Siem Reap

I am writing this post in one of many internet stalls in Siem Reap, Cambodia. After 3 days being away from computer and the net, I felt isolated. Well, I can't deny that I can't live with the Net. The connection here is quite fast and it costs US75c/h. Not too bad. I have been here for almost 4 days, accompanying Aco who is invited by CALD to give a presentation on some liberal economic things (well, he will explain later, I guess). While he was attending the conference, I walked around by myself to see some interesting facts about this city - and country.

One thing that I can't help with this city is its weather. April is a "killer month" as written by Lonely Planet, my guide for every travel that I do. But, I can't really plan the travel, since I am just a free-rider :) (Aco doesn't think so) . Oh btw, fake version of Cambodia's Lonely Planet issue is sold for US3 in Siem Reap. Unfortunately, I bought it at Changi for US20!

Since it is extremely hot and humid (at noon it is around 38C), I limit my exploration to late afternoon, giving me so little time for looking around. However, after 2 days, I concluded that nothing much can be seen in Siem Reap. The city itself is very small, centered around Siem Reap river. Along the way you can see a lot of hotels, old and new, and some are still under-construction. Obviously, tourism is blooming and definitely Angkor Wat is the magnet. I plan to visit Angkor Wat this afternoon, so the next post will probably be on Angkor Wat.

As in other Indochine countries, Khmer people are very nice and polite. It is very safe for a woman (like me) to walk around the city by myself. Many modes of transportation are available, from bicycle to motorbike (ojek as we called in Jakarta), from tuk-tuk to helicopter (to see the city and Angkor Wat from the sky). But, of course those can't beat walking, if the weather is nice.
One interesting place which is the center of the attraction in Siem Reap is Psar Chaa (Old Market). Amazingly, the word 'market' in Khmer is pronounced the same as pasar in Indonesian. Lots of cafes, restaurants, guesthouses, massage centers and souvenir shops around this area. One advise, better come in the evening to see the "real life" of this area.