Surprising Siem Reap

by Marc on June 16, 2009

SiemReapStreet

I didn’t do my homework on this place – about all I knew was it had some cool temples and we needed malaria pills. I wouldn’t have guessed it would be one of the highlights of our trip! But apparently Cambodia is full of surprises.

The first surprise came at the ATM, which gave out US Dollars! I’d almost forgotten what they looked like. And since everything here is priced in dollars, I got  a 1-week holiday from currency conversions. Sweet!

HappyHerbSign

The next surprise: Cambodia had the best pizza we tasted on the trip. Really, it was great – and not just because cannabis is available as a topping, either. (“Happy Herb” – get it?)

We tried some of the local cuisine here, too. On our first day we bought some snails of this guy’s bike on Pub Street.

SnailStand

SnailsCU

Even Hannah had a go:

HannahSnails

They weren’t that great, so we decided to pass on the roadside crickets.

Crickets

We ate in restaurants, too – one of our favorites was the Dead Fish Tower, a funky multilevel place with eclectic decor.

DeadFishBar

I was intrigued by the warning to the right of the restroom sign:

DeadFishToiletSign

Why so dangerous? Because it’s on the other side of the crocodile pit, that’s why!

DeadFishCrocPit

DeadFishCrocCU

They weren’t very active, until the kids threw them a few dead fish.

DeadFishCrocFood

Then they got animated!

DeadFishCrocEat

We decided to splurge here and got 2 rooms at the Kool Hotel – one for Danielle & I, one for the kids. It was nice to be able to spread out again, and we enjoyed the pool, too.

KoolPool

After a few days, we were delighted to be joined again by our new friends the Perrys, and a Swedish family taking the long way back from South Africa. Hannah & Ray’s room became party central for the 7 kids.

The preferred mode of transportation here is the tuk-tuk, and it’s not the same as the Bangkok version – more like a carriage pulled behind a motorbike.

SavinGirls1

Pictured with the kids here is Mr. Savin, who became our official driver for the whole week, taking us almost everywhere we went (for about the price of one round-trip cab ride in Tahiti).

TukTukGirls1

But as much as we enjoyed our hotel and the city itself, the real attractions here are the famous temples – and they really were awesome. Stay tuned…

{ 4 comments }

June 16, 2009 Mom

Less than a week to go. The girls have grown so much. What was the remark on Twitter abut getting ready for another cruise?

Mom

June 16, 2009 Marc

We’re taking a little 1-night cruise on a junk in HaLong Bay Thursday. See you soon!

June 16, 2009 Mary Beth Haley

Looks like you all are having a great time!

June 17, 2009 mark

Alright – Alligator next to the bathroom? Cannabis on the pizza? This is my kinda town!

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