Next up. Siem Reap.

We awoke and headed to the bus, where I snapped this picture whilst waiting.

 

We board the bus and gear up for the 5,349,453rd journey (or so it felt.) We were sad to say goodbye to the charming village of Kratie. Memorable memories were made. 

It treated us well and we were always unsure of what the next location would bring.

We rode the bus for around six hours, stopping at charming family owned rest stops along the way. We bought something similar to fried balls of dough and potatoes, some sort of fried ball of delicious mystery and intrigue. Giant bag for somewhere around a dollar! Along with some beautiful fresh sliced pineapple for the road. 

When the bus rolled up to its final destination, we were quickly amidst the most intense de-bus-ing experience of the entire trip.  There were dozens of tuk-tuk men all around us, literally pawing at us and pulling our arms in each direction. The bus (ingeniously) drops its passengers off several miles (1 million kilometers, for those of you who have inferior conversion skills) away from the tourist haven of hotels and restaurants.

So all the drooly gents knew we'd simply HAVE to choose to ride with ONE of them. 

After our first profoundly unfortunate tuk tuk experience, we were always skeptical of accepting rides and chose to walk and seek hotels on our own. We were intensely pressured and being yelled at ("best price!" "I have map!" "See my hotel?" "Cheap ride!") from each direction. 

We took too long in our paralyzed awkward uncomfortable state and gave them all more reason to paw and smile and fight to the death. After we awoke from our paralysis, we tried to choose a gent who touched us the least. 

The ride through the dusty streets of Nowhereville, Cambodia lasted far longer than we'd expected. Our wily driver also kept insisting "Hotel you want to stay in is full. I will take you to place I know." Which was a scam we'd read about. (Wherein your driver lies about full hotels and takes you to a place he has struck up a deal with instead).. We insisted on being dropped of at our chosen destination -- though as it turned out he was right and the hotel was full.
Nevertheless, we had chosen a place in a central location... glad to be rid of our transport. Yet: the wily driver followed us after we departed his tuk-tuk, payed him and began to wander the surprisingly affluent tourist infested downtown. Tuk-Tuk Driver Man kept insisting on driving us to his hotel, which we declined as we tried to speed-walk our way out of his grasp.

Eventually, we lost our persistent new friend. Siem Reap was bustling with tourists and all things that cater to them. It was the most developed, expensive, and fancy of all the down-towns we'd visited.
And George Clooney was on a billboard!

Fun Condom Billboard

There was a short strip for pedestrians of shop upon shop and restaurant, and we took in all the sights -- frequently the sight of the kitschy pleasure of a tank filled with fish that nibble on your toes. Fish massage, a few dollars for twenty minutes of silliness. Lots of giggles were had by all the fancy western children and their parents.

Bat Mobile Tuk Tuk. Tourists eat that shit up! (Or so they hope)

Puppy in a Box

Mick Jagger ate here. It was good.

We enjoyed dinner on the street filled with the hub-bub of the western world, at the same restaurant Mick Jagger ate at once upon a time.

We called it an early night.... the infamous sleep-in-ers we are, we needed some early beauty rest if we were to beat the sun to Angkor the next morning.

Although the adventures in Siem Reap area continue, we'll leave that epic tale for the next blog. It'll be available speedier than this one was, say I. Cheers to you, friend. I'll tell you all about the temples and the biking and the rest of it real soon.