Sunday 5th Feb.

(Saturday was lost to crossing the international date line)

Tuk-tuk in Siem Reap

It hadn't been the most comfortable nights rest before we boarded the free shuttle for the approximate 1 hour transfer from Suvarnabhumi to Don Muang - but as we sat and enjoyed a coffee outside at DMK, it began to sink in that we were in S.E. Asia! The sixty minute flight landed in Siem Reap at noon, the Cambodian customs/immigration process while somewhat over-staffed, was not a hurried process. We walked out of the terminal building into the first real blast of heat and hired a tuk-tuk for the 30 minute ride into town. Chet was a friendly fellow and frequently checked to make sure all was good with us.

  

Cambodian beer tasting

The Popular Boutique Hotel was not quite ready for our early arrival, so we left our packs with the reception desk and set out to explore the town. First stop; a bite to eat and some local refreshments - we sampled both Angkor and Cambodia brand beer, to be honest there wasn't much of a difference but Cambodia won by a slim margin.

Siem Reap market

The view from Popular Boutique Hotel

 The town was bustling with tourists, most of whom were staying here for Siem Reaps location close to the temples, particularly Angkor Wat. There were many street vendors selling all kinds of food, drinks and crafts and lots of banks with ATM's .... as we were soon to find out, cash is king here, with most places taking local currency (Cambodian Riel or US dollar) only, or a few that would take credit cards grudgingly but would add a 3% service fee to the transaction.

 

So many tropical fruits



We returned to the hotel and got the key to our room, which was clean and comfortable, somewhat basic, no view, but close to the pool and included breakfast. It was a welcome opportunity to freshen up and have a nap - the first comfortable bed since leaving Nanaimo!

Street vendors at the Night Market

I awoke about 9:00pm and went out, wandering the night market for an hour or so, grabbing a plate of Khmer vegetables and rice for a snack, then returning to the hotel where Jordan was still sound asleep.