I've spent the last few days in Siem Reap. It's quite a lovely little place. Sure, there are the incumbent bumpy dirt roads, street beggars and aggressive tuk-tuk drivers. But overall, I quite like it here. I will come back some day, and explore more of it.
Of course the whole reason to visit this part of Cambodia is for Angkor Wat. That's what I did yesterday. I sent an email to a well known photographer here, as he is known to provide excursions to the area. He was not available for a private guided tour, but he was generous enough to send along a well prepared list of places to go, what to look for, and when to be there to avoid most of the crowds. It was quite useful, and to him I will be forever grateful. Thanks John McDermott!
So, Angkor Wat is actually just one of the temples in the whole complex. I don't really know how large it all is, but some people buy a 7 day pass so they can explore it all. After having just one day to see it, I understand why people would want to take a week. Maybe I will do that next time. Overall, the Wat was pretty damn impressive. Of course, it was seriously crowded in some places, and getting a photo without people in it took a lot of patience. Sometimes I just gave up, thinking it would not take too much effort to remove one little person in Photoshop. I think I have a lot of Photoshop to do.
The guide that we had was fairly knowledgeable and provided a lot of contextual information while we toured the ruins. I was surprised that we were able to actually climb all over most of the temples. Considering how bad some of the temples are, you'd think they would not want any foot traffic climbing all over the place. In some places, the crowds were quite large. I can see that one day, they may stop tourist access in a last minute effort to slow down the decay.
I took quite a lot of photos, and it will take some time for me to go through them all. Despite the crowds, I think I got some great images. It was a full day, climbing around as many temples as we could fit in. We broke for lunch in a small restaurant near the Wat, called "Chez Sophea". It was a little piece of Paris, nestled amongst all the t-shirt and map sellers. The owner, Matthieu, was a great host, and the food was excellent. I think it was the best meal I had in Cambodia. My wine glass was taken care of too. "Just a few more drops for you..." he says, as he fills my glass a second time. Ordering an espresso also resulted in 2 cups.
One thing that bothers me about Cambodia, is the rampant sex trade. I've been offered girls pretty much by everyone. I've been asked if I want a girl by tour guides, tuk-tuk drivers, strangers on the street, and even the Hotel reception. Clearly, that part of the Cambodian economy is thriving.
Last night, as I was wandering the streets, I came across what is the only Gay bar in town. It's a nice little place called "Linga". Clever name for a Gay bar. This place was very modern, owned by a foreigner, and designed to NA standards. I met some nice people there, and the drinks were cheap. It is directly across from a small boutique hotel called "The One". It's called that, because it has only one suite. Pretty exclusive, I guess. Maybe next time.
Today, I head to Bangkok. I will be there until mid-week, and then head north to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. Maybe into Laos after that. I look forward to being back in Bangkok, one of my favourite cities in the world. I know there is some violence and demonstrations going on now, but I don't think it will be in the tourist areas.
I'll upload some more photos, when I am settled in BKK.
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