Walk with Sandra: July 2006

Accommodation was very affordable in Siem Reap. I stayed in the following guesthouses while I was there:

1st night - Coconut Villa for US$9/night (fan only)

2nd night - Mini Guesthouse at US$8/night (with A/C)

3rd-5th nights - Millenium Guesthouse at US$5/night (fan only)

It's not uncommon for locals to pester you with cheap rooms (or anything for that matter!). Check them out if you wish but don't feel pressured or obligated to commit. Like everything else, there's a learning curve and I only found cheaper and better rooms after my first couple of days in Siem Reap. Flexibility is key.

I hired a motorbike guide to take me to the temples over the next 3 days. My guide was Paomra, a very patient and soft-spoken 24-year-old man.

The first morning, Paomra picked me up from the guesthouse at 5:00 am and took me to Angkor Wat to see the sunrise at 5:30 am. There, I paid US$40 for a 3-day Angkor pass (a photo was required). Then at 7:30 am, he took me to Angkor Thom via the Southgate entrance where I checked out Bapuon (which was undergoing reconstruction) and the Elephant Terrace. After breakfast, I went on a tour of Bayon. The final stop for the morning was the eastern Angkor temples of Thommanon, Chao Say Tevoda (which was undergoing reconstruction), Ta Keo, Ta Prohm, Banteay Krei, and Srah Srang. By noon, I was templed out and returned to the guesthouse to rest. At 3:00 pm that day, Paomra took me back to Angkor Wat and we stayed for an hour. It was unbelievably hot and crowded.

The next morning, we visited Pre Rup (East Baray area), Tasom (northeastern Angkor), Neak Pean (northeastern Angkor), and Preah Khan (northeastern Angkor). I returned to the guesthouse by noon and ate, showered, and rested. Heavy downpour started at 4:00 pm and ended at 4:45 pm - it was the monsoon season after all. The rain was a welcome respite from the heat and I was glad to be indoors to read and listen to music. At 5:00 pm, Paomra picked me up and drove me to Phnom Bakheng (Bakheng Hill) where I hiked up to watch the sunset. The views from the top were nice and the sunset at 6:00 pm signaled the end of yet another fruitful day.

The third day, we went to Banteay Srei, which was an hour's drive from Siem Reap. On the drive there, I saw rice fields, villages, and many cows and stray dogs. After Banteay Srei, Paomra took me to the Killing Fields, where I saw a monument that contained the skulls and bones of victims under the Pol Pot regime. General Pol Pot and his communist Khmer Rouge reigned from 1975-1978. Educated Cambodians were captured, imprisoned, and subsequently executed. Many were sent to the rice fields to work. Young boys were recruited and "brainwashed" by the Khmer Rouge. Pol Pot apparently fled to the jungle when the Vietnamese troops invaded Kampuchea and removed the Khmer Rouge from power.

1. Scenes & meals in Siem Reap

Above middle: Lunch of fried fish with lemon grass and 2 drinks (US$5.10)

Above left: Paomra, my motorbike guide for 3 days at US$10/day; Above right: Lunch of fried rice and iced milk coffee (US$2)

Above left: The Tomb Raider (created in honor of Angelina Jolie) is a cocktail mix of lime juice, Cointreau, and tonic water (cost US$3); I had it at "The Red Piano" (above right) where it originated

Above left: Breakfast (US$2); Above right: Lunch at the Old Market area - fish, rice, and this unidentifiable sour dish (US$1.15)

Above right: Flooding and blackouts are common in Siem Reap

Above left: Dinner of dumplings noodle soup and calamansi juice (US$2.25); Above right: Breakfast at an authentic eatery - no picture menus, most, if not all, patrons were local Cambodians, and the owners and staff did not speak (much) English. This bowl of beef ball and meat noodles and iced tea cost just 3,700 riels (less than US$1).