Welcome to Cambodia

We left for Cambodia early on the morning of March 1st...very early.  The alarm went off at 4:30 am and our flight for Siem Reap, Cambodia took-off at 6:30 am.  I was worried about how Alex would respond to such an early departure.  As it turned-out he was quite happy to have a new adventure.  I was also curious to see if Alex would receive a similar celebrity-like reception from the people of Cambodia as he did in Thailand and Laos.  I would get my answer quickly.

The first thing we had to do upon arriving at Siem Reap's airport was to acquire a tourist visa.  We filled-out the forms, provided passport photos and paid the fees to the official behind the counter.  The passports were then passed down along an assembly line of about seven officials who each completed whatever task they were responsible for.  Then the last person would call the first name of the waiting tourist.   The process moved fairly quickly, although I did notice a few of them looking up at Alex with smiles on their faces.

First my name was called to collect my passport and then Thipp.  A few others were called and then the big moment came.  The passport official, who was quite an attractive young woman, looked at the passport, looked-out at Alex and happily called-out loudly "Alexander, Alexander!"  Alex responded with a big smile, showing-off his four teeth, and waved his arms excitedly.  Thipp and Alex collected his passport and stepped back.  Pleased with the reaction she got the passport official was not yet finished.  "Alexander, Alexander," she called again.  Alex smiled, flapped his arms, and unleashed a joyful squeal.  By now the whole row of officials were all watching and smiling.  Some of tourists behind us were also smiling, while others further back in the growing line were likely wondering what was taking so long.   For the moment, no one would be getting their passports back.