Watted Out in Siem Reap

Trip Start Nov 04, 2007

Trip End May 03, 2008

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Show trip route

Hide lines

Where I stayed

Mandalay Inn Siem Reap

(Siem Reap hotels)

Flag of Cambodia Siem Reap, Cambodia
Monday, November 26, 2007

Ros:
We have seen a lot of Wats.
I know that Angkor Wat is a bit famous for being a large Wat, and I know that we'd set aside three full days for looking around Wats (which should have given away the quantity of wattage as well as the quality) but good grief we've seen A LOT of wats!

Unfortunately for us the Cambodians are in the process of learning about Health and Safety, which means that most of the most spectacular bits of wats are either sealed off for renovation, for safety reasons or while they build wooden steps. Other wats already had wooden steps. Which was a shame as scaffolding and wooden steps spoils the view and detracts from the old-world scrambling-around-ruins thing. As do the coaches of tourists. We now hate all tourists from the following countries (this may, we hope, be temporary xenophobia, but for the moment it is pretty much the case): Japan (why WHY WHY do they all need a photo of themselves and every combination of friends in front of every doorway or view?!!!), China (millions of them wearing identical caps and trooping around following guys with flags), French (think they own the place or something. Not any more they don't!). There actually weren't that many Americans or English. There were a lot of children selling things. I think we shall be hearing in our sleep 'Lady, you wan wader?' and 'sir, you buy something from me? maybe layder, yes?'. We wish that we could explain to them that we weren't being mean but we really don't think buying from children is very helpful to anyone.

That having said, the wats we found that were quiet we really liked. We have taken *hundreds* of pictures (we think we shall make a separate photo album of Angkor Wat when we get home so they don't take over our trip!). We set out at 8am on the first day and stayed until sunset, 7am yesterday and stayed until about 3pm and 7.30am today and got back to the hotel at about 3pm. Which doesn't sound too arduous until you realise that wats require a *lot* of scrambling over. We have done more exercise in the past three days than I would normally do in a year. Scrambling up uneven stone staircases, leaping over tumbled down rocks, trecking across the grassy bits in-between in the full sun. We hired a tuk-tuk driver (who thankfully had his name 'Mr Sinal' and a BMW sticker on his tuk-tuk or we'd have lost him repeatedly) to take us around, although that was sometimes more exhausting than walking as we rattled around pot-holes and tried not to choke on fumes from coaches. Especially today when we went to Banteay Srey and Kbal Spean - a wat and some river carvings that are about an hour further on from Angkor Wat along an unsealed red-dust road. Got back to the hotel and had to take about three showers to get the dust out of our hair, pores and ears. Yuk.

Anyhow, we'll attempt to upload some photos as they will give you a taste of the wats a lot better than I can - and probably give you a better impression as I largely tried to take pictures missing out the tourists!

Siem Reap is a nice enough town - very touristy and a bit pricey but nice to potter around in the evening. There are lots of bars and restaurants and a nice old market (pretty set up for tourists, but nice things). We ate in a nice Khmer restaurant the first night, then a 'vegetarian' (included fish) restaurant the second night, our hotel the next night and tonight...well, I overdosed on free nuts when we went to the Foreign Correspondent's Club for happy-hour cocktails so we haven't got around to having dinner yet...

A little note on Pyjamas...

The latest women's fashion in Cambodia...hopefully not coming to England any time soon... yes folks, you've guessed it - they wear their favourite PJs out in public. Women on motorbikes in red PJs with stars on... children on the back in PJs with teddy-bears, women selling things on the side of the road in nice flowery ones....
And I'm not even joking.

Where we stayed in Siem Reap
Mandalay Inn - just south of Old Market. $16 for A/C room with cable TV and ensuite shower-room (hot water). Organised a tuk-tuk for us at $12 per day with an extra $10 for the excursion to Kbal Spean. Really nice pineapple pancakes :) Entry to Angkor $20 for a three day pass.

The vegetarian places in Siem Reap
Khmer Kitchen in pub street in the old market area is really good for veggies - there's a veg option for every type of dish. The 'vegetarian'cafe is on the other side of the river and is called Singing Tree or something equally silly. They do yoga and show videos (apparently there is free internet and a video library, although we just ate there!). Really nice gardens and lovely food.