Siem Reap: The City

Sala Lodges was a small hotel with eleven traditional wooden homes that were relocated and restored.  Our lodge was once home to a woodworker/construction business man and his family.  It was spacious and comfortable albeit a little dark (windows were small and covered to keep the air conditioning more effective). The swimming pool was a refreshing respite after a day sightseeing and the breakfast simple and good.  

After three nights we switched hotels and stayed at La Residence d’Angkor.  We planned this change because of availability.  It was fun to be in two parts of the city because we got to walk around different areas and see things from new perspectives.  La Residence was an oasis in town.  The flowers, lily pond and art were beautiful. On our last day we received a blessing from three monks (no photos allowed but we took a photo of the bell).

Our tour guide knew the guards of a research center created by the French in the mid-century and we got in with a handshake. We were able to enter a few of the buildings—each storage room filled with rows of statues, wall decor, pillars, Buddhas, lintels and more. Some had a red string to indicate it would be moved to the actual site in the future. We watched researchers collaborating on piecing together one small piece of a broken Buddha statue. No cameras allowed inside.  It was a good thing we brought our cell phone because a VIP guest arrived for a ceremony of dancing, music and prayer.  Our guide did not know who the VIP was but we recognized his photo the following day in the newspaper—it was the prime minister of Sri Lanka!  

We visited the floating village Chong Khneas.  It was touristy and we were only allowed to stop at a souvenir shop/cafe. The shop had about a dozen live crocodiles and sold crocodile-related items. Nonetheless it was interesting to see the many homes, shops and a school as we took a boat down the river.  What surprised us most was the loud noise of the motor boats, the gardens and the size of the village.  

We ate several lunches at Vibe—a vegan restaurant in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.  It was a relaxed cafe with great bowls, veggie burgers and what they called an quesadilla (sweet potatoes, black beans, and veggies on a corn tortilla).  They also served a medicinal iced chai latte. We could not figure out what made it medicinal but it was delicious. We had a three different dinners worth mentioning.  Haven was an outdoor oasis. The staff were students who are provided housing, education and training for one year.  Interestingly, their tips are put into a saving account that each student receives upon graduating. (No good photos.) Embassy was a food experience. The beautiful and intimate interior served Khmer cuisine with a modern twist.  The seven-course menu was innovated, delicious and the perfect amount of food.  Rather than a wine paring, we opted for the herbal tea pairing.  The third was a restaurant the hotel suggested and insisted a reservation were essential. We could not help but laugh-we were the only guests for most of our meal. We assume it gets busy later in the evening.

The Sacred Dancers of Angkor show was intimate and well-paced.  It is the only classical ballet and folk troupe in Cambodia that integrated the religious significance of the temples. There were only four of us in the audience. After the show, the director spoke with us about the troupe and the school. She shared fun stories of when they performed in the USA. One example was on the first airplane flight all twenty dancers ordered apple juice because it was the only word they remembered.  A second story was that the younger kids cried when served pizza rather than rice their first day in NYC.  After two weeks they loved pizza (and burgers).

On the other evenings we wondered through the night markets and walked along Pub Street. We ate a banana mango fried ice cream, ie rolled ice cream, and got foot massages.  

Like other cites, we like to explore the city by walking.  We wondered past two interesting and different pagodas: Wat Bo and Wat Preah. Wat Bo was modern and Wat Preah looked like a like how things used to be.