Christmas in Cambodia - Episode 1

Trip Itinerary: Hong Kong – Saigon – Siem Reap – Saigon – Hong Kong
Travel Dates: 21^st – 27^th December 2011

Day 1:
 After a short one hour flight from Saigon to Siem Reap, I was all excited on my Cambodia trip. I have always wanted to see the historic Angkor Wat temples for a long time ever since I started reading about it a few years back. Of course, the first time I ever heard about it was in my childhood days when we used to studiously hoard a set of ugly yellow-covered books called the Children Knowledge’s Bank series.

 As I wound my way via immigration, the official asked me for a tip for processing my e-visa: e-visa which took a few million stamps and endless finger prints to validate. While the naïve me succumbed to this tiny money-making operation, my Korean friend didn't. (But more about him later) After a short tuk-tuk ride, about 20 minutes from the airport, I was at the Motherhome Inn  Located about 15 mins away from the main markets, this place has clean rooms,  friendly staff and prompt service.  Highly recommended

After a delicious fish amok (fish cooked in coconut curry in Khmer style served in a leaf bowl with steam rice) I made my way to the Angkor Wat temples to collect my pass. Tip: siem reap specializes in river fish being close to the Stung Siem Reap it is delicious. Angkor temple complex passes for the next day to a week are handed out from 4:45 p.m. and I managed to get mine, just in time to catch the last embers of daylight flickering over the temple complex. While the price is a chunky $40 for a three day and $20 for a single-day pass, I don’t object considering the ludicrous amounts you have to cough up to pay up to visit some of the British churches and castles. What I do feel is the tiny slice the temple restoration authorities receive of this pie. LP has a small section on this

The road to the temples winds through some dense jungles and on my trip back to town I  began thinking about the early French explorers who stumbled across the ruins in the 19th century after lying virtually hidden for centuries. I headed out to the buzzing pub street for some dinner which is pretty much the town has to offer by way of night life. All establishments accept the USD and it is more widely acceptable than the local kriel. 4000 Cambodian Kriel = 1 USD. I thought Vietnam was a heavily dollarized economy, but I think Cambodia beats its neigbour handily here. Having a drink at a place catchily called Angkor What, I realize I have stumbled into the most happening joint  in Siem Reap where the action picks up after 10 pm. After a quick dinner and a leisurely stroll where I managed to miss my hotel, I was ready to turn in. An early start beckons tomorrow.