Au Revoir, Siem Reap.....

The road side stall.....simple makeshift stall

Places, food and people fascinates me. I have always said that to SLing and to all my friends that I just love being in a different place with different cultures, food and life style. Amidst the hectic schedule of temples hopping, I find it incredulously interesting to see the people that had came by to Siem Reap, Cambodia. Some of the tourists antics and crude ways may shock your nervous and patience system while some are really nice. The locals are generally nice, humble and soft spoken people while a smile is never far away from their faces. I guess, just like any other community, hard living and eking out a living are more intense than others especially in Cambodia.  I had come to understand that if anything was successful in garnering an income, many of the locals will jump into the bandwagon to the same work i.e. fresh juice stalls or even tuk-tuk business for that matter. There seemed to be a glut of such stalls and rides. Anyway, the tourists ain't complaining while it would be good for the locals, right? 

Me...at the simple table and chairs...

Anyway, one experience I would not forget was riding in town on my cousin m/cycle. Imagine the three of us hopping onto the Honda m/cycle and flying through the streets of Siem Reap with the winds caressing our faces. SLing and I could not stop laughing as it was a new experience for us. Looking at our sizes ( we ain't no Size 2 , okay? )  , I was sceptical if the poor m/cycle could carry our weights for that matter. With lots of maneuvering and upright sitting and some fine body contorting moves, the three of us were on the m/cycle. SLing and I thought that we were SURE to meet our Maker faster than we'll ever know but lo and behold we made it safely to our hotel and to wherever we wanted to go that night. 

Our ban chau meal.....deliciously simple, good and fulfilling...

Throughout the journey SLing and I laughed our heads out and the coldness that hit us in the evening was indeed a cold reality. That is one sick experience which I enjoyed so much in a good way! The traffic in Siem Reap was crazy but cousin brother was an expert in ensuring the right balance and avoidance of us landing into a ditch or any unpleasant situation on the road. I thought we would surely be landing on our bums or "jatuh terkangkang" on the streets of Siem Reap but hey, we were very safe in the hands of my cousin, Jerry. 

Lovely nom kruok......tasty & heavenly good...

We went through hectic traffic in the streets and passed by some of the nicest country side scenes ever. I did not come across these places during my first trip there. The simple sunset setting and the simple lifestyle setting captivated my attention. After some fine riding and twist & turns, we arrived at a places which was frequented by the locals. The sights, sounds, smell and colors were fantastic! At that time, the sun was toning down; signalling a rest for the day. The vibrant and contrastive orangery setting was the most welcome sight indeed. I love it very much. 

The accompanying raw vegetables platter......

You could see families laying our their straw mat and see the gathering of locals having their meal amidst the setting sun. The smiles etched on their seasoned faces and the laughters of young innocent lives was indeed the sight and sounds I was looking for in places like this. No 5 star hotel nor establishment would ever portrayed that innocence and spontaneous joy that I had witnessed. It was pure and raw template of life itself. I like that...I really really like that......

As SLing and I started to sample local dishes by the road like ban chau ( flat, roundish rice cake dipped into a nice whitish savory dip accompanied by a tray of raw vegetables ) , nom kruok ( yellowish eggish pancake like folded into half with fish & vegetable filling ) plus num pang ( baguette with BBQ chicken or pork or beef with pickled papaya, carrots and vegetables ), I couldn't have asked for more. This was food at its best - raw, nice and local.  I had many times warned Jerry that I do not intend to eat any other foods except authentically Cambodian street food or local food. 

Num pang...baguette with BBQ meats & pickled papaya...

I guess,  I am that weird in a sense that I wanna try only the local food where the locals eat as I want to experience that kind of intensity in food. The twist of lime or even a pinch of salt to accompany the local dish does make a big difference. I am grateful that the road side seller - mother , daughter and son took the trouble to ensure that we had clean and good food. All I could mutter to them was " Arkun" ( meaning "thank you" in Cambodia ) for a great meal. I enjoyed it very much and the meal cost us 7000 Riel or USD $ 1.75 and we were stuffed to the bream!!! The best USD $1.75 I have ever spent, actually. 

BBQ succulent beef cuts.....

I profusely thanked the family for churning out such wonderful meal for us that evening. I remember Jerry translating their concerns if we could eat their food as it was prepared by the road side. I put my thumbs up and told Jerry to tell them that it was a truly delicious meal and I seldom eat fish meat but that "nom kruok" was excellent. There was no hint of fish taste at all and I love it. I guess, that brightened the atmosphere and smiles spread all around the family. I am just so glad and thankful to Jerry for bringing us out here to taste the local food.

The setting sun view....

Then it was off to another stall for some BBQ beef strips. Again, the BBQ beef was accompanied by a tray of raw vegetable consisting of long beans, cabbage, cucumber, green tomato, red tomato and some herb plants like mint, basil and some other leaves. The beef cuts were succulent, soft and lovely to eat. However, the price wasn't cheap but it is okay. It was a USD $5.75 meal while SLing and I tucked it in nicely as we still had some space in our stomachs for some nice BBQ beef cuts. After that it was sight seeing along the way as the sun sets in further. I was excited when I saw a stall selling crickets, water roaches, silk worms and even paddy field or freshwater crabs. The locals seemed to like it very much and many were seen buying the silkworms and the crabs. Yup, those crabs will fit in nicely with the Thai Som Tam, I tell you!!!!!

One huge arm crabs.....

Crickets, water roaches, silkworms and weird delights....

From here it was off for bargain hunting as it was our last night in Siem Reap. With Jerry who could speak Khmer, it was good for some bargain hunting on some pashmina souvenirs. Then it was off to some night spots of fun - souvenir hunting and later supper. We could never thank Jerry enough for what he had made us experience. It was indeed a great way to see the other side of Cambodia minus the loud music, Muay Thai fights and drinking spree town. 

From the King's Library at Bayon.....I made it to the top, people!

For budget travellers like me, I am also keen for a great time minus the painted facade of the town. I always looked forward to the raw and the actual scene of everyday life of a new place. I prefer the genuine lifestyle rather the created ones. 

Yup, me and the pretty lady on the pillar.....

Siem Reap, Cambodia sits pretty close to my heart for being a place that I would come back to visit someday.....again. Maybe, it holds dear to my heart coz' it was my very first trip outside the comfort of my home after 5 decades of building a family.  A special place indeed......

Au Revoir, Siem Reap!