A bit of reading practice for those interested in Angkor Wat (Feel free to comment if you have a question about any of the vocab or grammar I've used here). Last month I finally made it to Siem Reap in Cambodia: the launch point for visits to the ancient ruins at Angkor Wat. The trip was a part of my yearly commitment to visiting a new place on the globe around my birthday, in which I try to break out of my comfort zone and explore places I have always thought of visiting. It's something I highly recommend that everybody try to do. For those of you unfamiliar with Angkor Wat, it is one temple within a large series of ancient religious temples and statues. Some are Hindu. Some are Buddhist. And some have been both at one point or another. All are breathtaking, but Angkor Wat is the "jewel in the crown," so to speak. I saw it like most do -- I went early in the morning to watch the sun rise over the temple, after which I went in and explored, climbed, photographed, sat in silent awe, and vowed to return again. The photo I've uploaded here is one I took of Angkor Wat at sunrise. In fact, there were about 150 other people there, but if you get close to the pond, they all disappear, and it's just you and this amazing view. If you are traveling to Asia, be sure to put Siem Reap on your itinerary. If you are already living in Asia, I urge you to make a vow to visit Angkor Wat this year. Why the urgency? Because there are more and more package tourists flooding there every year, mostly from Asia. And from what I saw, they litter, pick at the ruins, touch things they aren't supposed to, and make an enormous amount of noise. At present, if you go early in the morning or the late afternoon, the ruins can be relatively quiet, and you can "feel" them. But that will all disappear with a few more years of growth of package tourism to the area. In fact, if it were up to me, I wouldn't allow any group tours in there. I would say that if you want to go, you should find your own way in small, unobtrusive groups. So get there fast while it still is amazing!