Reap, the province of Ankor Wat and the thousands of acres of temples and fortresses that are Cambodia's pride and joy.

I have plenty of pictures that I will 7upload when I get back to Phnom Penh but they aren't why I am here. Frankly, I came to see a friend, Nop Kong (Surname = Nop, given name = Kong) who was introduced to me as a guide/driver to the ruins by my American friend Reese. Kong is just an honestly sincere guy who besides making money cares about the folks he guides and drives.

We met briefly last year when I was up here with my housemate Tashi and her husband Matias. He was most gracious and helped me out quite a bit when I lost my plane ticket.

I will post more about him and his hosting this time when I get back home cuz frankly, the story won't be worth anything without the pictures. But let me deviate from our course momentarily and share what happened when I got here.

Siem Reap is the ultimate tourist town. The entire downtown area is dominated by Pub Street (a reminder that khmer don't drink in public bars.. they drink with friends at home.) and by the attendant tourist traps of restaurants, internet cafes, travel agencies that will arrange just about anything for you and massage parlors that will arrange the rest.

I'm out last night walking around the town at a time that will allow me to see what's here without constantly being approached by men inquring whether I need, "Tuk-tuk, mototaxi, nice massage and nice lady." Or so I thought. I was walking down a darkened street after hours when a 40 something lady approached me wondering whether I wanted a massage. Then she said, "May you can boom boom," raising her hand to about waist level. You can imagine what she meant. I'm known for my quick templer, and it was all I could do to contain myself while I was deciding how I cuold get her up to the fourth floor of the building she indicated and throw her off the roof.

Contain myself I did, long enough to take my shoes off and dust them. (Latter-day Saints and Christians will know what I'm referring to... mind I was not calling on Divinity towitness my action, just my own soul and hers.) She didn't know what I meant, thank God. But I could not think of any other way to express myself. When men approach me with the first phrase in the paragraph above, I have learned enough Khmer to say, "Every Khmer woman is your sister. I am not doing that to your sister." while letting the speaker both hear the thunder and see the lightning. This time, Goddess forbid I was speechless......