Siem Reap, Cambodia: Part 1

Siem Reap, Cambodia is my first country outside the Philippines. I’ve heard a lot of good reviews from my brother and friends who have visited there. “You’ll love it!”, “I’m so excited for you!”. Still I didn’t want to expect too much since I might be disappointed. Turns out Siem Reap is better than my expectations!

I wish I could write about my 5 days in detail. Wait a minute, I can! But I won’t. Maybe I will. Prepare for more photos!

Angkor Wat Entrance

DAY 1 - Cooking and Couchsurfing

We decided to do the explore the city - explore outside the city pattern for recharging and maximum fun in Siem Reap. I noticed that almost all of the Cambodians are really friendly. They'll smile at you even if you're just canvassing on what you want to buy.

We met a German couple, who quit their jobs to travel for a year. I also met a German lady named Elena, some months ago who also quit her job to travel. Hmmm... I see a trend here. 

Their old market is really clean

Le Tigre Cooking Class! They'll even teach you how to carve a flower from a carrot and how to cut a banana leaf to a heart shape for the salad. The instructor keeps calling us girls "lady", pleasant to the ear compared to the usual "miss miss" here in the Philippines. Our instructor was really nice, she even gave us rice cakes (a.k.a. puto) for freebies. Our German companions were pleased.

"Cut it like this lady." 

"Awww, anything for you, dear!"

My friend deep-frying something.

Pub Street is the place to be at night! There is the foot massage, where fish will eat all the dirty things on your feet, and this stranger who took a selfie using my camera. Have I told you that the people in Siem Reap are super friendly?

What I also love about travelling is meeting different kinds of people. At night my friends and I went to a couchsurfing event, hosted by Alfons. He made me realize that they are passionate craftsmen in their line of work in map-making. Alfons eventually talked about how he met his Khmer wife. They live under one roof. His wife doesn't speak English. Alfons doesn't speak Khmer. "We only know enough words just to get along."

Thank you!

DAY 2 - Temples and Tugstugs

There are so many tourists in the temples. It sucks to be a short girl, I mostly saw heads of Westerners while waiting for the Angkor Wat sunrise. It pays to know how to squeeze in to get to the front, thank you divisoria life skillz.

Here is a shot after the Angkor Wat sunrise.

Say cheese!

I feel overwhelmed in a good way whenever I enter or exit the structures. This is the gate leading outside the city. At the entrance gate there is a chain of men on the left and right side of the bridge. They say it's a bridge welcoming you to the heavens or the gods. 

This is Pros, our very friendly tuktuk driver from Angkoriana Boutique

If you enter Bayon Temple, the book I read says the faces in the entrance look confused, but later seem calm, until you reach the final point where they look serene.

Bayon Temple Heads

Be wary of some people inside who casually tell you facts about the walls. The overly friendly locals sometimes even the ones offering you photos, then later ask for a donation because of their good service. We just thanked them in the middle of their sentence and walked away.

Now we have an unconnected transition to this photo, yeah FB cover photo!

Alfons said we were lucky to visit Ta Prohm in September. The people are cutting down the dead trees holding some of the structures. There's also a whole lot of restoration still going on. I don't know when the next suggested time will be to fully enjoy the Siem Reap temples.

Mmmm fellow tourists in Ta Prohm

Walking towards the temple entrance is just as interesting as exploring the temples itself. There is beautiful music from performers, trees shading you from the prickling heat of the sun, and local artists working. Here is a guy skilfully hammering leather to make an elephant. Meanwhile, I can only punch holes when filing office papers.

Night time is Pub Street again. It was interesting to hear Gangnam Style sang by Khmers. One other time I heard "Anak", a Tagalog song sang by Khmers. I had no idea it was that popular.

We passed by this stall where they sell tarantulas, spiders, and crickets. The tarantula was hairy and tasted like sweet shrimp. The crickets were delicious. I was eating it even when I was inside one of the bars. Best pick-up line: We asked strangers if they would like to eat a tarantula or a cricket, so smoooth!

Care for some tarantulas, crickets, or a snake for a snack?

During this trip there was compromise between us friends. I enjoy History, exploring the great and really hot outdoors, and exhausting all of my energy until my feet could barely walk. My friends were more laid back, enjoy shopping and haggling, eating food, and going to bars. So we did all of those things in healthy doses.

Angkor What Tugstugs. Home of the dancing foreigners

The Angkor What wall was filled with vandalism for decoration. I had my marker with me so I wrote an inspiring message on the wall (yep, badass right here). One guy approached me and asked if this was my marker. I let him borrow it and eventually we started talking. Chatting in bars is easier because people want to meet people.  It's also difficult because you can barely hear people talk, and I mostly know inappropriate Zumba dance moves for a bar setting. 

Bokeh artsy shot

Up next: Cambodia Part 2

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