Around Siem Reap, Cambodia, part 1

Blogger has been having some issues, and the last couple of days of "saved" work seems to have disappeared.  Not happy.  I am going to post this as is, and put up a second posting with additional material.

We've just wrapped a few days in and around Siem Reap Cambodia.  (Actually, a few days go; I've been slow getting this posted.)  We flew there from Ho Chi Minh city.  Cambodia (like Vietnam) requires a visa for US citizens, but they now have a visa-on-arrival process in place.  This turned out to be slightly chaotic, but adequately functional.  We each filled out a brief form on the plane.  On landing, we (along with many others) lined up at a counter where we handed over our passports, the form, and $30 each (cash only).  The next person down the line took our digital pictures.  Then we joined a large scrum at the other end of the counter, and waited a few minutes for our names to be called, at which point we were handed the passports with visa attached.  All in all maybe ten minutes.

We were met at the airport by a tuk-tuk driver from our hotel, the Two Dragons.  Once there we had a little dinner and called it a day.  The Two Dragons is more of a backpacker-style place than some of the others we've been staying in.  Rooms are basic but clean; shoes are left near the entrance.  It's on a quiet street with a few other similar places and a few small restaurants.  The hotel has strict rules, indicated on this sign in the room.

Cambodia operates under a dual currency system.  The official currency is the Riel, but virtually all prices are quoted in US dollars, and the exchange between them is a constant 4000 to 1.  The ATMs usually dispense dollars, not riel (though some provide a choice).  Coins aren't used, so small change is given back with riel bills (1000 riel, for example, is about a quarter).

We were still a little sleep deprived from staying up way too late for Tet, so we arranged with our driver, Thy, to leave for Angkor Wat around 9 (many visitors leave early to catch the sunrise there).  It's not far from Siem Reap.  Along the way Thy stopped for us to buy tickets (we opted for the three-day option).  It's a bit of a production as each printed ticket includes your photo; tickets are checked on entrance to each of the temple complexes.

The archaeological park is not just Angkor Wat, but includes many other temple complexes spread over about 400 square kilometers (over 150 square miles).  Even just the few close-in temples are way too much for even two days.  The usual way to visit (other than on a tour) is to hire a tuk-tuk driver for the day.

Each temple site is different.  Some (like Angkor Wat) cover a very large area; others are smaller (only a few acres in size).  Some are mostly restored while others remain mostly as they were found other than basic measures to stabilize structures for safety.  Restoration work is ongoing at many of the sites.

Most of the temples date from the 10th through 13th centuries, during the height of Khmer culture.  The scale of work completed: bringing the large stones from a distant quarry, building the structures, carving the stone decorations and sculptures, is incredible.

On the way back to town we stopped at the killing fields museum.  During the Khmer Rouge period under Pol Pot in the late 1970s 25% of Cambodia's population perished.  The exhibits, highlighted by the reports of survivors, are depressingly informative.  The exhibit included photos and brief bios of some of the Khmer Rouge leaders, including Duch (who was a central figure in last year's OSF production of Cambodian Rock Band).

After our first day exploring some of the temples, in hot and humid conditions, we were exhausted.  We showered and rested a bit, then walked down our street looking for dinner.  We walked into a seafood place with a BBQ grill out front.  It turned out to be more for locals than tourists.  The menu was entirely in the Cambodian language, so our server pulled up a gallery of photos on her phone, and we pointed to a few items for dinner.  We had no idea what the prices would be, or what exactly we were ordering.  The food (a grilled fish and an oysters dish, plus a rice dish and some beers) was delicious and plentiful.

When the bill came, it was for about 38, so I assumed dollars and handed the cashier two twenties.  As we left the restaurant, she came running after us to say we'd overpaid: the check was 38,000 riel (less than $10).  Well that was a little embarrassing.

Next day we decided to explore around Siem Reap itself.  It's a mostly compact and walkable small city.  There's a market area in the old section and nearby a full assortment of shops, bars and restaurants.

Along the river

A local artisan organization provides free tours of their silk farm and factory, so we took their shuttle and enjoyed a fascinating tour.  We saw how they cultivate the silkworms through their life cycle,  how they spin thread from the cocoons, and saw the weavers at work.  Although they grow the mulberry bushes on site, the worms are raised on harvested leaves indoors due to predators.  The items for sale in the shop at the end were beautiful but way out of our range.

We met a nice couple from Alberta on the tour, and ended up sitting at a bar over beers and snacks swapping travel stories for quite a while after the tour ended.

Back at the hotel, just as Ellen came out of the shower the power went off, not just in our place but all over town.  The hotel has a generator so we had lights and water pressure, and fortunately within an hour or so the power came back on.  We headed over to the appropriately named Pub Street area for dinner.  The streets are closed to traffic in this few-block area, and were packed with people.  There are dozens of bars and restaurants.

The following morning we again met with Thy for a second day exploring the temples.  We started with Angkor Wat, which is a huge complex surrounded by a large constructed moat.  It is incredible that the whole complex was built in 37 years.

Ta Som Temple

Inside one of the temples was an old and toothless woman who wanted to put bracelets on us and give us a blessing for good luck.

We took her up on it.  (Not sure how well it worked, though: later that day Ellen ate something that upset her stomach for a couple of days, and next day in Phnom Penh an ATM ate my card.  I had to go to the bank's main office later to pick it up.)

On the way back to Siem Reap later in the afternoon we stopped at the Apopo center for their short tour.  They use trained rats to sniff out the mines and unexploded ordnance which are all over Cambodia.  The rats, very large and imported fully-trained from Africa, search on a grid pattern under a team of handlers, and can clear areas more quickly and effectively than any other method.

In the evening we walked down our street to one of the very few brew pubs in Cambodia.  Beer was flavorful and a nice change from the usual Cambodian lagers.  Afterward, we spent some time chatting with Dave, the pub's owner, and Scott, the owner of our hotel, both expats with many years living in Cambodia.