Ok my first full day in Cambodia and Siam Reap. The hostel is really cool, but there is not much going on in this place. I had the entire room to myself because the Irish guys that are staying with me only got home around 9 am, which was when I intended to get up anyway… At first I thought about a Tuk Tuk, but then a French girl advised me to cycle around the area. Renting a bicycle is about 5 Dollars per Week, whereas a Tuk Tuk is about 12 to 20 Dollars per day depending on how far you want to go. .
The ride to Angkor Wat was very smooth and took only about 30 minutes, but it got hotter during the day so the cycling eventually became a bit enduring, especially since I as a bit too tall for that bicycle. So if you rent a bike in Siam Reap, make sure it has the proper size!
My first stop was Angkor Wat, I got there around 11 am and walked around this massive temple for about 2 hours. Two hours means not paying attention to every detail of this massive religious building. At my lunch I met Pom, a 10 year Cambodian girl that was selling postcards to tourists. At first she wanted to sell me 2 postcards for 1 Dollar, but as I first declined she offered me 10 for 4 Dollars. I just could not resist buying something of her. Most of the other kids offered the 10 postcars for just 1 Dollar, so she got really lucky. I just hope most of the money dose not go to the police, as she told me but rather to her family.
She later wants to become a stewardess to serve people (and see the world) cold drinks. I hope her dream comes true. Apparently young kids up to 12 years old sell postcards and little souvenirs, as they get older they move on to books, cold water and food. I think tourism does bring in a lot of money and creates a lot of jobs, it will be interesting to see this place 10 years from now. There is no 7 Eleven like in Thailand, or Mc Donalds, it still has a different vibe, but that is going to change for sure. After a hike up to Phnom Bakhen which took me about an hour, I went on to Angkor Thom trough the South gate and first stopped at Bayon, a pyramid like shaped temple famous for its many faces carved out of stone. Most of the temples are surrounded by moats which is a great opportunity to take pictures of the temples as they mirror in the water.
Before I returned to an astonishing sunset to Angkor Wat I visited the temple of the Leper King and Bayhong, another huge temple shaped like a pyramid. The Sunset at Angor At is fantastic and I am really looking forward to seeing the sunrise. One thing that’s not so funny about sunsets is that you have to ride back home in the dark, and bicycles rarely have lights or even reflectors on them around here. But I made it back to the hostel in one piece. Finally I treated myself with another relaxing massage, which was badly needed a full day on the bicycle.