Siem Reap, Cambodia - A Primer

Siem Reap, Cambodia
24th to 27th July 2007 (about 3 full days)
Xueling, Xuemin, Alvin Pek and John Doe
Low tourists monsoon season
Midday furnace causing sunburn and over-exposed photos

More photos here. Comments encouraged, critiques more than welcomed.

Sleep: Bou Savy Guesthouse
Driver: Mr. Ra. - two thumbs up. very pleasant and humorous chap -
contact: dara_siemreap[at]yahoo.com - +855 92 98 69 46

Return Air tix: S$187 from Jetstar

$$$: Less than US$200 or S$300
Departure tax: $25
Accomodation: $18 * 3 nights / 4 heads = $13.5
Temples: $20
Boat to Tonle Sap: $20
Museums: $4
Tuktuk: $10
Food: $30
Shopping: $60
Tips/donations: $12.5

Highs - Experiencing the simple and delightful Cambodian life outside of the tourist traps
Lows - Discovering that hundreds of photos were ruined by the shitty wide angle lens causing severe chromatic abberation. :(

Khmer - is pronounced ke-mare.

Initial worries about overly aggressive tuk tuk/cyclo drivers soliciting for your ass, as suggested by the excellent www.talesofasia.com, were unfounded. Sure they offered their services along the way, but you can always decline with a smile/ignore/wave them off/engage in light banter, all of which i tried. Even after declining his service, I had no problem asking a helpful tuk tuk driver for directions on the map.

Siem Reap is safe, as far as I can tell from that short 3 days. I'd have no qualms about walking alone at night.

Shopping. There are a few places, but forget about the Old Market (Psar Chaa) and Central Market (Psar Kandal). Go straight for the Night Market, which I heard opened only weeks ago. The stalls there sell just about everything you can find in the previous two markets, and at a cheaper price. Very comfortable shopping environment.

Horning among vehicles is common as I found out, but not in a oei-fuck-off manner. The drivers' blaring is more exuberant than rude, and is no more than a little oncoming notification.

Roads are dusty. The face gets sooty after half a day of travelling. While face masks are common, contrary to what I read, the krama (scarves) are hardly used. However during the temples hopping day, I wore the krama that I had bought and it served me well against the dust and sun. Works for photos too.

Girls in general are more scrupulous at bargaining. They will hold out for say, $2 for something instead of the 'lowest price $2.50' like it's a matter of life and death at times. Reality check - $0.50 or 2000 riels isn't really that much though it means more to them than us. Taking it a little easier makes the world goes round. That said, bargaining off the starting price is still a must since it is already expected of you. If you don't, they will certainly think that you're either extremely charitable or an ill-informed idiot, either of which will make them like you a lot more than the last chap who didn't buy anything after 15 minutes of bargaining.

Eat the local Khmer food. I tried the roadside stalls, an eatery for locals and a Khmer restaurant called Socheata, and all were good. The most disappointing was the American breakfast offered at the guesthouse.

Angkor Archaeological Park. A one day visit is only enough for a brief look at the more famous temples. Mid day is scorching hot, demoralizing and a terrible time for photos.

Angkor Wat is a photographer's dream and nightmare. Simply overwhelming. Performance anxiety arises.

For Cambodians, it is inauspicious to take photos with three people in it. Same for touching them on the head.

Singapore remains one of only 13 countries who are still producing landmines. Why a rich and peaceful country like us continue to do so for commercial reasons is both baffling and shameful.