Siem Reap

OK, finally figured out how to get on to Typepad. Let me see if I can get some photos up here.

UPDATE: So, I was a bit rushed there at first. Internet access is spotty: hard to upload photos…

Since my group was still assembling itself today, I did not head out to Angkor Wat yet. We will do that tomorrow and the next day; perhaps not enough time, but it will, at least, give me a sense of the place.

Today I just wandered around the town of Siem Reap. It is basically a tourist economy. Last night a local man told us that last year 2.5 million tourists visited Cambodia, and virtually all of them pass through this town. But you can still see a real town with real people going about their everyday business if you look around. The Old Market is in the center of town and even though it is clogged with lots of touristy ktoske, in the center of it are the food stalls where the locals get their provisions. A riot of color and sounds and smells. But it was, at the same time, very easy going. People were not yelling, just doing their thing. Bargaining was most definately happening, but it was not overwrought. And there was no big deal with foreigners wandering around. People smiled. Kids would pose for pictures. A pleasant place….