As I write this I am lying on the bed in my guesthouse victim to the infamous Cambodian stomach bug. The last 24 hours have been absolute hell, both on me and my roommate (poor girl). I have a sneaking suspicion that my 25 cent roadside iced coffee is the culprit. However, this experience was inevitable and here's to hoping that I now have the immunity 10x that of any Canadian!
Update: This was the result of that lovely stomach bug! I'm much better now though.
Cambodians are known for eating crazy food, possibly borderline disgusting, but I feel like if I'm going to be in Cambodia, why not live like a Cambodian? This includes eating their crazy foods! Scientists thing that consuming bugs is the way of the future for most developing countries. Many of them are loaded with the proteins that people are currently unable to obtain. The Khmer are one step ahead of everyone else. They've been consuming bugs forever, and I decided to join in the fun the other night.
As soon as I saw this woman selling the largest spread of bugs I'd ever seen, I knew I had to try something. Unfortunately, I didn't have the guts (no pun intended) to take a bite out of cicada, so I settled for a small bag of chili flavored crickets. I was absolutely terrified to take my first bite. I had no idea what to expect, but they turned out to be delicious! I also ate a fish eye, which unfortunately was not documented.
Cambodia is a very religious country, with over 95% of the population following Theravada Buddhism. Wats and monks greet you on every corner, making a stroll through any city, town, or village an extremely peaceful experience. Yesterday I visited Wat Ounalom, which is the center for Cambodian Buddhism.
As we wandered through the grounds we noticed a small stupa nestled behind a fence. Upon approaching, an extremely old Khmer man ran over and said he'd open the temple for us. Unbeknownst to me this stupa housed an eyebrow hair of Buddha, making it a very religious place. The monk proceeded to bless us, which left me with an oddly calm feeling as we left.
Also for one more smile-inducing photo before I'm done my rambles, here's the most adorable shopkeeper I've ever seen. I've bought three shirts from her thus far because she's so cute and will probably be back to buy more. Grandma looks great too.
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