My 5 days spent in Siem Reap was a mixture of everything. Sunny days, rainy afternoons, sunny evenings, rainy nights...from magnificient carvings to stones, rocks and rubbles...its more than what words can describe. In short, i will probably not return for a long time. Maybe i've really spent too many days there. A short trip of 3days would probably be more enjoyable and have a longer lasting good impression.
The town is dusty at all times. Our trip is suppose to be an adventure, so we booked our tuk-tuk on our first day. Imagine having to put on a mask and shades all the time. I can still recall feeling rather excited when i boarded the tuk-tuk from the airport to the hotel. Admiring the views along the way, chatting happily with my mates...till i felt the sand in between my teeth when i reach the hotel, that's when my feeling for such adventure ends.
The first day was rather bad, it began to rain when we reach Angkor Wat. With raincoats and umbrella we ventured in, the rain stopped after a while and the evening sun was upon us. The sight was pretty amazing. Especially the local children were kinda happy kicking away puddles of water. I think i might have caught the flu at that time.
The second day, no sunrise for us due to the rain the night before. So we took our time, got our driver to a stall that sells french bread with mince pork, cucumber, mayo, tomato and spring onion (the whole damn thing! not chopped or even cut! - kinda reminds me of those vegetation that the people in jakarta held in their hand when they have their rice). I kinda regretted watching how they made those. I couldn't even finish my half. The rest of the day was pretty amazing, being the first time in Cambodia, visiting ruins and all. It was a pretty fun thing. Till it started to rain and shine again. I lost count as to how many times that happen. I got sick that night.
The third day we got up early to catch the sunrise. We were pretty determined though it did rain the night before. The next morning, weather was good. We got out of the hotel by 4 plus to catch the first ray of light that's gonna hit Angkor Wat. Surprisingly, there were alot of people waiting with their cameras ready and gazing into the eastern horizon. We were so not alone. It's kinda tough trying to get pictures and having to avoid unwanted 'heads' in it. The rest of the day was pretty chaotic for me. I felt my bones aching, my nose like a tap running loose and despite all that, i had to press on with the walks and climbs. We managed to catch the sunset too that evening, not sure if its the breeze on the hill or was it the view...i remember feeling alot better at that time.
The fourth was pretty much a bonus. We have nothing much to do on the 4th day. All the sites what we would have wanted to visited, its all done by then. So we decided to venture off further out...to the floating village and the cover the remaining of the track - the Rulous group. It's well worth the visit...at least, an eye-opener. Along the way to the lake, there were straw huts. The poor people still lives in huts and dont even have clean water to drink from. Children were either really skinny, not fully dressed or naked.
The floating village was slightly different, they have everything that they needed on floating decks. Barbers, schools, churches, groceries stores etc. Though all these were floating on a lake which looks 'orangy', it is still something which you dont see in your everyday life.
The fifth day after breakfast, we were bound to depart home. So there's really not much left to do but to bid farewell to our tuk-tuk driver. Take a pic or two with his smily, innocent face. Gave him my remaining bottle of mineral water :P Then we're off. Surprisingly, our flight did not get delayed this time.
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