The Permanent Tourist

Pre-reading note: I had trouble writing this post in any systematic way, so I shall be relying on a more bullet point sort of organization.

Siem Reap Markets and Such…

We woke early to drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, but this time we were awake in plenty of time. No frantic packing and sprinting to the bus. The bus ride was long and included a few pit stops along the highways. One of said debussings was at a roadway market. The moment we stepped from the van, we were accosted by children armed with large tarantulas. The little shits would smile mischievously at unsuspecting tourists before depositing one of the gargantuan arachnids on your person. People reacted in one of two ways – freezing and screaming at the impish mini humans to get the eight legged creature off, or violently flinging the spider as far away as physically possible. Being towards the end of the line to exit the bus I was cognizant of what was occurring just outside. As I stepped from the vehicle, I glowered at the little tykes, pointing at them much like an enraged mother would a defiant youngster. Don’t put that thing on me for fear of death.

Another eager soul was wandering around the crowds trying to sucker everyone into consuming a dead, fried cricket. Essentially, a crunchier than usual bug? No thanks, but Hubs took the opportunity to try the “delicacy.” Enjoy, you weirdo.

Many of the markets in this part of the world are packed with “food” related items. Multiple varietals of dead insects displayed in large buckets line the pathways. Crickets, beetles, maggots, and grasshoppers just to name a few. For those not in the mood for a creepy crawly slithering down their gullet, there are plenty of fried foods, cooked meat and fresh-ish vegetables (I say ISH because the produce was almost always teeming with flies since these markets are always outdoors). Pro tip: Always ensure you wash the fruits and veggies prior to consumption, even if the foods are suspiciously free of insects.

City Summarizations (A Touch of Markets) and Such…

Siem Reap is a bustling city with chaotic streets, busy markets and a very active night life along Pub Street. The husband and I meandered through the maze-like marketplace around shops in the square. There were food stalls, more insects and creepy crawlies, touristy trinkets and do-dads, clothing, toys, rugs, kitchen utensils and jewelry. You name it, you can certainly find it in some form or another. Only caveat is that you have to be aware of sizing in these parts of the world. While the husband is not huge by [almost] any sense of the word [his feet are enormous], the tiny Cambodian girl in one of the shops proclaimed: “Oh, she Cambodia size. You American size. We no have you extra extra large size.” I deteriorated into a fit of frenzied laughter since I’ve never been considered above average (or even average sized) in any country. Apparently, I fit in here!

When the Hubs and I travel, we generally take our police departments patches to exchange with officers in other countries. Whelp, Cambodia did not disappoint with some entertainment on this front. While we failed to get a patch, and the officers definitely took a couple of ours, we did get some great photos, plenty of drinks, and even a dinner courtesy of a local cop. We were shocked to discover that the police force has to buy their own firearms for duty. We were even more shocked when the one that invited us to dine with him just took off his uniform shirt, dumped it over a chair in the station, and lead us to a local watering hole to drink in the middle of his shift. Maybe you guys should not have a deadly weapon after all… Please enjoy the only photos of the night in question:

Be prepared to have some four-legged roommates in this warm part of the world. We awoke the first morning with a gecko in bed with us. I shall call him Bob. We had multiple other lizards visit our hotel room while staying in Siem Reap, but little Bob stuck around and explored our small abode with us. Pro tip for traveling in a multitude of other countries: Carry a swipe card to place in the slot in order to keep the power running and blasting the AC even while you’re gone. Otherwise, the room becomes stifling in these toastier countries. Unless they give you two key cards for the room – leave one there and take the other!

Temples, Pagodas, Shrines, and Such…

What’s the main reason to visit Siem Reap, one may ask? Angkor Wat… Temples, temples and more temples. Angkor Wat is a Hindu Buddhist temple constructed in 1150 CE and has been deemed one of the seven wonders of the world and an UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s surrounded by a man-made moat, keeping the sand foundation from ever drying, which is why the temple is still standing. I can understand why it is one of the seven wonders of the world.

This 12th Century temple is on 162 hectares of land (whatever that means), the spires pointing up to the sky forming a very unique backdrop at sunrise. Four pools dot the interior of the temple, representing the four elements in the world: Water, fire, land and air. All of the mosaics are hand-carved into the walls, representing battles, events and/or important beliefs.

We rose well before the sun to bus to the site for sunrise. Since we were some of the first there, we claimed a prime location to watch the bright ball of fire ascend above the temple. This was by far the main attractions I was looking forward to. It was astonishing watching the sun rise and slowly bathe us in light. The photos don’t do it justice.

After sunrise, we visited multiple other temples, including some dating back to the 10th Century. Apparently, one we toured was the site of the move Tomb Raider. Haven’t seen it, but the temple was sprawling and extraordinary.

Even the bridges were uniquely decorated with statues and carvings lining the edges. The figurines were adorned with some very interesting facial expressions and headdresses. Don’t worry, they are one-hundred percent judging every step you take along the ancient bridge.

Yet another temple was largely unrestored with trees and plants growing throughout its complex. Amongst the magnificent Angkor Wat, this one looked sad and rejected. Others were made of red clay and stone, starkly contrasting the other temples.

Cuisine and Such…

A speedy tuk tuk ride through the back alleys of the city ferried us to New Hope Cambodia. New Hope provides free education, health care, and community and crisis support to the impoverished people of Mondul Bei area of Siem Reap. The organization was inadvertently created by a former Buddhist monk named Kemsour who couldn’t ignore the chronic malnutrition and horrific living conditions people were confronted with everyday. To the dismay of his spouse, he sold all of their belongings, built a grass hut, and then started teaching English and Japanese. Voila, New Hope Cambodia was born.

We visited New Hope for dinner one evening. Their restaurant teaches cooking and hospitality to otherwise unemployed Khmers. We were wined and dined by some of the friendliest people, causing us all to waddle out to our tuk tuks later that night.

The other very important tidbit regarding food are the potato chips. I have detailed descriptions of each flavor, including which had a vomit-inducing reaction. Alas, I have dozens of different options to review and those fuckers deserve their own post. Here are a few examples: Nori Seaweed, Shrimp Tom Yum Hot Pot, Fried Chicken Wings, and Cheese Burger.

Group Members and Such…

The husband and I have been on a lot of group-led tours, and I’ve been on a few more than he has. This was by far the least memorable group we have ever encountered. In fact, some of those groups have provided me with long time friendships, and I’ve even traveled with some since our initial meeting. I love finding new friends to explore the world with. When I was in India this past March, I ran into a member from GX Peru the year prior! With GX Peru (G Adventures now annual travel summit), the husband and I reconnected with our favorite guide ever, Julio, who we met back in 2017 in the Amazon. We also ran into our Inca Trail guide who videoed taped Hubs’ proposal in 2017. Plus, Hubs now texts with another one of the GX guides, Elias, and he has an open invite to come visit us in the States. Which, he was supposed to do this year, but the US rejected his Visa even though he used to LIVE in the States. Maddening! Anyway, you get the point, lifetime friendships can emerge from even short tours. This leg of SE Asia, however… I have to dig into the recesses of my brain in hopes of recalling any faces.

Thank you notes, you did wiggle out memories of one hilarious member – Mr. Bean has an Indian doppelgänger. While I did recall one person asking the most asinine of questions. The voice I’m hearing in my head sounds vaguely like Mr. Bean did back in the day. After a perusal of the photographs, the head shakings I experienced during the trip came flooding back along with images of Mr. Bean’s Muslim cousin. When Tu passed out rice cookies, Mr. Bean inquired, “what flavor is this?” Tu froze momentarily before responding, “Rice,” completely dead pan. He later asked, “is cow special here?” Tu says, “Yes, it provides meat, popular dish here.” Not quite sure that’s what Mr. Bean meant, but that response was amazing.

Handstands and Such…

Because there have to be handstands! The first is from downtown Siem Reap, and the second is amongst the temples of Angkor Wat. The latter, shockingly, did not get me yelled at by a monk or any security personnel!

And with that, our time in Cambodia came to an end. Next stop was Bangkok, Thailand. Sheesh, I cannot believe I am well over a year behind on my blog. New Goal: Catch up before my trip to the Maldives in November. These are some incredibly lofty aspirations… Wish me luck! I will need it.