Our driver is awaiting us when we get to the front door. He drives at a pleasant 100 km/hr. which makes conversation easy. He is 52 and semi-retired from his job as a security guard for a Sultan. He was an athlete when he was young and now only goes to the gym - he does look fit. He figures Peter is about 60 - 62 years old, but that I am only 48 or 50. He obviously didn’t look closely, or maybe he is attempting to score points for a tip!
As we go to the Malaysian Air line-up, an employee hustles over and takes us to a helper at the self-serve machine. Our bags are checked at a counter with no line-up and we are through security in about 15 minutes from entering the building.
We make our way to the gate where we are some of the first to arrive, therefore, there are seats with leg-rests available. What a comfortable hour and a half wait we have.
There are no food outlets, and we realize it is because they feed you a fabulous lunch on the plane - even serving beer or wine in the two-hour flight. I am beginning to really like the far east.
The airport building in Siem Reap is high-ceilinged and heavily air-conditioned in stark contrast to the heat that greeted us as we left the plane. Everything is efficient, from the buying of the Visa, the customs, the security, and the baggage pick-up. We have not arranged for a hotel pick-up, so we get an official taxi and are on our way.
We drive past the “airport row” of fancy new hotels, continue into the more normal cityscape, turn left and it still looks a little grungy. It turns out that we are on the main road to the temples in an ultra-modern hotel. We learn later that the local by-law does not allow any building to be taller than 10 metres lower than the towers at Angkor Wat in respect for its importance. This makes for a small-town feel to a city of hotels!
Our room is not ready as check-out is noon, so we are seated on comfortable chesterfields and given, first a cool, lemongrass-infused drink, then a sales pitch by a hotel employee for the tours we can take while here. We tell him we will look over the information and let him know before 4 p.m.
They have asked us if we want a single or two beds. We discover why when we enter our spacious room. We actually have two regular double-beds put together. I think this is a king-sized king-size bed. Peter is afraid he will get no hugging as he won’t be able to find me! Poor Peter.
We are both quite warm from the long day, so we head for the pool to cool down. Then, it is off to the central market in a tuk tuk. Peter has been dying to try one. It is definitely the best mode of transport as long as you don’t mind dust. It is a quick and cool means of transport. The driver wants to know when we will return, and we figure 6:30, so, just like in Jamaica, we make plans to meet and he does not let us pay as we will pay him on the return trip. Good business men in these poor, tourist countries!
We wander the market with lots of low-pressure sales people in the stalls. It is a local as well as a tourist market, so you get everything from fresh meat, vegetables and fruit, to food stands, to anything you may need for the home to anything you don’t need as a tourist. We will need another kit bag, so we price those. We buy another runner (which Peter has fallen in love with) and I find a white, gauze-like cotton blouse. The lady has not got my size, so it takes trips to two other stalls (the first time she brings back short-sleeved blouses) to finally get what I need. I don’t have the nerve to dicker on the price after all the trouble I have caused. I even throw a t-shirt for Peter into the bag as I like the colour and the Angkor beer logo on the front.
Peter wants to find a pizza restaurant he has seen on the map, so we make our way the one block over and three blocks to the right. Yes, it looks fine. We meander our way back towards the meeting point past the most amazing street restaurants, stop for a beer, and finally begin to leave. As we approach the spot, another tuk tuk driver approaches us and explains that our first driver is unexpectedly busy, so has asked him to take us back to the Tara Angkor hotel. It is fine, he realizes that we must pay for a return trip.
It is now dark. We pass a restaurant all nicely decorated with a decorated tuk tuk outside and an upbeat version of “Here Come the Bride” being played on Cambodian instruments. What a lovely scene.
Dinner will be in the outdoor restaurant tonight, so I duly dress up a little for the occasion. This place is something like the courtyard at the Nautili in San Jose - and I just can’t go in shorts.
Peter is once again in love. Our waitress is the cutest, most petite thing you can imagine. I will get a picture of her with Peter before we leave. The service is impeccable, and the meal delicious. I think we managed to spend $29 with drinks. A lovely ending to a wonderful day.
Peter decides to take the picture.This is the outdoor dining room at the Tara Angkor hotel.
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