The Other Siem Reap

I finally got a day to sleep in and I took the late morning to explore the non-tourist side of Siem Reap.

First let me fill you in with whats its been like dealing with the local tourist seekers. The main area is made up of five dense streets and two markets on the outskirts. When approaching the general vicinity of the area you cant make it ten steps without either getting approached by someone trying to sell you their services or any tourist junk they can get their hands on. At first I thought it was funny how persistent they are. I would joke around with them and tell them I have the best stuff and so on but it quickly became very aggravating. The Tuk Tuk drivers walk across the roads and through traffic just to ask you if you need a Tuk Tuk. Or you hear a dozen other guys yelling out at you, "Sir! Sir! You need Tuk Tuk? No? Tomorrow? How about next day? Sir? Sir?" The shop keepers and their kids run up to you with guide books, T shirts, and other nick-knacks saying "Sirrrr? Siirrrr? You buy something... Sirrrr? You buyy..." There is little to no tact and their persistence is never ending and there is no escaping it. After a while I walk around not saying anything to anyone and just ignoring them all together.

So back to my day. I ventured across the river where all the locals live in raised, slum-like shacks and dirt roads that have been turned entirely to mud. Here I got a sense of the real culture behind the thick mask of impoverished tourist scammers. Children in school uniforms casually walk the edges of the muddy roads smiling and laughing. People tending to their houses and families. Along the way are small shops, shoe makers sitting on the side of the road with a crate of tools, laundromats with clothes drying on an array of multi-colored plastic chairs, and best of all, no noise other than the squishing of mud beneath your feet and distant voices. I can walk around and talk to people without them ever mentioning a Tuk Tuk or anything else to get money out of me. Everyone looks up at me with big smiles and either approach me to talk or let me walk peacefully through the semi-slum.

I eventually came across a restaurant back near the tourist area that I read about where locals go to train in the restaurant service industry. After the meal I was walking back to the guest house and I got caught in some heavy rain. Fortunately, I made it back just before the thick of it came pouring down like a blitzkrieg for ten minutest every ten minutes. I was stranded in my guesthouse for the next 3 hours before it cleared and I could catch a ride to the temples for sunset. I finally got some great pictures of Angkor Wat and the Bayon. The architectural landscape has giant pools at the foot of the structures that allow for amazing reflections. At this point of the day everyone is rushing to the main sunset spot on top of the Bakheng Mountain so the Bayon was nearly empty.

This was an amazing way to spend my day where it was quiet and I was finally removed from the mainstream tourism.