Buddah Buddah Buddah Buddah Buddah everywhere....

 

A few days ago we left Cambodia, which up to this point, has been my favorite stop so far. (I'm aware I said this with Dubai as well, and will likely repeat this sentence at least 10 more times.) One thing everyone kept telling me about Cambodia, was how incredibly inexpensive it was. We had just come from Bangkok, which was by far the cheapest place I'd seen, but that didn't hold a candle to this. $0.50 draft beer? Check. $3 for lunch for two? Check. $10 a night for a legit hotel? Check. All of these things were possibilities. Of course we opted to stay at one of the nicest hotels I've ever seen, and ate one of the top 10 meals of my life, in the best restaurant in Siem Reap, and drank French rose at least once a day, but that's beside the point. We initially intended to go there to give us a little break on spending, and pretty much say we went to Cambodia, but as soon as we landed we realized Siem Reap was so much more than an inexpensive tourist trap.

As soon at we left the airport we were greeted with the happiest, friendliest people we had ever seen. (Key word here is left, as SOME people weren't to cool about me losing my customs form between the plane and the airport. #woops) Everyone, and I mean everyone, from Tuk Tuk drivers, to the receptionist at our hotel, was smiling. (They may absolutely hate tourists, but you would never know. I felt like giving everyone I passed a big hug just because they were so nice, but I wasn't trying to turn that smile upside down, or into a punch in the face for invading personal space...) People seemed legitimately glad to see us, even though no one knew me from Adam. We spent our entire first day wandering around the city eating everywhere we could and grabbing famous $0.50 beer at random bars along the way. We walked through the markets, which were endless, and again, extremely inexpensive. (I obviously bought an obscene amount of things. It felt like I was getting such a good deal, if I didn't buy it, I was basically losing money)

On the second day, we scheduled a car to bring us to watch the sunrise over Angkor Wat, the largest religious structure in the world. At 4:30 in the morning, after we were up until 1 am, because, obviously. But it was absolute magic. Although we were told it wasn't even a good sunrise, I was blown away. We were watching a sunrise in the same place someone watched over 1,000 years ago. I can imagine there were a few less iPhone pics and people standing in front of you taking endless amounts of selfies, but still a pretty cool realization. (I have taken spots at Mardi Gras in front of people, so I felt like maybe this was karma and took my punishment...)

We then started to tour the temples, and temples, and temples. We went through about 5 or 6 by 9 am and we were beat. Also - a little off subject - but all I wanted was a guide book so we could understand the importance of what we were looking at. A man wanted $1.00. Rob told me it was too expensive. This is how our perception of money is now. Lord help us when we get to Singapore..... Anyway, these temples are absolutely amazing. I have never seen the pyramids, but I'm guessing it's a similar thought process when people see those. Over and over I just kept saying, "I just don't understand how they built these 1,000 years ago." And then I promptly remember, the aliens helped them.

We spent our final day wandering through the soul of Siem Reap, soaking in the happiness and (mostly good) smells of the city. We bar hopped down Pub Street, ate at a small street cafe, and bought a few more things from the night market before begrudgingly heading back to our hotel to pack and fly to Chiang Mai. As many of you know, I don't love touristy places. I like to see the culture and the heart of a city so that I can feel it's spirit. Although there are a good number of tourists in Siem Reap, the city has maintained its true self. Sure, there are a few westernized restaurants and hard rock cafes (not a joke - there is a Hard Rock Cafe in Cambodia), but I feel like the Cambodian people, cuisine, and culture are still so evident in the city, an attribute which unfortunately, many places have not been able to hold on to. So here's to you Siem Reap, I will miss your $0.50 beers, and your smiling people, your to die for soft shell crab, and your classic fish amok, and I hope you will always keep that sassy personality you have going right now, because I want to see it again the next time we're in town.

Cheers,
The Caseys