Our First Day in Siem Reap

Yes, things are looking better this morning especially when we sit down to our breakfast at the guesthouse.  It is generous and tasty, and we are seated with three young ladies who are delightful companions.  Two are from the UK and one from Germany; all three are on extended trips of six plus months.  They are all thrilled with their visit to Angkor Wat which reassures us immensely.  We're here for 5 nights/4 days so we plan to do a walk-about in SR today then spend the following three days on AW.

Our host, Reinhart, cautions us about traffic in SR and reminds us to look both ways, look again and once again before crossing the street.  (Apparently a female Chinese tourist was struck and killed by a bus recently.)  Cambodia drives right; we've just gotten used to changing our look pattern for Thailand where they drive left.  And Cambodian drivers are 'creative' - not as creative as the Indians but creative nonetheless.

Couple of observations . . .

Cambodia uses the USD.  They do have a national currency - the real - which currently trades at about 3800/1$ but the only time you see it is if you buy something with an uneven dollar amount, you'll get real as change (US coins didn't make it over here - only paper money).  Everything is quoted in USD.

Their tuk tuks are modified scooters which have been fitted with a hitch-like device behind the driver's seat to which the towing compartment is attached using a ball and socket-type device.  It's all quite efficient and allows for the tuk tuk to easily convert from passenger to 'freight' conveyance.
Wearing a helmet is mandatory for scooter and tuk tuk drivers; we actually saw police writing tickets to non-helmet wearing drivers.

Everyone we've met (except for yelling customs lady) has been very kind and most are able to communicate in English, albeit haltingly.  As a country, they still seem to be working on the basics - personal and public hygiene, universal education, health care, affordable housing . . . the ravages of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge are beyond imagining.  Estimates vary, but most people agree that approximately one-third of the population was killed during that regime.  And like most totalitarian reigns, this one finally consumed itself . . . and now 35 years on this country still struggles but there are hopeful signs.

We begin our walk-about with a wander along the banks of the Siem Reap River where a spectacular display of photos by a French photographer documents Life along the Mekong.

While this is nominally a Buddhist country, the Indian/Hindu influence remains.

I was so taken with this young fellow . . . his coloring is so non-Asian.

Today is some sort of Buddhist holiday, and this shrine at the base of a sacred tree was the site of a number of worshippers.

These two young boys were ready with their contributions to the shrine.

We see so many children during the day . . . apparently universal public education hasn't quite made it here . . .

On our walk-about we run into our two UK friends from breakfast at the guesthouse.  Over delicious fruit smoothies, we continue comparing travel notes and adventures.  Later we all make our way to the public market - enormous and labyrinthine - and eventually make it back home.  Good day - we're both starting to relax and feel safe.  Tomorrow, our first day of a 3-day visit to Angkor Wat!

Getting to Siem Reap

Traveling is frequently an exercise in exposing ones (frequently unacknowledged) prejudices and flying from Chiang Mai to SR is no exception.   We have two flights (both under 90") – one from CM to Bangkok and, after a 5- hr layover, another flight to SR.   We get on the plane in CM only to find that a woman is sitting in Tim’s seat.  OK, these things happen but once the mistake is pointed out, usually the person graciously moves or pleads to remain (and we generally agree).  Neither happened this time.  She tried to tell us we were wrong – huh?  There were three passengers and they had decided that we should take one of the empty seats (in the middle) across the aisle.  They decided, didn’t ask us - just decided - and it took a call to the flight attendant to get our seat! 

And it happened again on the flight to SR!  Same scenario – three women traveling together who’d decided they’d simply appropriate one of our aisle seats.  And once again we pointed out that one of them was sitting in my aisle seat.  This time they agreed they were in one of our seats but decided that since we were traveling together, one of us could take the middle seat across the aisle!   Huh?  When I said that was not acceptable, the three of them loudly told us why this was a bad idea (I wouldn’t like their loud conversation) and I would not be happy sitting with the two of them!  They then proceeded to grill me as to why I wasn’t sitting with my husband; the woman seated next to Tim did the same thing with him.   I chose to ignore them and their comments and worked very hard not to think badly of them (they were from Germany, speaking Russian to each other, and English with a very heavy accent).

We finally get to SR, an hour late, cranky, hungry, and tired.  Now it’s just Immigration then Customs and we’re in!!  But wait, we can’t get through the terminal door into immigration until we fill out a Health Card – huh?  This is a full plane (200+ passengers) and there is one person handing out these forms, inspecting them for completeness and then giving us an ‘If you get sick in Cambodia’ form.  One person!  It is chaos. Isn’t this the kind of form that should be handed out to passengers who can complete it en route?  Are they really looking for potential ebola-carrying travelers?

My strategy in these situations is to just let the crowd go in front of me – we’ll all get through the door, there’s no need to push and shove.  And that’s what we do and finally make it past the ‘health inspector’.  We’re inside!  And in another, long line to get our VOA.  It took me a while to realize that this is the first time I’ve not seen a ‘(Fill in the blank) Nationals’ line at an international airport.  There was no separate line for Cambodians!  

This is a Visa on Arrival (VOA) country - $30 each plus a passport photo – and a long, long line of processors who actually take your passport out of sight!  Another prejudice exposure here – all the Chinese tourists who brazenly attempted to jump the line – I called them on it, pointing out that the end of the line was behind us, causing all the English speaking folks waiting in line near us to congratulate me on taking the initiative.  We’ve actually brought photos and USD to pay for the visas.   All in all a pretty efficient operation.

Just when I think we’re home free – passports with colorful Cambodian visa inserted - and about to begin our SR adventure, I get a rude awakening at the Customs desk.  Apparently I didn’t have a completed Arrival/Departure card, and the lady Customs examiner proceeded to yell at me and demanded I produce the card.  She didn’t speak a word of English!  I called across to Tim who’d completed one card (given to us on the flight) which he thought would cover both of us; he was through – I’m still being yelled at.  Finally, I get a blank card, take it back to the waiting area to fill it in and go back through the Customs line – not the one with yelling lady!!   Well, by this time, we’re both ready to turn around and get back on the first Air Asia flight out of here!!  What a rude introduction to a country that has one of the 7 Wonders of the World (Angkor Wat) and whose tourist industry is their biggest source of income. 

Fortunately our tuk tuk driver (sent by the guesthouse) has been waiting patiently outside, holding a card with my name on it. He is sweet and kind and with his limited English comments on how late we are – he was worried. The trip from the airport takes us past row upon row of mid-rise hotel complexes, with tour busses filling the parking lots.  Is this a tourist town or what??  

We arrive at our guesthouse which is located away from the backpacking/ bar scene area and highly rated.  It’s lovely and we begin to relax . . . but when we tell the owner of our ‘adventure’ at the airport, he regales us with the wretched state of this whole country, the corruption of the police force, the thuggery of the politicians, the dangers of walking on the streets in SR!!   I can’t help but wonder if this has all been a big mistake . . . I have wanted to see Angkor Wat for a very long time, but this is an ominous beginning to this part of our SEA adventure.   

Things always look better in the morning . . .