Cambodia -Siem Reap

We arrived in Siem Reap in the early hours of the morning. I only had a few days left with the girls before they headed to Australia. My plan was to stay here for a while and figure out where to head next!
I went for a walk in the afternoon along the river and found the palace gardens and a temple where people were praying.
Later on we went for dinner and to check out the nightlife in Siem Reap. We heading to infamous "pubstreet" which was your pretty standard touist ridden nightlife area of the city.
The next day i wanted to find a hostel closer to a school i was going to be volunteering in. I found a french resturant on the way back so couldnt resist a cheese board and a glass of red!! It was good to have real cheese again after a month. All they eat here is dairylee!
Just before the girls left i met Anika from the USA so we spent the next few days exploring Cambodia. First visiting Tonlé Sap, the floating villages, getting to drive the boat and being told whilst driving if the police see us we will be arrested! Cheers!
The lake is popluated by around 3 million people around the lake. Their houses all made from wood and floating alongside the riverbank. Our guide told us in the rainy season many people die due to flooding and some of the children are left orphans. We visited the school where around 600 childen attended everyday. 200 of them orphans. There were only 2 or 3 classrooms. The children were happy and smiling and interested to see us. In the evening we were recomened to go an watch the Apsara dance, which is a traditional Khmer dance. It was different to the sort of dancing we no! The girls move very slowly and elegantly. I want gold the headpiece they were wearing !
The following day we wanted to visit the waterfall at Kulen Mountain. When i told the guy running my hostel we were getting a tuk tuk there he almost died laughing and said we would never make it. But we did! An hour and a half in a tuk tuk to the bottom of the mountain the three of us on one moped going up the moutain tracks. It was an experience, but worth it. The waterfall was so beautiful, you could swim at the bottom, there were butterflies everywhere and monks taking selfies!
The 3rd Dec was my first day alone. I got up at 4am to see the sunrise over Angkor Wat. There were alot of tourists there but it was definatly worth it! I carried on looking around a few more tamples, the temple where tomb raider was filmed was incredible. The jungle had completely taken over the structure and the roots of the trees were growing through the walls. It was so big i struggled to find my way out! Once i did i heading back to my hostel for a sleep (after 6 hours you get a bit templed out). I wanted to go back in the evening to see the sunset but with no tourists, so i rented a push bike and went to Prasat Chrung. It took me a while to find it and i got lost a few times but once i was there it was perfect. No tourist, no anybody! I sat down by the river for a while and watch the buffalo swimming, it was a very tanquil place and nice to get away from the rush of the city.
On the 4th Dec i headed to the shooting range with Avash the hostel owner. I fired an M16. Cant say i'll be doing it again but had to give it ago!
I had to move hostel the following day as it was full so i left with Eva and Frederick who id met the day before. They had cycled from Laos to Cambodia! Crazy!! 😉 We found a hostel for $3 a night with a nice pool which was a treat! But we missed Pollen who worked at the last place so we ended up going back there most night and partying with her :)
I decided i was going to give myself a few days to chill out and get to know the city a bit more so i went for a walk and tried to find a park to chill in. I found out there are no parks in Siem Reap so i found the next best thing, a bridge over the river. I sat here for a while drawing when i looked up and saw three little faces watching me. I offered them a pencil and paper and they sat drawing for the next hour. I like to think it kept them out of trouble for a bit!
My last day i found a photography exhibition over the other side of the city so I went to see it. It was very interesting and ispiring, alot to do with global warming and some with the Khmer Rouge.
In the evening Pollen showed me x bar we arranged to meet Paul who id met in Vietnam. It had a rooftop with a huge skate board ramp on top of it, which you could climb up on and see a view of the city. Love me a roof top! We played pool for a while, no matter how hard i try im still shit! Then the Tequila came out and the rest is a blur!
I was meant to leave the following day but missed my bus (thanks to the tequila) so i did nothing and prepared myself mentally for the 10 hour bus journey in the morning!
Siem Reap has been my favourite city so far! Love the atmosphere and the people, i will be back!! XRead more