Next up, Cambodia.
Upon arriving in Siem Reap, Sita and I immediately realized how different it would be than Bangkok. The airport was quaint, and we had to walk across what seemed more like a grocery store parking lot than anything else to get from the plane to customs.
We got outside and found Chorm, our tuk tuk driver. This is the first time I've had someone waiting for me outside an airport with a sign! Ok, so my name is spelled wrong.... But it's the thought that counts!
To get to the hotel, we actually drove down some crazy dirt roads... All of that just made the hotel seem that much nicer! The most important part...
After a short while, Chorm picked us up to head downtown. We walked through what seemed like a flea market, and ended up finding all kinds of stuff to buy. I got some dresses for my niece, and the soon to be born niece. Right when I thought I was done spending money, we came across a stall full of the most beautiful paintings. I ended up getting one that was actually painted with a spoon! We met back up with Chorm after a few hours of exploring. Apparently he was our guy, and only ours. He dropped us off and then just hung out in the tuk tuk until we came back! It was definitely different than anything I've experienced before.
We asked Chorm what else we should do, and he said something about a lake. We had no idea what he was saying, but just kinda went with it. It turns out that the lake was Tonlé Sap, which translates to Great Lake. You get in a boat and at first it seems like the biggest waste of time...lt just looks like a dirty river, with nothing to see! After some driving, a beautiful sight emerges. There is an entire village, floating on the lake. Women washing clothes, children playing, dogs barking... It was absolutely amazing to see. We continued driving in between the houses. We were told about a school on the lake where orphaned children attend. The guide asked us if we would be willing to donate something to them, so we bought 3 cases of bottled water. When we went into the school to give the water, I looked at some of the children's notebooks that they were working in. Every one I looked at was covered in drawings. As I kept looking, I began to wonder exactly how legit this school was. It just seemed "off." I know it's cynical to believe people would so elaborately set up a scheme like that, but in the world we live in, tourists are targeted with such things. I'd honestly rather be cynical than naive! Naivety does nothing for you when you're traveling the world.
From the school, we headed to a barge that had food, drinks, souvenirs, a catfish farm, and a crocodile farm. They grow crocodiles to make wallets and purses out of. As we were walking around the little shop, we saw a little girl holding a python, asking people if they wanted to hold it. Of course I headed over! The snake really seemed to like me, and people began taking pictures of me holding it. I really should have charged per photo!!
We left the floating village, found Chorm, and made our way back to the hotel. Due to having to get up so early in the morning the next day, Sita and I were both ready to pass out.
Cambodia is much more peaceful than Bangkok... People still drive crazy but its quieter overall. Hopefully the peace continues!
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