Siem Reap is a real and yet constructed kind of a city. I mean that both in the best of ways. The Cambodian history is rich and ever-present, from the temples of Angkor Wat to village life and the killing fields that lurk in the background. I arrived on a brisk night, the wind whipping into the tuk-tuk. I was exhilarated seeing the new Siem Reap built up around us while the low-key craziness and hub-bub of southeast Asian city life encircled it all at low levels on the street. I loved it all.
The Journey
It was a long journey from Ko Phangan in Thailand to Siem Reap. I curse that I always seem to find my exercise routine right before I leave a place. It was 6am, and the was barely on its way up. I ran along the jagged road in the northwest of Ko Phangan near Srithanu for the last time. As I rounded the corner back to Benjamin’s Hut, it was 6:45am. I would set off on my epic trip to Siem Reap in Cambodia in 15 minutes. The aggressive woman running the hotel was at my door at 6:59am looking a bit peeved that I wasn’t already out there waiting for the truck.
One hour later, I was at the ferry terminal. Two and a half hours later, after a lot of churning in my head and stomach, I had reached the mainland. Then I jumped onto a bus headed to Surat Thani airport, another hour. Four hours later, I would board a plane to Siem Reap. I was so happy to see my name written on a sign when I stepped out of the airport terminal.
My tuk tuk driver, Jahe, greeted me with a big smile. He ferried me to my $16/night hotel, Villa Sweet Angkor ($16/night with airport pickup included!). With the crisp breeze whipping into the tuk tuk that night as we passed the local street activity, hotels, and other signs of city life, I knew I had made the right decision to leave Thailand for the moment. I felt the exhilaration of entering a new milieu – new sights, smells, and sounds.
OK, my layover meal at the Bangkok airport didn’t hurt either:
City Highlights
- Angkor Wat and Other Temples
Angkor Wat is a temple complex and the largest religious monument in the world and was the seat of the Khmer Empire.
Other highlights include Ta Krohm (Tomb Raider temple) and Banteay Srei.
- The People
Cambodian people are beyond wonderful – smiley, happy, and welcoming, which is incredible considering their history. I’ve taken so much from their optimism. My tuk-tuk driver Jahe and I had a number of conversations about life in Cambodia. His childhood in the rice fields, the disparity in outcomes between himself and some of his peers, his struggles to put his son through school. - Yummy Food
I had a wonderful 6-course tasting menu at the Khmer-French fusion restaurant Cuisine Wat Damnang.Our last meal in Siem Reap was at Marum restaurant, which is run by an NGO that works with street children and marginalized youth. Many businesses have a social impact component to what they do, which was heartening to see.
- Phare Circus
We had a fun night out at the “circus.” The performance, Sokha, was a mix of theater, acrobatics, and humor with excellent music. Not to be missed if you are in Siem Reap. In their own words:“Sokha is a child haunted by war. Her memories of the Khmer Rouge combine with surreal visions and nightmares to create a distorted and dark reality. But through art, she discovers her strength and finds the tools to heal both herself and her community.Based on the true life stories of the founders of Phare Ponleu Selpak NGO School, Sokha is a powerful mix of drama, dance, contemporary circus techniques, live painting, and original, live music. The show highlights the long term effects suffered by post-war victims and the way art provided a powerful way to heal and rebuild the country.”