Siem Reap is unavoidable destination for all travellers around Cambodia. Unavoidable because it's sort of a starting point for visits of ancient capital of Angkor.
Siem Reap by itself is worth of a visit and it offered us everything we missed in Phnom Penh. It's relaxed, pristine, not yet too much infected by western culture. City is manageable on foot, but ideal way of exploring it is by bicycles. You can rent it for $1 per day and if you have more luck than I did, you don't even end up with flat tire. What to do if it happens, and if renting office is already closed? Answer is photo below right!
Already in Vietnam I saw some improvized petrol stations and I thought I've seen the worse. I was wrong of course. Here you buy a liter of 95-octane in a Johnny Walker bottle - Black Label.
Motorcycles are not so massively represented in traffic as in the eastern neighbour. So it's even a nicer surprise when you find some familiar. (Tomos is a slovenian brand.)
Siem Reap is well know by it's night market. We found it a bit cleaner than what we were used to before. But maybe you just don't see the garbage at night...
One more thing we are seeing for quite a while but in Siem Reap very offten. This is street pedicure saloons (below left.) They are interesting because the fish do all the work. Somehow we just didn't trust higiene standards here, so unfortunatelly we can not share any practical opinion about the results of treatment :)
Yet another interesting thing are TV bars. Chairs are placed like in cinema and in front you can see at least four screens. On each there is another programme selected, so you just watch the one you preffer :)
At the end we have to mention Angkor. This is a main symbol of Cambodia. You can see it on the national flag and represents legendary ancient capital of the kingdom. Movies about Indiana Jones and Lara Croft were shot there. It's protected under UNESCO world heritage and as a consequence of everything mentioned you have to spend 20$ per a day of visit.
Price sounded a bit excessive and after some research we found alternative. There is a temple, which was also a part of massive complex of Angkor. But because of it's remoteness (it's located 40 km eastern of main objects) you have to visit it separately. Separately you have to pay also the entrance fee and it's just $5. It's called Beng Mealea and because none of use consider himself as a proffesional historian we decided this option gives beter ratio between offer and price.
Here are some photos from the quest for the hidden treasure.
Interesting was not only the visit of the temple but also the vilage with the same name. Life there is somehow a jump in the past. About internet just forget straight away. We were able to use magical effects of electricity only for a couple of hours after sunset when every house turned on generators.
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