DAY 4: Livin’ La Vida Local

Bubba and I promised ourselves that unlike our past trips were it feels so short and so “tourist-a,” we’re going to make our travels now more immersed with the community. The idea was to use the first few days to see the sites but dedicate the next days to live like a local, no plans, no schedules. Just go and return as we please. Walk the streets. Connect with the neighborhood.

It was a Thursday, the day after our big Angkor Wat tour. Lea left early that morning. She was game with whatever idea comes to mind and was so fun to be with, easy-going. She was actually two years younger than me but she has astuteness more than what her age brings.

We were glad to have Lea around. Except for the Hong Kong trip where his parents followed two days after, it’s always been just the two of us that usually travel abroad. It was a good change to have someone else around. It made things more dynamic.

Having enjoyed the days spent with Lea, the remaining 3 days were enough time to bond as a duo again. We leisurely woke up that morning with no worries in mind.

It’s still UFC morning whether in Manila or Cambodia.

I had enough of Khmer food and after getting sick during the first bus ride from side street eateries (I didn’t stray away from trying it), my suggestion was to order a bucket of KFC chicken as our packed food for another long bus ride back to Vietnam. Bubba agrees.

Rattana was our diligent chauffer service the whole day. After getting the necessary behind us, we walk towards our favorite Pub Street and check which restaurant to eat lunch in. Bubba chose Burger without Borders.

On the Table

Blue Cheese Burger (2) 4.75

Lemon Shake

I love the fact that Siem Reap is a tourist hub. Everywhere you look, there are foreigners. Sometimes, it seems like there are more foreigners than Khmers. Since the location is a core destination, the service and the quality of food/items are above par.

After lunch, we headed to the Siem Reap market. Contrary to how most girls like Thailand as the ultimate inexpensive shopping destination, when we were there in February, I did not enjoy shopping at all. Between Bubba and I, he has more patience for this sort of thing. As mentioned numerous times, I’m all “shopped-out” from all the shopping I did in college and post-college (my first 2 years of working). Now, I can’t stand shopping for more than an hour. My break point is 30 minutes. Plus I only buy what’s necessary, unless something strikes my fancy.

Interestingly, I did not notice that 2 hours have passed moving around the Siem Reap central market. The areas were spacious and clean. The walkways are unsoiled. It was not overly crowded and the sales people were genuinely nice and not excessively pushy. Note to drive a hard bargain though when buying since they peg their prices twice as much being a vacationer’s hub and all.

A gamut of different items ranging from clothes, display items, hammocks, accessories, etc flock the stalls. Admirably, the articles are neatly stacked. Among most of the more popular items are the silk merchandise like colorful scarves and skirts. The prices are oh so cheapo!

I really liked the shopping exercise. Rattana brings us back to Dead Fish Tower.

While Bubba went to get something from our room for Rattana, Rattana and I bond over Cambodia culture, Angkor Wat and the Cambodia government. We thank him for his assistance that day and paid him his fees. We decide to soak up on being together on our own after the sun had set since the evening is ideal for walking to wherever point. I spend some time first checking emails, plurking and visiting my site.

In the evening, Le Tigre de Papier was our restaurant of choice for dinner.

On the Table

Fillet Steak 300 grams USD 6.50

300 grams fillet steak cooked medium well and served with fries on the side and two sauces: black pepper sauce and blue cheese sauce. The steak was juicy and flavorful. The cut was thick with appetizing grill marks.

Amok Chicken and Rice USD 3.50

Amok is one of the more popular Khmer dishes. The closest I can describe it with is dried up unsalted chicken afritada without the vegetables. There’s a distinct flavor to it, which is probably the 5 spices of Khmer.

Mystery Ice Cream USD 3

It was ice cream on the outside of a chocolate covered meringue.

Contrary to the Apsahara cultural dance show the night before, our entertainment during dinner is the show of two lizards going at it. Cambodia seems to be infested with lizards as we’ve seen dozens of them.

The scrumptious dinner is a perfect appetizer for a wonderful evening ahead. We walk towards the night market and relish the smell of the cool crisp evening air.

A lighted banner with the words Noon Night Market (probably meant midnight) greets us. We survey the area and discover some interesting finds.

The guy was selling the black dress for USD 10. I got him to slash down the price to USD 6, which is about PHP 300. Bubba bought more shirts (like the shirts he bought that afternoon weren’t enough). Postcards, lemongrass tea, coffee, scarf, skirt are some of the items we purchased. One of the more noteworthy items is the photo fridge magnet that sells for USD 1.50 each.

The Khmers remind me a lot of how Manila was when I was young. People were genuinely friendly. Their smiles are from ear to ear given with an undoubting heart. My fondest memory of Cambodia is laughing with the vendors while shopping. We keep throwing jokes around and we engage in soft funny banter. One moment was when a vendor complimented me saying I was pretty (he’s wearing 10-inch glasses by the way). Bubba follows with, “She’s an actress.” They go, “Where are you from?” I’ll go, “Cambodia.” Initial laughter. Bubba justifies, “Philippines.” They go, “You’re an actress?” And then my face suddenly constricts to a sad constipated expression… and I begin to cry. Or try my darndest to. We will all crack up at this point, including the neighboring stall. Most of them were smart, good-natured and easy-going. People you’d love to get stuck in a coffee shop when it’s raining.

We walk by the Dr. Fish area again and this time, Bubba convinces me to feed my feet to the little fishes. Your USD 3 is good for 15 minutes. They wipe your feet first with a wet towel. Bubba dips his feet first and the fishes attack. It was a good 5 minutes before I mustered the courage to get my feet wet. The first 3 minutes was ticklish. I was uneasy and kept fidgeting. After the 3^rd minute, I started to enjoy it. It’s really a completely different feeling.

And yes they have a money back guarantee policy if you’re not satisfied. That’s how confident they are with this gimmick. When the 15 minutes was up, our feet felt clean like it was scrubbed and our body felt somehow very relaxed. Right outside the market, a group of foreigners and Khmer teens were playing something similar to our “tumbang preso.” We watched for a bit, cheery about their playful competitiveness. We headed back to our hotel and kissed the Cambodia sky, goodnight.