Siem Reap 2012

We left Phnom Penh this afternoon at 2:30pm and arrived in Siem Reap some five hours later. This is my third visit to Siem Reap, the first time in January 2008 when I first traveled through this region and the second time last summer when I was passing through on my way back to Vietnam. I like it here, it has a special vibe and I'm happy to be back. It is ultra-touristy in the Old Market area, but it's easy, really easy to get around on foot, eat $1 fried rice, kick back a 50 cent Anchor draft and get a $1 15-minute foot massage.

After the not too long, but long enough minivan journey over mostly roads under construction and in seats with not enough leg room, we finally arrived after some decent sleep and conversation. I got on the back of a moto and checked into the I Win Hostel. It's not actually a hostel, but rather a hotel as far as I can tell, and it's conveniently located across the river from the Old Market. And for $8 for a large room, wifi, friendly staff and a powerful enough fan to block out the noise from the club nearby, it's a steal.

I had a hard time coming back to the hotel at 11pm. I almost feel lonely yet I am somehow savoring this quiet moment alone. Will I actually get to sleep before midnight? No, but almost. After dinner and a massage, I walked straight back to the hotel, but only after passing Hip Hop, a local club, and pondering the possibility of just poking my head in for a minute. $1 draft beer and no cover is hard to pass up, especially when you have nothing to do the next morning. But health is wealth and a night free of booze and some sleep sounded more desirable. I do always wonder if I'm missing something though.

Just have to ignore those thoughts. Plenty of time for fun tomorrow or the next day. No red bulls tonight. The last two nights have been late ones. Fun nights, memorable to be sure. I don't need three memorable nights in a row, then they might all blend together as one. Actually I'd take a good night any night, but the bed is calling my name and I prefer a couple nights a week without alcohol. That's pretty difficult in this neck of the woods though, when beer is often cheaper than water. A icy cold draft beer or a bottle of water? Of course the water wins sometimes.

Ok, that's enough! Not setting the alarm tonight, but I will floss the teeth. They deserve my attention for a change. Looking forward to a new day, the possibilities are endless. Hoping to revisit the temples, visit a local orphanage, peruse the wares at the market, get countless massages, visit all the local clubs, eat a lot of fried rice, learn some more Khmer and stop to smell the roses. Life is pretty sweet - maybe not all the time, but we need those sour moments to make the sweet moments even sweeter.