Travel time - February 2018. Procrastination at its best. Writing this 2 years later is probably not a good idea. A point to note.
WARNING: Long but interesting piece ahead.
After eagerly waiting for about 3 and a half months, I was finally flying to Cambodia (and without my phone!)
Flying via AirAsia on a 6.00am flight, with a breathtaking view as the sun seeped through the clouds, it looked like edible cotton candy. I closed my mouth, my heart was not racing but the sight made me smile in gratitude.
I remember vividly 12 years ago, pointing at a newspaper to my mum “Wow! Flights are affordable actually!”
Innocently daring to dream despite the financial state my family was in at that point of time.
Bitterly, I also remember how belittled I felt when some people went on to predict that I’ll never be able to fly anywhere.
Snapping back to the endless supply of ‘cotton candy’ before me, I rejoiced as the sun warmed my face, a familiar feeling of joy in my heart, similar to returning home after many years away...Strange, I thought.
Day 1 – Thursday
Touchdown Siem Reap, I felt the cool breeze, slightly colder than the air conditioning in the plane, with a hint of smoke, brushing my face as I walked from the plane into the airport. The air was…different, yet familiar.
We collected our luggage and headed straight to the exit where the hotel had sent someone for pick-up and transfer. I was super sleepy, having not slept for more than 24 hours but I was excited and awake at the same time!
We headed straight to town to get entrance tickets to the Cambodian temples. For my 4 days 3 night’s trip, a friend and I took a laid back 1-day temple pass, which was quite satisfying by itself.
While the rest took a full 3-day pass, that started today. We then checked-in at our stay, left our baggage and headed out for brunch! My food for the day was chicken fried rice a.k.a nasi goreng ayam! You read that right!
Their local food is somewhat similar to Malaysian food I felt, meehoon soup, fried rice, chicken kurma curry (known as Amok) and so on. After lunch while the rest headed for their Day 1 temple visit, my friend and I visited the local mall. Nothing unusual with the mall, apart from a number of stalls with handmade soaps and scrubs that smelt heavenly, the only thing I regret not buying in a bundle.
The tuk tuk ride is always fun! Cambodians ride on the right side of the road by the way. Close to 4.00pm, we headed back to the hotel for a quick bath.
Feeling like a clean, fresh monkey that I am, my friend and I walked out the hotel and wandered around aimlessly, following the street dogs, joking that they’ll be our free tour guide. We found foot massage centres, salons and food stalls run by families’ right at their porch.
My white slippers were turning orange from the ground I was walking on. Not bothered, I saw semi-naked, barefoot toddlers running around the open porch.
It felt like I was taking a stroll in my own village, visiting my own neighbourhood. Familiar but new. COCONUTS! Thank god for coconuts! I couldn’t speak their language and they couldn’t speak English much, so I resorted to very poor sign language and used very few words.
“Coconut. One”
Their coconuts were HUGE! I was sipping and sipping and sipping… it was like an endless well of coconut water. One coconut alone lasted me from noon till dinner, and my dinner was the soft jelly like meat inside it!
We wandered off quite a distance but I wasn’t frightened, I wasn’t feeling lost. I was able to remember our way back to the hotel. Strange, I thought.
We spent the evening enjoying the sunset by the balcony, waiting for the rest to return from their temple trip.
Tomorrow was going to be different!
Day 2 – Friday
I did not regret waking up as early as 4.00am to travel and catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. We found a spot to sit, as soon as we did, a Cambodian local, animatedly slid across the bare, sandy ground with a torch shining on a worn out breakfast menu, “BRIKKKFEST! Welcome to Angkor Whuuuuuttt, maam. Brikfest for you?”
Humoured, I was tempted to say yes and order everything from the menu for everyone there but held myself back. “No, thank you”, remembering the free breakfast back at the hotel if we get back by 10.00am.
An hour passed sitting in the dark, I felt something brush my feet, I pulled a friend’s phone torchlight to my feet only to find it hopping away. The torch followed, a little frog! How cute. Must be from the pond that was right in front of us by the way.
As every traveller would advise, don’t expect to have Angkor Wat all by yourself! It won’t be a mushy mushy sunrise scene with your loved one, unless you’re okay with pitch-black, pre-sunrise scene (yawn).
As time passed, it got a little brighter and the sunrise spot grew with tourists from around the world, especially ‘professional’ photographers with their high end cameras, sticks and tripods ready to take pictures of Angkor Wat with the cap still on the camera. *Facepalm
Be prepared to be shooed away if you’re NOT there to take a picture of the sunrise but just there to enjoy and bask in all of Angkor’s glory.
I heard a familiar “BRIKKKFEST!...” echoing not far behind me. I turned around to locate him and found several stalls set up by the sides far left with a couple more owners going around taking orders for breakfast.
Apparently, 6.00 – 7.00am is the actual perfect time for awesome sunrise snaps!
We then headed back to the hotel for our free and surprisingly large portion of breakfast and went for a boat ride shortly after breakfast.
Through the narrow murky river where the boat started, my nose picked up, first, a muddy scent. My eyes grew wider as we passed by houses stacked up high by the river banks but my nose cringed as it then picked up a salty, fishy scent. We headed straight to the largest lake, Tonle Sap.
The boat ride was both refreshing and an awesome experience that we didn’t realise it was close to noon! Interestingly, the boat neared a floating restaurant. We were still full from breakfast and decided to skip lunch. The view from atop the floating restaurant was incredible! Let’s just say you won’t get that on a daily basis.
We then hopped back onto the boat and it brought us back through the river. Five minutes in, I noticed our driver waving at us by the river bank, we waved back. How did he get there?? We realised then, that we will not be spending another hour and a half back through the river. Thankfully. We got off the boat and visited three other temples!
We headed back to Angkor Wat before it shut down to catch the sunset, the adrenaline rush was hilarious as we rushed to pose and take pictures before hopping onto the van again.
The Phare- The Cambodian Circus was next. I sat there smelling like sweat with dust on my face and clothes, but I thoroughly enjoyed the show. By 9.00pm, we were all too tired.
Day 3 – Saturday
It was going to be a long day for some of us.
While the others left for their Day 3 – temple visits as early as 5.00am, my other friend of mine and I got to sleep in a little longer. We then had breakfast at our own time and although it was the same breakfast every day, I enjoyed this one the most because I took the time with it.
I cut my crusty baguette into half, spread the butter on one side and the jam on the other and generously sprinkled the scrambled eggs before taking a bite. The butter and jam had a distinctive taste. The large portion of eggs was seasoned well.
Feeling relaxed, we chatted about our days so far. The plan today was to go back out to the place we wandered off to, get my daily dose of coconut water and go for a Cambodian foot massage.
Just slightly after noon, we made our move.
My luck! Melodious traditional Cambodian music was being played opposite the massage centre while I was getting my foot massaged for an hour. Almost fell asleep!
Full from the coconut, I skipped lunch. Close to 4.00pm now, we headed back to the balcony and checked out their local channels. We then had tea by the balcony, took a shower, got dressed and prepared for Pub Street!
It was our last night here and we made it a night to remember! We shopped, had a fancy dinner, bar hopped – a night of beer, dance and disco!
Day 4 – Sunday
The day we fly back home. No time for a hangover. We slept in and took our time to check-out of the hotel at noon and headed straight to the airport.
Even at the airport, their handmade soaps were such a delight but were a dollar or two more expensive than the ones from the market! My regret grew but it is something that made me want to go back to Cambodia and get it!
My trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia is a pretty laid back one instead of an educational one. I know that the country has had a dark past with close to 3 million people killed in the Khmer Rouge that only happened 35-40 years ago. Not very uplifting, but the people here are extremely kind and accommodating.
In my next visit to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, I intend to visit the war museum, the prisons and the killing fields and see how that one goes! Stay tuned!
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