Luang Prabang - Siem Reap

Wednesday, March 25th

There's time for one last breakfast at our hotel on the street, and to watch the Tuk Tuks dropping off passengers at the makeshift dock down by the river.

We weren't checking out until midday, so we decided to walk to the top of the small hill in the middle of town. There's apparently a nice view and a small pagoda, however there's also an entrance fee and we hadn't budgeted for that. We don't want to change another wad of cash just for this, so we abandon the climb - just as well since it was getting warm again.

This s typical view of the main street, but quite a different one from the evening when the huge night market takes over.

This is another view of the golden Buddha pagoda, taken from the same location and just at the foot of the climb to the hilltop.

And the royal palace, also from the same location.

We managed to clear immigration, but not without a few anxious moments - the airline check-in staff also noticed that my passport had less than 6 months validity, and called in the immigration officials. After another trip to the "office", and a text message to a mate in Siem Reap, it was established that I would be accepted in Cambodia - yay! 

The small shop at the airport has WiFi, but not free! In an interesting job sharing arrangement, the woman who runs the shop also checks in passengers at boarding time - a lesson for Qantas?

There's our pro-jet on it's daily Hanoi - Luang Prabang - Siem Reap shuttle.

We had a bumpy ride out of Luang Prabang, but it settled down and tow hours later we arrived in Siem Reap - the scenery is quite different to Laos and the north of Vietnam. In other words, it's flat, big river country.

Immigration was a doddle, and customs almost non-existent.

How hotel room was OTT - a kind of Hindu/Buddhist fantasy land. 

But it's not until you try taking a shower that the impracticalities appear - like where does all the "splash" go, and how you you walk on those bizarre floor tiles without thongs?! Not to mention showering on a pedestal - it's fair to say that Prue and I have become a bit closer on this trip.

Even the multi-headed Buddhas seemed to be watching out every move.

Right outside our door (on the left in the background) is a wonderful roof-top pool - no need to heat this one artificially. It's quite deep too, and the hotel appears to be almost empty.

The gardens surrounding the pool deck are also lovely, and furnished in typical Cambodian style.

That felt so refreshing...

And we expect to do the same each day after walking around Angkor Wat in the heat and humidity.

Right around the corner from our hotel is Pub Street - yes that's what it's called, and there are fluorescent lights to prove it. The street, well actually several blocks, are wall-to-wall bars, restaurants, shops and night market. We haven't seen this kind of tourism generated activity anywhere else on this trip.
 

A restaurant was easy to pick, not least because of the flirtatious girl at the front.

And it wasn't just me she was flirting with - she even had Prue drinking draft beer! Well, maybe the heat contributed.

We settled for a Khmer "set" for two, had another beer, and retired to the pool to cool down again before bed.

But last, a word about currency: the US$ has been accepted readily just about everywhere we've gone, although we're not carrying any. In Cambodia, it appears to be preferred over the local currency, the Reil (US$1 = 4,000 Reil), at least where foreigners are concerned - restaurants, bars, hotels, places of interest all advertise prices exclusively in US$. 

Today we withdrew money from an ATM which offered either Reil or US$ cash - we took the Reil option and got 400,000 (US$100 or A$130). But the largest note was 1,000 Reil so there were 40 notes! When we bought two ice creams, priced in US$ but paid in Reil, we even received US$ cash change! Very strange...