Siem Reap - Day 1

Siem Reap is has been on my 'must visit' list since I arrived in Cambodia. It is also the place that people seem to rave about the most, specifically about the temples. So with Lynda and mom in tow we made the 35 minute plane ride over. This was after I convinced them that an 8 hour bus ride on the notoriously terrible roads was not the best way to see the countryside.

The town is a cluster of villages along the Siem Reap River and feels more small town and relaxed. Our first night we walked along Pub Street before stopping for some dinner, which included crocodile curry. Word of advice: it is not worth it. Think super chewy chicken. I was staying at a near by hostel which was fine for the sole purpose of sleeping (with earplugs to drown out the free keg party happening a floor above). Unfortunately, my night did not end well as I was up for most of it with a mystery sickness.

The next morning I was determined to sightsee. In my mind, I may never come back to Siem Reap and I was going hell or high water. So by recommendation by our awesome tour guide Tay, we opted for a boat ride out to the floating villages and finished off at the silk museum.

This was a great little area buzzing with bars, restaurants and entertainment. We had dinner while enjoying some serious people watching. 

My mom decided on a $2 "foot massage" performed by little fish that eat the dead skin of your feet. Between the laughing and squealing she said it was quite enjoyable. 

I loved the quiet more relaxed feel of Siem Reap in general.

Watching scarves being woven on the looms.

Learning the entire process from worm to finished fabric. It really is amazing and I finally understand why silk can be so expensive. Holy hard work!

Some great country scenery on our way to the docks. These lotus flowers are collected either for eating or decorating. 

This community was called Chong Khneas and had family homes, businesses and fish/crocodile farms all anchored together in groups. There were 2 other villages but the water was too low to get to them.   

These were the boats you rented to get to the village. 

A combination of the shallow water and garbage was making our journey a difficult one. Our prop kept getting tangled so we would switch off the engine only to drift into shore. Our knowledgable 12 year old driver and the use of huge sticks got us back into deeper water. By the looks of the water we were just hoping we wouldn't have to get out. All of this was happening while I was laying half conscious on the boat floor and other tourists were taking pictures of our broken down boat as they cruised by. 

A snapshot of how I was feeling for 2 days.