Day 5, Saturday 23rd February 2013 - Siem Reap

A day of rest..... Baca Villa has provided me with a guide book which I read in conjunction with online sources. The question is, how can I manage a tour of Angkor Wat Historical Park? The tour isn't going to be cheap. A one-day entrance ticket is $20 while and three-day is $40. There's even a third option of 7 days. On top of this, transport for the day will be at least $15. This is how popular Angkor Wat is.
After breakfast at Baca Villa, I arrange transport to the city to improve my options. My primary task is to secure accommodation closer to the facilities I need including restaurants, shops, tour operators, banks etc. Peace and tranquility is wonderful but not right now in a strange country like this. Arriving at the old market I find a huge assortment of souvenir shops offering goods at grossly inflated prices, but I'm more interested in finding suitable accommodation. I'm looking to stay within a budget but at the same time find a clean room en-suite with the usual facilities and still within walking distance of the centre. Easier said than done, but I eventually succeed after an hour of pacing around making enquiries. The guesthouse I find has a small swimming pool and within 10 minutes walk of everything I need. That's sorted: It's time for lunch. I've arranged for the tuk-tuk to pick me up at 1 pm. I'm still pondering what to do about the tour. By the time I've finished lunch my mind is made up. For the afternoon, at least, I will do nothing. I've a strong sensation of a waste of a day, but the day is half over and this day is very hot, not ideal for visiting temples. All being well I'll get an early start in the morning when it's cooler. Over the past month my touring has been as intense as it's ever been. A day of rest may be a blessing in disguise.
Pub Street and Night Market..... I've arranged to go into the city for the evening where I have dinner. Choosing grilled food, rice and beer I suppose is reasonable by home standards but by the time I've paid for transport I'm again well over budget. Contrary to what I have read, the cost of living here is more than I imagined yet because of Angkor Wat, Siem Reap is thriving. Just about the only thing that seems cheaper here is the beer, but you cannot live on that. I can't cut corners too much, or I defeat the object of being here but in a sense I'm anxious now to see as much as I can of the Angkor Wat complex in a short time and make it back to Thailand were local transport and food is much cheaper. In a sense if I feel the pressure then goodness help the people of Cambodia.
I've had a good look round the tourist part of Siem Reap where all the restaurants and pubs are especially in Market Street and Pub Street which attracts so many visitors, but now I must return on the bone shaking journey over rutted roads back to Baca Villa.
Next Page.