Cambodia

I really liked Siem Reap. It reminded me a lot of Thailand. The only thing that I find crazy is that you have to pay in US $. You can still pay in Cambodian Riel. But it's obviously easier in $. The ATMs dispense both currencies.
I first got my own hotel room. I only pay 14€ per night for it and it was one of the cleanest hotels I've stayed at on this trip so far. I have a huge bed all to myself and I have a TV again. Amazing! Finally, I can watch TV again :) I realized that I don't really miss watching TV, and I'm such a TV show addict. I also downloaded some series and movies on my tablet, but I haven't watched any of them yet. But it's fine.

There are also tuk-tuks here. They're great... I was picked up from the airport right away. Even for free from the hotel. The tuk-tuks here are really big. It can fit 4 people..
The airport in Siem Reap (7km from the city) is a complete disaster. You arrive here and have to go to a counter to apply for a visa. Then you get a form and everyone is sent away again to fill it out. Then you go back and submit it along with a passport photo and passport, and pay US$30 for it. The passport is then taken away and passed on to about 8 different employees. One sticks the visa sticker in, one checks something, one stamps, one writes names on the visa sticker, one signs.. and the last one always calls out the country of the passport and tries to pronounce the names and everyone stands around like at a market and everyone hopes they get their own passport back and then! you can line up for passport control. Oh man, it's pure chaos there. But luckily, it was already mentioned in the guidebook (Lonely Planet is still the best travel bible) It took forever there. The luggage was already on the conveyor belt..:)

It's such an amazing feeling to be in a new country again. I sat on the tuk-tuk with all my luggage, the scorching heat, and the wind blowing in my face and I kept thinking 'how awesome!' It feels so good to do this alone. It's such a feeling of freedom..
One thing I find really interesting is how different the climate is from country to country. All the countries I've been to so far have been hot, but each time it's a different kind of heat.. the humidity is the strongest in Bali. Even in Java and the Gilis, it was drier. In Siem Reap, it's oppressively hot and somehow dry. I can't describe it, but it's interesting how the heat feels different on the skin every time.

It thundered here twice. I've never heard such loud thunder. It was so intense and the whole hotel room kept shaking. I love thunderstorms, but this was a bit scary. If you're outside (or at the temples, but they close around 6pm or so), I would be terrified. So loud. Fortunately, it only rained or stormed at night. At least when I was there. I would wake up with every thunder.

Otherwise, I found Siem Reap to be a cool city. I stayed here for a week in total. I treated myself to a massage almost every day. It only cost less than 5€ per hour:) Foot massage, arm/shoulder massage, sometimes both. I always thought Thai massages were the best in the world, but I hadn't had a Khmer massage yet. Wow, it was sooo good! A bit similar to Thai massage too. You also wear a kind of pyjamas. But it was simply incredible! I didn't know I had muscles where she massaged me and she also massaged areas on my back that have never been massaged before. Amazing:))

It's also cheap here. Even a movie ticket costs 3€.

The markets in Siem Reap are really cool.. there's a big one during the day with hundreds of small shops and then there's a huge night market. Of course, I filled up my backpack again.. I don't know how this will continue. I think I'll have to send a package in Thailand.

On the second day, I went to Angkor Wat. Finally seeing the temples! I was really excited. Like a kid going to Disneyland:) But I'm glad I only got a day ticket. There's a day ticket, a 3-day ticket, and a one-week ticket. The prices have skyrocketed in the past few months. It used to be $20 for a day ticket and $40 for 2. Now it's $37 for a day ticket and $62 for 2 days.. But not because of the price but because it's also a mega attraction. A thousand other people there. Even at the opening for sunrise. Unbelievable and it was really hot. Not so great in the sun at 40°.. One day was enough for me. The temples start to look kind of similar after a while.
I saw the most important temple complexes I wanted to see. There are 2 routes that the tuk-tuk drivers take. The small one on the first day and the big one on the second. Since there were a few temples on the small route that I didn't want to see and instead wanted to see one on the big route, I negotiated with the tuk-tuk driver. It's not possible to walk. In my opinion. It's about 7km from Siem Reap to the first temple.. walking along the stressful roadside in the hot sun? no way.. and the individual temples are also far apart. I wouldn't have wanted to do it even with a bicycle.. A tuk-tuk for the whole day only costs $15.
I'm glad I did it now and not when I'm old. With the heat and the huge stairs..
Plus, the temple complexes are deteriorating more and more, and the roots of the trees are engulfing them more and more. Some restorations are also underway. Which was really annoying at some temples. Because there was just hammering and cranes and scaffolding all around.
But on the whole, it's great to have seen it. It didn't completely blow me away, but it was worth it.

I thought it was really cute. The people in Siem Reap always said thankS you:) In that sense.. until the next blog from Thailand! And thanks you for reading!