Travel day – we have to be up and out by 6:45. Barely time for breakfast, and I’m sadly disappointed that the Pho isn’t ready yet. Boo hoo! So we both have the egg sandwich, then trundle our way to the cab for the airport. It’s raining (good day to leave Hanoi) and the traffic is crazy, but our cabbie gets us to the airport with plenty of time to spare.
For some reason we can’t get our bags checked all the way through, so we have to recheck them in Bangkok. The girl checking us in seems to be having problems with our tickets (here we go again!). She checks us in, takes the bags, sends them on the belt, and then she tells us we have to go to security for our bags? She keeps our passports while we walk down to this double doorway that leads back to security and ring the bell. The guard at the end of the hall gives us some motion with her hands, like they are closed? We’re not quite certain. Finally she comes to the door and says there isn’t any problem with our luggage. What’s up with that? A bunch of people are doing it – so who knows?
Finally passports in hand, through immigration, we board the 2 hour flight to Bangkok. Bangkok goes much more smoothly. Immigration isn’t crowded at all, and we waltz right through, grab our bags and go right up stairs to check in for our Siem Reap flight. We have plenty of time, so we head to the Bangkok air lounge with their free internet access and snacks. Nice way to spend an hour, which turns out to be 2 hours as our flight is delayed.
Finally in the air – it’s not 30 minutes wheels up-wheels down, but they still serve you a whole box meal. Good little sandwiches, fruit and muffin. Yum.
Our driver is waiting for us at the airport, poor thing had to sit there for the entire delay! But he’s bright and cheery and loads our bags into the car. Off to the Central Boutique Angkor hotel we go. We notice the difference 3 years can make immediately. There a whole bunch of new hotels out here on the main “highway” and lots more activity. We’ve known that Siem Reap has grown, but this is really kind of crazy. And a lot of these places are high dollar – you can just tell. In a town where guest houses have rooms anywhere from $8 - $15 with a/c, it’s a little hard to swallow big bucks for a hotel…but guess the market is there.
We continue on our way, turning onto a narrow badly kept street lined with little stores, laundry places, restaurants and guest houses. We turn at the “Mommy’s Guesthouse” sign (good landmark to find our way back!), down a little narrow dusty alley, and there is the hotel way in the back, way quiet and private. The hotel couldn’t be better. Nice large room, beautifully landscaped grounds. 2 pools, quiet, and everyone is so accommodating. It’s beautiful and so inexpensive!
We get organized in the room….
…and since it’s now pushing on 5 o’clock, head out to the pool bar for some refreshing beverages!
I’m back in business with wine. Everyone has it – and fairly cheap. Happy girl! Ed’s happy with his Angkor beer. All around, we’re just happy. Hot….but happy!
A little later, we decide to hoof it on down to Pub street to get some grub. Pub street is the center of the tourist part of town with restaurants and bars galore. We head out of our little alley, onto the pot hole filled road that leads to the main part of town. Passing the TV bars – bars that have 5 or big screen TVs hanging on the front wall and 50 or so tables all lined up with chairs facing the TVs. If you don’t have a TV (and most people here don’t, heck a lot don’t even have electricity), you come here for your programs.
As we head to the main street, we are totally floored when we walk by the Villa Siem Reap! This is where we stayed the first time we were here – and we had no idea we were so close! The map is very misleading and we thought we were on the other side of town. How wild is that!
So, now I have my bearings, I know exactly where we are. ATM stop and on toward Pub Street. Another difference we notice are the massage parlors – they line the roads, and they used to come running out to you with flyers and come-ons. Now? They are still there – but out front is all the fish therapy tanks! Those big tanks where you sit and dangle your feet in for the fish to nibble away your dead skin and give you a “massage”? Obviously the rage. And I guess the fish bring ‘em in, because there are no more hustlers – at least not tonight.
It’s a zoo here. This little narrow road (closed to traffic at night thankfully) with tons of restaurants. We walk and wander, perusing. Some of the old standards are still here – Khmer Kitchen, etc. - but there a lot of new restaurants, and some sort of pricey. Hmmmm…..We finally end up at Angkor Famous – a place we used to stop for beer last visit. They’ve got a whole menu now – and $0.50 cent beers which of course are very appealing. They’ve also got wine – by the bottle – but it’s the same wine I have at the hotel and I like it – so I buy another bottle that I can take with me if I don’t finish it.
We’re sitting outside in the alley next to the restaurant and get to chatting with a German couple next to us. Everyone has been traveling all over here – if you come to SE Asia – everyone has the same idea we did – stay and see as much as you can because the flights are so long and hard on you!
We spend a pleasant, if not really hot, evening chatting and eating. I had Khmer noodle soup – similar to Pho, different spices though. Ed had Amok fish – a typical Khmer dish that has some excellent flavors!
Back at the hotel – we crank down the A/C, take showers to cool off, then drop off to sleep in our blissfully cool room.
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