Cambodian chronicles. That Eureka-moment

 

Our driver was supposed to pick us up at 8:30am, but was waiting in the parking lot already before 8am.

The journey to the airport resembled a marathon, only instead of miles, we measured it in hours – an hour to be precise. Just when we thought we were smooth sailing with our boarding passes in hand, reality hit us: we had to queue up for another round of boarding pass printing, turning a quick check-in into an Olympic-level waiting game of approximately 30 yawn-inducing minutes.

Upon touchdown in Bangkok, we were met with the familiar hustle and bustle of immigration, where we soared through like seasoned pros. But then came the taxi drama, where lost in translation took center stage. Our driver's incessant "How you pay?" echoed like a broken record, escalating into a theatrical performance of frustration. Just when we braced ourselves for a being kicked out of the taxi scene, the "aha" moment arrived – it wasn't our fare he was after, but an inquiry about highway toll payments.

Arriving at our hotel sans toll roads due to our cashless situation, we were greeted with promises of backpack portage to the heavens, only to find our room resembling more of a mild disappointment than a vacation sanctuary.

Cambodian chronicles. Culture and history

 

The pillow at this hotel was as high as Mount Kilimanjaro, so I spent half the night sleeping half-sitting up and the other half without a pillow, with my head almost upside down. In the morning, I asked for a new pillow at the reception, thank you! They promised to look for one, thank you!

In the evening, we had arranged with a tuk-tuk driver to take us to see the temples of Angkor Wat today. Scott initially thought maybe one of them could drop us off and someone else would pick us up later, but when he found out it's like 5-10km from one temple to another, he abandoned that plan.

Sokthea was already waiting in front of the hotel half an hour before the agreed time, with a cooler full of cold water ready. Very smart of him, because otherwise we would probably have gotten heatstroke in this 38-degree weather.

We started with the most famous temple, Angkor itself. It's the largest, best-preserved, and also the most boring. Then we went to Bayon, known for its large carved faces in stone, which I thought was pretty cool. In the same city, there's also the Elephant Terrace (though the elephants were mostly worn down by time, and there wasn't much left except a couple of trunks) and the leper temple (more like a leper labyrinth, with hundreds of figures on the walls).

Since our temple visits took about an hour each, Sokthea set up a hammock under the roof of his tuk-tuk and slept peacefully in between.

After Bayon, we took a lunch break. As soon as we got out of the tuk-tuk, some local lady grabbed us and dragged us into her bistro. Since I don't like that approach, and besides, a plate of fries there cost 7 euros, I stood up and marched away. Luckily, Scott came along. In the next eatery, there was a very charming girl who announced that everything on the menu was 4 dollars, so we got a big portion of chicken fried rice, a huge plate of fruit, and a big plate of fries for 12 dollars. There was still some left because our stomachs were full long before the plates were empty.

Last but not least, we visited Ta Prohm, which was made famous by Angelina Jolie in her Tomb Raider movie. Those ruins and the trees growing on, above, and below them are just super cool.

And the monkeys are still around, raising their young and hoping to get bananas from tourists.

After lunch, we were back at the hotel. I asked about my baby pillow at the reception, thank you! And I got the answer that they're still looking for a suitable pillow, a colleague just ran to the next hotel, where hopefully there's a suitable pillow for a tourist, thank you! We breathed in some nice air-conditioned air for a moment and then walked to Dairy Queen, where blizzards are my absolute favorites. Dairy Queen is a chain of ice cream stands in the USA where you can get soft ice creams with various toppings and in various shapes. Some are served on cones, some joints have grills and hot dogs, and in our favorite blizzards, they mix ice cream with lots of chocolate pieces, fruits, cookie dough, brownies, caramel, pecans, etc. Really good :) Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, Dairy Queen is a US chain, and during my first longer trip to the US, I was totally convinced that I would never stoop so low as to buy ice cream from a chain. I mean, I have a developed palate that favors Italian gelato and other artisanal ice creams. But then I gave the Dairy Queen a chance and it turned out there was no turning back. Their blizzards are addictive.

It was all the more joy to discover that there's a Dairy Queen in Siem Reap (there's not even a McDonald's here!). We had ice cream, went to the craft market, and walked to the night market to have dinner. Scott still planned to take pictures of grilled scorpions. And then suddenly the daytime heat hit me, and I felt like no more pleasant strolling and snacking from different stalls, a cool hotel room and bed were waiting for me. So we bought a pizza to take away, which was made right there opposite yesterday's fried Taiwanese chicken and was also topped with those same fried chicken pieces.

When we got back to the hotel, the reception guy was already waiting and presented me with a suitable pillow they had obtained from the other hotel in the meantime, thank you!

Cambodian chronicles. Thank you and dollars

 

Our last morning on the island began with high hopes. Having witnessed our neighbor enjoying a hearty breakfast of muesli and yogurt yesterday, I decided to inquire if the same could be arranged for me. Although not listed on the standard menu, the resort staff were more than willing to accommodate my request. So, I asked for a bowl of muesli and yogurt with fruit. And a pancake. After a brief moment of contemplation about my pancake toppings, I settled for honey. Much to Scott's dismay, who firmly believes pancakes are only served with maple syrup during lean times and with maple syrup, butter, and bacon during the golden ones. My muesli bowl arrived. It was a sight to behold – a mountain of finely chopped fruit atop a sprinkling of muesli and two spoonfuls of yogurt. Delightful nevertheless!

Our bags were lighter this time around because I had gifted my lemon-scented (or rather, Ajax-scented, as the cleaning supplies had seemingly leaked in the factory) lotion to a local child, who promptly dragged it into the sea.

The resort ferried us to the pier where our speedboat was supposed to depart at 9:30 a.m. What wasn't there at 9:30 a.m.? The speedboat. Nor at 10:30 a.m., for that matter, as we were informed it had broken down and a replacement boat was en route via the neighboring island. Each time we inquired, we were assured the boat would arrive in 10 minutes. It finally did, and 45 minutes later, we set foot on Sihanoukville's shores. With just an hour and a half until our flight departure, we were cutting it close.

Our taxi pulled up at the airport gate half an hour later, and the driver gestured towards the terminal while repeatedly saying "Wonderland" and "Wonderland" (or so we thought). Perplexed as to why he was speaking to us about Wonderland, especially considering the airport's modest operations – four flights a day, two inbound and two outbound – we assumed he was hinting at an additional fee to enter Wonderland and declined. Little did we know, he was actually saying "One Dollar" – a crucial piece of information we only realized after a comical exchange with the security guard. Turns out, we had to pay a dollar for parking. Since we were prepared to walk the hundred meters, we refused to pay, explained our predicament to the security guard, and were allowed entry to the terminal.

Upon arriving in Siem Reap, we were greeted with a new and grandiose airport situated an hour away from the city. We hailed a taxi, and the lady at the wheel seemed like she was still getting the hang of driving. Observing her hands placed firmly at 10 and 2, she confidently cruised at 60 in an 80 zone, prolonging our journey to the hotel by many-many minutes. Yet, this was still an improvement from our Saigon escapade, where our driver, clearly a novice behind the wheel, brought traffic to a standstill multiple times because he refused to change lanes until there wasn't a car in sight. He just stood there in the middle of the road, turn signal blinking, waiting. And waiting. Like waiting for Godot.

Upon arrival at the hotel, our passports were collected, and we were greeted with refreshing mint-scented moist towels, fruit platters, and iced tea – a warm welcome indeed. As we finished the fruit, the check-in process was complete, and a lady approached us with our documents. Thus ensued the following conversation:
Khmer lady: Your passports, thank you!
Us: Thank you!
Khmer lady: Here is your bill, 600.000 riels, thank you!
Me: Yes, thank you!
Khmer lady: Please sign here, thank you!
I signed.
Khmer lady: Breakfast is served from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., thank you! We also have a rooftop pool, open until 10 p.m., thank you!
Me: Thank you!
Khmer lady (while showing us different denominations of U.S. dollars): And now, the most important information, thank you! In Cambodia, both dollars and riels are accepted, thank you!
Meanwhile Scott: Thank you!
Khmer lady continuing: But for dollars, it's important that they have this design, not the old versions, and certainly not crumpled, torn, or otherwise tattered, thank you!
Me: Got it, thank you!
Khmer lady: Your room is on the fourth floor, thank you!
Me: Thank you!
Scott: Thank you!
Khmer lady: You will now be escorted to your room, thank you!
Both of us: Thank you!
Khmer lady: Thank you!
Scott: Thank you!
I tried so hard not to laugh.

All our rooms on this trip have featured large windows or glass doors in the bathroom, and this one is no exception :)

After changing, we went out to grab a bite and search for Starbucks. Right next to the hotel, we found a variety of markets and streets filled with restaurants and pubs. Since our plan was to focus on the night market and its offerings, we grabbed a quick snack and headed to Starbucks. To my dismay, they had a wider selection of cups than I would've liked (I already had two from Vietnam, and there are still Thailand and Bangkok to look forward to), and I spent a good fifteen minutes choosing the perfect ones. We sipped on coffee (me) and chocolate (Scott), and I learned how my name is spelled in Khmer (see picture).

Our hotel rooftop offers a stunning sunset view, which we enjoyed before taking a quick dip in the pool.

In the evening, we headed straight to the night market, and I started with a banana Nutella roti. Absolutely delicious! Scott bought Taiwanese fried chicken from a Japanese lady's cart (the best chicken he's ever had!), and while it cooled down, I got myself some ice cream rolls. Before heading back, we each grabbed another roti – Scott's with Nutella and chocolate, and mine with condensed milk. After that, I was completely exhausted, and we just went back to the hotel.

Cambodian chronicles. Further culinary capers

 

Cheers from the shores of paradise, where every day is an adventure and every meal a culinary rollercoaster!

As our last day in beach paradise dawned, I decided it was time to conquer the waves on a paddleboard. Little did I know that our resort's newest guests, two French ladies with two children in tow, had claimed possession of both paddleboards for half the day. Eventually, I managed to snag one and bravely ventured into the water. In my mind, I envisioned gracefully gliding onto the board, riding the waves with elegance. In reality, Scott had to hold the board steady in knee-high water while I clumsily clambered aboard, opting for a seated paddle instead of the more daring standing stance. Hey, safety first, right?

For lunch, I indulged in a three-cheese pizza extravaganza, featuring mozzarella (check), cheddar (check), and feta (check, just look at the picture). And let's not forget the New York cheesecake for dessert – because who can resist a slice of creamy decadence? In orange color.

As dusk settled, we decided to venture to the neighboring resort for dinner. The menu looked promising, the ambiance was romantic, and the beachfront tables exuded charm – much to the delight of the local mosquito population, it seems. Opting for what seemed like the pinnacle of fine dining, we ordered scallops in wine cream sauce, shrimp summer rolls, chicken cordon bleu, and beef steak. The scallops that arrived were so tiny they could fit on the tip of your thumb, and the wine in the sauce seemed to have gone on a holiday of its own, replaced by a generous helping of butter. The salad consisted of steamed vegetables, and while the steak and chicken were flavorful, the highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the echo chamber of the restaurant, where every word reverberated threefold.