An exotic day

Over at Another Freaking Scrappy Challenge, it is sketch day! Hooray - I love a good sketch and this one is good, seriously!!
How interesting is that sketch?? And a theme to go with is as a bonus. Makes me have to think (scary!!). We are challenging you to scrap something exotic for this sketch - it can be an animal at the zoo, a dancer, a food item, a location, a photo or souvenir from a trip - how about exotic you!!! You can make a card, a layout or an altered (off the page) item. If you can't think of something exotic - just play along anyway!!

So here is my little effort. I wish I had some richer papers for the back ground but I couldn't find the ones I wanted -isn't that always the way- or is that just me?? So I made do with some lovely Jillibean cardstock and lots of sparkles.

This is from our first overseas holiday at the end of 2007. We spent a few days in Cambodia, with the highlight being Angkor Wat. Photos do not do this place justice. It is enormous and the carvings so clear. It was built over 1000 (!!!) years ago and there are many, many other smaller temples in the surrounding countryside. One of the older temples was once covered in polished brass, others, including Angkor Wat had intricate river systems around them. We were there during the dry season, incredibly humid still but no rain. I would love to have seen these places when they were new and had vibrant communities working within them.

Sadly Cambodia is still a very down trodden country. The poverty is overwhelming and getting your children educated is still an expense that many cannot afford and so the poverty cycle continues. Many rely on begging esp away from the main towns. Siem Reap (the main town near the temples, is being run by foreigners. We stayed in one a the very few locally owned hotels (Palm Village) and the large chains are changing the face of the town. We found Laos, although reported to be more poverty stricken, to be a much more hopeful country. The children are being educated and the locals are learning from the foreigners and applying it for the betterment of there communities.

If you are ever in SE Asia, make the effort to see Angkor Wat - you will not be disappointed.

OK, travel thoughts aside, pop over to the challenge site and check out the absolutely amazing DT offerings this week. Stunning!!! Can't wait to see what you come up with for this challenge.

On a quick note, for those of you interested, Matt has stared to blog about his trip - no photos up yet, just some impressions of Moscow,

Tales of a Geographically Challenged Teenager

a more appropriate blog name I have never seen. He has successfully made his way through to Latvia and is now spending a few days in Lithuania (the coach he arrived on had electrical outlets, wifi and a coffee machine, sounds better than the odd hotel we have had..). I am loving skype and I suspect it decreases significantly any feeling of home sickness Matt may feel.

My beloved AFL football team is playing tonight, sudden death finals from now on. I wish I was feeling more confident but we shall see.

have a good one. xx