I had trouble falling asleep last night. Pictures from our visit to the Genocide Museum and Killing Fields kept going through my head. I was shocked when I saw the sites but even more horrified when I had time to think about it.
We were up at 5am and our taxi driver picked us up at 6am to take us to the airport. Our 35 minute flight to Siem Reap didn’t leave until 9:20am but after the crazy traffic leaving the airport the other night, we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time. Yep, we had plenty of time…three hours to be exact.
Upon arriving in a very hot Siem Reap, we were to meet our airport transfer provided by our hotel which was a tuktuk. By the time we were all piled in with luggage, we looked a bit like some of those pictures of packed motorbikes which I sent earlier.
We are staying at the King Rock Boutique Hotel. The rooms and hotel are lovely. Unfortunately there is construction in the building beside our room but Cora’s room is very quiet.
After dropping off our luggage, we took our hotel tuktuk to the Angkor Wat Museum. It was very well done with good signage, many explanation videos and wonderful artifacts. It is well worth a visit to this museum to become better informed before you visit Angkor Wat.
Our tuktuk driver found us a nice restaurant for lunch before we went back to the hotel for a rest.
Siem Reap is a lot quieter and smaller than Phnom Penh but still has a lot to do. It reminds me a bit of Thailand’s Chang Mai.
After our rest, we decided to explore. We went across the street to the Khmer Wellness Spa. They were full so we made appointments for later.
We walked across the river. The late afternoon sun made the bridge and water wheel a golden glow.
The NightMarket still hadn’t opened but Pub Street which is the main bar strip was already showing signs of life. Siem Reap has a real laid back feel to it.
The motor bike parking lot was packed.
We returned to the Khmer Wellness Spa for massages. They were very clean and an hour later, we floated out of there. Massage prices are sooo cheap here. John’s was $6 US for a 1 hour foot and shoulder massage. Mine was $15 for a full body aromatherapy and Cora’s was $12 for a full body cream massage.
We crossed the street to the Khmer Grill. One of my best meals this trip. After supper Cora went back to the hotel for an early night and John and I decided to check out Pub Street and the Night Market.
Things were really hopping. The bridges were all lit up and mirrored in the water. The streets were also filled with colourful lights. There are always lots of interesting signs whose meanings may be lost in translation. One we saw today said “Golden Banana for Men” with an arrow pointing down a laneway. Another sign advertised “Home Decorating and Laundry”.
