Off the tourist trail in Siam Reap

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This one isn't in your guide book.

Strolling though the night market of Siam Reap, passing over the bangles and t-shirts that are the same in every market in asia, and the smokey barbeque stands, I spot a sign.

'3D Cinema'

This cinema is only a small building, a room squashed in the corner with a straw booth outside and a woman holding a list of the shows.
Hourly showings of ''the Horrors of Pol-Pot'' are the main screenings, but at 6pm - in half an hours time there is the once - a - day showing of ''On the Trail of the Snake Hunters'' .... IN 3D!!!
3D no less!!

Now i'm a sucker for a 3D film, especially one that are shown in a straw hut out the back of a dusty market place. This is the real Cambodian IMAX experience, right here.
I bought a 3dollar ticket and grabbed a beer for the show and took the seat right at the front. Although there was no-one queueing for this show, i didnt want my 3d experience ruined by a sudden rush of thrill seekers.

I won't ruin the content or the quality of the film - i will leave that for your own critical brain to work out. Although I did wear a pair of 3d-specs and saw the sights and wonders of the snake trade in cambodia - trapping and hunting them, their deadly strength and evil eyes!
This home-made documentary was a shabby, unslick, non-disney affair, although at the end I did feel as I had seen and experienced a side of this country I had not seen without the film. I fancied tasting a bit of barbequed snake too...

As i left (an audience of one person) the woman handed me a t-shirt.
''3D Snake Hunters Film.'' ''Siam Reap, Cambodia'' was printed across it.

I had a genuine, non-generic souvenir t-shirt. Of a 3D snake hunting film, no less.

been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

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Photos

eating snake...
Like Dicaprio in The Beach, I ate Snake and then headed off to Phi Phi Island.... only I did it in a posh restaurant and then flew in, arriving on the ferry in time for sundown cocktails.
Sometimes Flashpacking is so much cooler.

Comments

[roxy]

where to eat the snake?
Hi there, Am off to Sien Reap and hoping to eat some weird and wonderful things. Can you tell me where you ate the snake exactly? Many thanks,

[thecrashpacker]

On the trail of the snake hunter?!
Well, i had it at one of the nice restaurants in the middle of town. They bring a circular grill to the table and you do it yourselves. Its a bit of a traditional asian way of eating in a group. can't say it was the best meat i've ever had - ask around to eat it somewhere else. its river snake from the Tongle Sap lake so more like an eel really, and it may need to be in season. See if the 3d movie 'On the Trail of the Snake Hunters' is still playing at the back of the night market. Its much better than Avatar!