Siem Reap

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Geo: 13.4691, 104.041

I was looking forward to Siem Reap as I have friends that are going to be here, Emily and Ed who I first met while trekking in Nepal and their son Ben who is just over a year old are due to arrive plus my friend Kenny from Australia who I've now met several times in Cambodia. I decide to spend some time with them before I think of venturing out to the temples of Angkor Wat. It also gives me time to decide how I'm going to tackle the temples in the vast surrounding area, so I have the best experience possible (see separate blog for Angkor Wat).


The scenery on the way is similar to the road to Phnom Penh with wee villages along the way with the backdrop of paddy fields, there are some lovely Mosques along the road not far out of PP which are very impressive and some weird markets with their 'snacks' of fried tarantula, bird embryos and crab... it's the main highway and a dangerous road to be out cycling on with the lorries and buses shoving everything out their path. I cycle around 110 km before throwing the bike on a bus to take me the rest of the way, it's just too dodgy, I'm going to need to find another route for leaving Siem Reap... plus it means I will be there in time to meet friends.


It's dark when I arrive and I'm still around 10 km from my hostel, the traffic is busy coming into Siem Reap and it took forever for me to find where I am staying, I nearly gave up as everywhere was starting to look the same in the dark but thankfully I found it! Today is St Paddy's Day so I decide to head up to the bar in the hostel and I end up with some ribbons and green glitter body paint on before heading out to play with a crowd from the bar to Molly Malone's for a beer or two, it was a good fun night and great intro to Siem Reap's pub street area. I met a couple of guys David and Allan from Leeds who are staying nearby who were great fun, turned out to be a really entertaining night with good company.


Next day I met up with Kenny and we enjoyed dinner out with Emily and Ed and their friends in one of the local Indian restaurants. The food was delicious and I really enjoyed catching up, it felt good being in great company, with people I had a bond with, they're all going to be around for a few days so I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with them all.


The hostel I'm in is huge, they're hundreds of beds in it, only problem first night… the dreaded bed bugs and I end up covered in bites. I asked them to change the mattress which they did and thankfully I'm not bothered again, well not until they changed the mattress back again several days later and I ended up with the same problem... honestly.

I headed out to meet Kenny again for a coffee banana shake which ended up an interesting day… he'd caused himself some trouble down in Phnom Penh which came to find him in Siem Reap for payback. To cut a long story short one of the guy's brother's smacked him right in the kisser, bursting his lip wide to the extent it looked like the middle of his top lip was barely hanging on. Thankfully he didn't retaliate (although it was close) and on taking one look at him I knew straight away that he needed stitches.


His mouth was pouring of blood as he walked along to his hotel which was only a couple of doors away, and when I caught up with him I asked the guy from the hotel where to get help, he pointed us across the road to a local hospital so we could get it seen too. It looked really bad, I swear I don't think there was much holding the middle of his lip on, to the extent I wanted him to hold it in place… aargh. The doctor was great, he laid Kenny down and gave him three injections to try and numb the area before he started stitching him up, but I could tell how much pain he was in, that I grabbed his hand and squeezed! My stomach was churning as I watched Kenny's pain and the doctor working away, I counted I think 7 or 8 stitches before he was done and I was relieved once he had been put back together. Kenny then went off to rest but I would check on him soon to make sure all was ok, it had given me a fright never mind what it had done to him!


I went to meet Emily and Ed plus friends again for dinner, this time at 'Haven' which provides careers for people previously on the street. The food, the service, and the company was once again exceptional, so much so I visited it another twice before leaving, it's really nice having friends around. On the way back I checked in on Kenny, although in a lot of pain (which he doesn't admit) he's ok, just thinking what to do about his situation.


So after a few days, once all the excitement is over, everyone has left for Phnom Penh, I start about my business to explore Siem Reap, it's a nice place with a good feel to it but I would probably choose Phnom Penh over it which is really beautiful. There are markets and a big tourist area and maybe that's part of the problem that it is just full to bursting with tourists! I cycle out to Tonle Sap which is the biggest lake in this part of Asia and although full of boats, it's dry season so the water level is really low. Cambodia only has two seasons, wet and dry and the temperature just now is up in the 40° every day, which is really tough to cycle in, I can't stay dry at all and my skin feels constantly clammy. The surrounding area is beautiful though, I really do enjoy being out in the sticks rather than in big towns, it's a far more personal experience that you get really unique.


There are plenty of chill out places that have their hammocks hung and cold drinks which entice me in on more than one occasion, they're great and just what's needed with their fans above you as you swing away the day, they like to relax here in Cambodia but it's the heat, I can totally understand it. There's a nice canal that runs through which is being worked on at the moment but when you pass in the early evening the noise of the crickets is almost deafening. There are many temples around which I visit, I love the Khmer design of the roofs in particular which are very ornate.


I like the Old Market and have a few days that one of the guys from the hostel Billy and I, buy liver and onions and cook it up on my camp stove, brilliant! The butcher displays are unbelievable, it's all on show from heads to tails, the lot, the smell can be a bit overwhelming initially walking in but you soon get used to it. We order mash from the hostel which we have with it and it's like proper home cooked food and we enjoyed it so much we did the same the next evening! I know it's not everyone's choice of food but it's a great source of iron which will see me fit once I'm back on the road again.


This market is probably my favorite place, you can buy everything from fruit, veg, butcher meat, hot food, clothes, get a haircut or a bit of beautifying, souvenir's, post cards, you name it you can get it here and it is all under cover which makes it bearable. The Tuk Tuk's here are all very posh and new and I love the way they are hooked onto the back of their motorbikes, they can be pretty unstable though and have you bouncing about all over the place at times, but are good fun into the bargain.


There's a nearby pool which the guest from the hostel all use which is a welcome relief from the heat, I don't know how I'm going to cope being back on the bike, it is tough going and I end up going through 10 litres of water a day. Many people at the hostel are out doing volunteer work and although I keep debating this, I don't see the point of only being able to give a week or two then walking back out of people's lives, when I decide to do it, it will be longer term so instead while I'm here, I donate blood to the local children's hospital which I find really rewarding.


I spend my days just wandering into town, saying hello to the many people on the way that I now know with people shouting out my name as I pass which is lovely. They are a really friendly bunch that you can't help enjoying and may have really good English so it is easy for me to communicate, although I can't read Khmer, I love the style of writing it's very rounded, curvy and after seeing a tattoo my friend Kenny had I have to admit I'm very tempted!! You never know.


I met a great guy Robbie from the Shetland Island in a nearby restaurant and we have become great friends, he lives here now with his wife and works on the rigs off the African coast of all places, so he's well traveled with his shifts. It's his birthday while I'm here and I'm happy to be invited out to his house for the party - this was awesome... think I danced the whole night away with all the in-laws and friends and had a brilliant time. He got a wee pup for his birthday and she is a real cracker, the house is traditional style which they are in the middle of doing up, he has great views and is surrounded by all the family so it's a lovely spot.

Robbie is also friends with Hong from the Tuk Tuk Bar and we hang out there a lot, Hong always has schemes on the go and his latest venture is mini mobile Tuk Tuk Bar's which he takes into town, he's really lovely and friendly guy and I wish him well and success for his new idea, he's a real one off and I will miss his company!


For some reason I've not taken many pictures of Siem Reap or of any friends, think I took enough of all the temples, but I'll post what I can, I mean I was here for weeks!

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Photos

Street vendor
Well stocks bicycle

Dodgy Hat
Last year's was better :(

Green Beer
Happy St Paddy's Day