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Published: January 27th 2009
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What can I say about Siem Reap?
It is the people and their smiles that make this place so beautiful - from the cheeky kids begging on the street, to the local men and women, to the masses of foreign volunteer workers. Despite the wrongs of foreign investors, politics and a hideous past, most people want to see this place prosper in the right way. Sometimes though, it’s hard to know what the right way is.
This place strikingly juxtaposes Third and First Worlds: a legless child begs outside a 5-star hotel, a pregnant woman already with a young child begs for baby formula while us youth drink away our pennies for a pittance at the local pubs. You can eat fine cuisine at international prices or eat roadside for a dollar. Some nights you shoo away the children hawking books, other nights you buy them a meal.
I spent two weeks doing nothing much at all, it was great and it would have been even better if Eva had been by my side. After visiting the temples of Angkor the first couple of days, there was nothing much left to do without having to pay a small
fortune. I figured Eva and I would be back here again later in the year so I saved some of the sights and activities for later.
So what the heck did I do in this small town for two weeks you may ask? Well I made lots of friends and just hung out. I met a group of about 15 Aussie girls who were initially staying at my guesthouse. They were doing volunteer work, helping to build a school in a village about 10Kms away. During the week they stayed with their host families in the village and on the weekends they came back into town. One of the days I cycled out to the village, following a complicated map their coordinator had drawn for me. It took me about 40mins down long dusty roads in the scorching sun, but I made it without getting lost. I checked out the school, visited some traditional houses and had lunch with one of the local families. There was a whole deep fried catfish, pineapple with pork stir-fry, a green leafy curry and steamed rice. I politely tried everything but the catfish and avoided the pork (I’m vego…it was tough!). Thankfully I
didn’t have to cycle back. We managed to get my bike on a tuk-tuk and a few of us drove back into town.
Hiring a bike only costs a dollar a day so I went on a couple of other cycling expeditions around Siem Reap. Getting my head around staying on the right hand side and doing left hand turns was a little confusing at first, but cycling was a really great way to get around. Once you leave the town the roads are easy to navigate and easy to ride, but living conditions and waste management practices are striking.
I also had a student to tutor every afternoon. I met him at the Internet café where he had been having lessons with a rather stern woman. I asked the lady if I could help with tutoring in any way and she said she’s get back to me (but she never did). After she left, her student came and asked me if I’d help him out. So I gladly arranged lessons everyday until I left. It was great for both of us. I got to practice my English teaching before I commence my CELTA (cert. of English language
teaching to adults) in February and he got to have free lessons. He was the same age as me and was so sweet. He bought me a present on our last day, a little engraved plaque of Siem Reap.
I spent my nights sampling the cheap bars of Siem Reap, meeting wonderful people, some of whom I’m sure I’ll have lasting friendships with. We got fish foot massages, watched a dance drama put on by a local orphanage, and partied into the early hours.
The rest of my day was usually filled with recovering from the previous night, enjoying the best free breakfast at the guesthouse: tomato and cheese baguettes with fruit salad and coffee, studying for my course and talking to Eva for hours on the Internet. I also managed to go for a swim in a friend’s pool one of the days, which was just delicious.
I have to say my fortnight here was the best yet. It was just such a pity Eva couldn’t have been there too.
I’m currently back in Bangkok after the 10hour bus ride from Siem Reap. Tonight I’m heading out on the overnight train to Chiang Mai in
the north of Thailand. I’ll have a few days to get orientated there before I start my one-month intensive course on Monday. By the time I get back from school Eva should be home to greet me! I can’t wait!
Love form Asia,
~Ornella
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