Day 33 - slippery

06/02/19

Alex is feeling better today, luckily! (Although the two days on the rooftop terrace were also very good for me). So we recharge, full of energy, and today we rent two bikes at the guesthouse to explore Siem Reap by bike! We have observed the busy traffic situation enough by foot and feel ready to take the next step. A day of bike rental costs $2 per person. The bikes don't look too bad, but when we sit down, we quickly realize that the seats are set to 'Asian height' and straightening our knees is not really an option. Our first stop is the nearest bike shop, where a friendly staff member pumps up my flat rear tire. That makes it much easier to ride! However, we probably won't be going faster than 10 km/h due to the heat and uncomfortable seats.

The traffic is not really predictable, but 'just ride and trust that you will be seen' works quite well. Our first destination is a shopping center because there is a proper supermarket here called Lucky, which is mostly visited by Western tourists and wealthy locals. The prices for fruits and vegetables are also much higher than at the markets and roadside stands. So we only get a small refreshment, then we check out the other stores, but besides a miniso (which I already know from South Korea, and if @josi didn't have the problem with the fully packed backpacks, I would have bought you the super fluffy stuffed toy dog here!), there are no interesting shops.

We retrieve our bikes, which we parked in the 'no parking' area in front of the mall (everyone else is doing it too) and continue riding along the main road towards Angkor. We decide on the spot to go to the ticket booth of Angkor because it is not located on the way to the temples, but in the opposite direction. Also, there are usually long lines at the ticket counters in the morning, which we want to avoid. In the ditch by the roadside (are they grazing????) there are water buffalos, and Alex takes out his camera to capture these impressive creatures. Unfortunately, the edge is more slippery than it looks, so we continue downhill more than planned. Besides some minor scrapes and dirty clothes, luckily nothing else happens, but the cars brake on the road, honking and offering help. Very nice, but we have a first aid kit with us (since I have seen many injured scooter riders in Thailand, I always carry disinfectant spray and plasters).

Wounds treated, pictures taken; we buy our tickets for the next day (37$ per person per day is much more than the two of us paid for 5 nights, but you only visit Angkor Wat once in a lifetime, and since we're here, we don't want to miss it!). We take the road back, enjoy the breeze, and once again realize that the bicycle is the best invention of mankind (it should be mentioned that this is Alex's statement, he is very proud of it (That's absolutely correct – signed Alex)). Back in the city, we turn off the main road into a courtyard, hoping to find cheap shakes and discover a candy shop! It's great, I definitely have to take a closer look! As it turns out, the shop is a candy factory and a sort of fair trade store. They offer really cool handmade items, and the proceeds go back to the makers of the products. We could have bought many souvenirs, but the thought of carrying them around for another 5 months stops us, so we continue.

We ride towards the river and discover a restaurant in a side street that offers dishes for $1.50. We gladly accept the offer of refreshments and lunch. We order Ice Tea and Passion Fruit Soda ($0.75), but they are both disappointments because they are too sweet and perfumed (2/10). The food, on the other hand, tastes good. Alex has beef stir-fried noodles (8/10) and I have a noodle salad (5/10) with incredibly delicious sauce but also unpeeled dried shrimps that you can't really chew and that I unfortunately do not like. Well, at least I tried something new and found out that the familiar taste is better.

We continue along the river towards the old market. We park our bikes (according to the hotel owner, no need to lock them, we trust him...) and walk around Siem Reap, exploring the countless souvenir shops and clothes stands, but also a market with fruits and vegetables, fish, and herbs. Furthermore, we discover more and more signs advertising 'Draft Beer, $0.50' and cocktails 'Travel Solo, $1.75'. Sounds good, so we treat ourselves to beer and a Mojito ($1.25), both tastes great – we'll be back!

For dinner, we sit down at a roadside stall, and we have incredibly delicious stir-fried noodles with fried eggs and meat ($2, 9/10)! It gets dark, and we head back home, which is very relaxing on the bikes.

We briefly discuss with our hostel owner that we would like to rent a tuk-tuk tomorrow to visit Angkor Wat. No problem – we'll leave at 7 a.m., when it's cooler. We play Yahtzee and have another beer on the rooftop terrace, then shower and off to bed. Unfortunately, my legs seem to have forgotten within a month that they ride a bike every day, so I have to take magnesium to prevent cramps. But then we quickly fall asleep – tomorrow will be exhausting!!

- Jonna