A Bumpy Start

We were both sad to leave what had become a home away from at Hillside in Patong but we were also excited to head off to Siem Reap, Cambodia to see what was in store for us. The flights went smooth except for the bounce on the landing at the Siem Reap airport. It was quickly forgotten however as the reception that we received on the tarmac was beautiful traditional dancing and music. Unfortunately, what awaited us at our next hotel was less than ideal conditions and a bit of a shock to the system after what we were used to. We were picked up from the airport in a scooter driven tuk tuk, a common site on the road here to take Barang (foreigners) around to their next destination. At the hotel we checked in and were led up to our room where a Tokay gecko greeted us at the door. It all seemed very promising till we opened the door and discovered a bathroom that looked like a workbench, wires hanging from the ceiling and an overpowering, throat burning stench of detergent and air fresheners. Also, there was a monastery next to us that played mantras and music which at first seemed exotic and pleasant but after waking up to it blaring from a loud speaker at 5am and going all day long it quickly lost it's appeal.

We were not to be deterred by our unforeseen living conditions and headed out for the next few days to wander and see what Siem Reap had to offer. We found the supermarket to get cheap snacks and drinks, pub street for a great place to eat and have a beer after a long day (or at the start of one) and meandered up the river which was a nice quiet place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We decided to head to the Angkor National Museum to get some background on Angkor before going out to the site. The museum is new, high tech and very well done with info listed in both Khmer and English. The gallery of 1,000 Buddhas was definitely our highlight of the visit.

We slept in and then went out for a late breakfast on Pub street. When sitting having a bite to eat during the day you invariably get harassed by the street kids. This meal was no different. They are far more persistent than the adult touts that we encountered in Thailand and really lay on the guilt trip heavy about paying for school or not having enough to eat. We always try to refuse them politely but that never has much of an effect. This meal however, Ryan offered one boy half of his loaf of bread which resulted in the little guy leaving us alone for an entire five minutes before starting up again.

Cambodia has really started to grow on us as we've found our footing and gotten into the groove a little. We've switched hotels and we are much happier with our room, we also now have a gorgeous pool to take a refreshing dip in! The people here are warm and friendly and really appreciate it when we use the small amount of the Khmer language that we've picked up so far. Until next post, lee hi (goodbye)!