Cambodia Day 2: Drive to Siem Reap

The second day started early as our bus to Siem Reap was leaving at 7 o'clock. The journey lasted about 6 hours and our driver was driving fast. In Cambodia, everyone drives as they please and squeezes through anywhere. There are countless motorcycles and tuk-tuks on the road, along with all the regular cars and trucks. Only the main roads are paved and the rest are dirt roads. Along the roads, there are countless small stalls and shops that mainly sell food and drinks.

In between, we took a break in a city and had a short time to walk around the Central Market of Kampong Thom. Again, there were many people on the move and you could buy all sorts of things while motorcycles buzzed around you.

Then we continued through the flat and dusty landscape towards the northwest.

Around noon, we arrived at the central bus station of Siem Reap and took a tuk-tuk to the hostel. The driver's name was Nak and we immediately arranged the Small Temple Tour with him for the next day. After checking in, we went on an exploration tour of the city.

The center of Siem Reap is very touristy. Here you will find countless restaurants, pubs, markets, and many other shops. The main street is called the 'Pub Street'.

Since Thomas got an ear infection, I first walked alone through the center while he went to the nearest hospital.

I walked through Pub Street to Wat Preah Prom Rath. This is a Buddhist temple. It is very peaceful and relaxed there and the temple is known for its reclining Buddha statue. By the way, the word 'Wat' means temple (complex) and is also used in 'Angkor Wat'. It roughly means 'City Temple'.

Then I walked off the main tourist routes and went to Wat Bo. This is not a very touristy temple complex with many different buildings. Not everything is nicely manicured, but apparently there was teaching going on by the monks and the chants created an interesting atmosphere.

From there, I leisurely walked back to the hostel through several markets and we lay down by the pool on the roof and enjoyed the sunset. Since the hostel towered over pretty much all the buildings, the view over the city was worth seeing.

We ended our evening with a cocktail on Pub Street and I took a short walk through the center, as there are some night markets that only open in the evening. It was interesting to walk around at this time. People from different countries were everywhere, you were constantly asked if you needed a tuk-tuk, music was coming from everywhere, and bargaining was taking place at the markets. As always, it is difficult to put all of this into words, it is something that you actually have to experience personally to understand the atmosphere.