Cambodia - Siem Reap

We woke up to the chanting of monks which today sounded more melodious rather than its usual repetitive sound. I sat outside the room listening to the harmonies and enjoying the calm of this beautiful place, a wonderful way to start the day.

We hade a free day today before we were being collected for the airport this afternoon. We thought we would relax by the pool but of course we couldn’t just do that, how can you be in an exciting foreign country and not take every opportunity to see things?! After breakfast - where the chef made me some delicious gluten free pancakes - we got a tuk-tuk into the town of Siem Reap. Here it seems normal for a tuk-tuk driver to drop you off somewhere and then wait for you at such an inexpensive rate. Siem Reap is a lovely town, much more tourist orientated with lots of restaurants, hotels and cafes (even a Starbucks!) but is more charming and calmer than Phnom Penh. We went to Kandal Market which is a collection of shops selling local products but more upmarket than the usual rubbish you get in the street markets, as I wanted to look for some linen clothing. Linen in the UK is quite pricey and we found a few shops selling linen clothing made locally here in Siem Reap, where I bought a lovely dress and some shirts. The prices were very good too, not the cheap street market prices but of course better quality and truly locally made rather than the stuff from China that you find in the markets. 

The tuk-tuk driver then took us to the the Old Market in the French Quarter where we wandered around the market seeing (and smelling) all the goods on sale. The food section was interesting with fresh pork on the tables with a fan blowing the flies away, and lots of dried fish. There were some kittens playing around the stall and of course hygiene here is not considered. This image is of the dried fish and sausages - the person is not blocking her face from the camera, she was just moving her hand when I took the photo. They always smile and allow one to take photos. The extra is of a tuk-tuk driver having a snooze!

Late last night we had a heavy downpour of rain which washed all the dust away and has made it feel much more comfortable today, it was quite pleasant walking around without getting too hot. We went back to the hotel, finished our packing and then had a late lunch before being picked up for the airport. The people in Cambodia (and Vietnam) are so friendly and welcoming, whenever we left a hotel the staff all thanked us so much for coming to their country. Both countries were badly affected by Covid and tourism is only starting to get back to normal now, it has been a slower recovery here than in the west. They welcome visitors with open arms and are very grateful for tourists visiting. There is even a Tourist Police force here, to look after the tourists in case of any problems. English is not widely spoken as it is not taught in the schools, and our guide tells us that many parents strive to send their children to private schools where they can learn English. There are many private schools here, all called ‘international schools’ which are between $3000 and $8000 depending on the school year. State schools are said to be free but in reality parents have to pay for uniforms, text books and many other costs so they are not free and many parents cannot afford to pay for those things.

Our driver took us to Siem Reap Airport this afternoon. The airport is very new and smart, it’s only a year old and is built in the architectural style of a temple. It cost US$1.1 billion to build, and was financed by a Chinese investor under a 55 year build-operate-transfer scheme. It cost so much money and yet there are currently less than 10 departures a day!  We had a 18.30 flight to Ho Chi Minh City this evening as there was not an earlier flight, and finally arrived at the hotel quite late. It was too late for supper which maybe wasn’t a bad thing. 

In other news Tommy has been doing a PADI course in Munich as he and Inca plan to go diving when in Australia - he departs tomorrow. He has been diving in a lake when the temperature outside has been -2C, so when he gets out the water it is freezing cold! Inca has been there for two weeks already doing a vet placement. Tommy does not like heat and will struggle in Australia so he has had his hair cut short and it looks good.

Tomorrow it is an early start for a busy day exploring the Mekong Delta.