Today is pretty much my final day of roaming Siem Reap as I've got a mid morning flight out of here and the process takes about 3 hours, so I'm trying to think of what to do on my last day to make it a memorable trip. My original intention was to go play golf at either the hotel's course or the Nick Faldo course. Both have hosted Asia PGA tournaments but I only wanted to get half a round in so I could chill around the hotel pool. I've booked the Phare, the Cambodian Circus in the evening at 8pm.
I've decided to go the cheap option and go take a tuk tuk out to the water village, Tonie Sap Lake. This was around a 4 hour trip so another tuk tuk ride for 10 USD. It would cost another 23 USD because I was a single passenger on the boat ride for the cruise around the lake. Mind you this was compared to half a golf round costing me about 150USD for 9 holes, clubs and cart hire which included a caddy.
I was told it would take about 20 minutes from the hotel to Tonie Sap Lake. It was an interesting yet bumpy ride on the tuk tuk. I saw how people lived away from the city, and touristy areas. Roads were being repaired and relaid etc.
Many kids were on their way to school, I believe. The reason I am not so sure was that school must start late as I left the hotel after 9am. I don't believe they were truanting.
So here are the pics of the day
Kids double on a bike to get to school. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
Houses along the river on the way to Tonie Sap Lake. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
Happy kids walking to school. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
After being dropped off by my tuk tuk driver, I went in to the terminal to grab a boat. I paid my 23USD and was asked to head to the pier, where there were a stack of boats waiting for tourists. I was taken around by a set of brothers who were doing these tours part time. They are fisherman but the fishing season has finished. The Cambodian government prevents mass fishing during the dry season to allow the fish population to grow again. Most Cambodians in the area have the local food which as the tour guide on the boat told me is fish paste better known as Amok. I tried it in the evening and all I can say is I'd rather stick to the Khmer curries instead. The two fisherman brothers who took me around claimed that they were locals. The younger brother who was also the guide spoke very good English.
There is one catch to these tours. Since the water is low in the dry season, the boats you are taken to the village on are too big to navigate around the village, you can only see the outskirts. You get taken a 1/3 of the way there and you would need to change into a smaller boat. Basically all the fisherman rent out there smaller boats so you can go to the village. This will cost you another 20USD. I decided against taking the smaller boats.
One tip, close your mouth when on the boat and if you choose to talk do not talk outside the window. Otherwise you will get your free Tonie Sap Lake coffee in your mouth! The brown water will just cover your mouth if you are not careful
First stop was the orphaned children from a recent typhoon that ripped through Vietnam. The kids are taken here and are fed rice. They go to school here, sleep here and play here. It is quite a sad place to go to, but some kids are smiling and that gives you some comfort. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
Some kids after their lunch are at the books. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
The fresh water barrel. No back wash allowed here that is for sure. The barrel contains fresh clean drinking water that they share, you can see here there are bowls to scoop the water and drink from. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
Some kids just want to wander around on the boat in their lunch break. He is waiting his turn to go and have some fun. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
These kids are taking a ride on the boat before school starts again. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
I left the school, and we headed to get closer to the houses in the village area, but before heading there we stopped at a convenient store in the lake and as the guide said it is a 7 eleven on the water. The guide bought some beers to share. The local Angkor brew.
The convenient store in Tonie Sap Lake. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
This is as close as I got to the water village, maybe I should have spent the extra 20 USD to go inside, but in all honesty I was thinking about the huge pool in the hotel rather than this coffee coloured water at this stage. Fuji X-Pro 1, 85mm f/1.2 R
The life of a fisherman on his long break, resting up in a hammock. Fuji X-Pro 1, 85mm f/1.2 R
The rumor has it that all the crocodiles were taken and skinned to sell. There are a few crocs on this float. It is a little sad to see, the crocs barely move and obviously some tourists get annoyed and throw beer cans at them. I'm just glad there are no crocs in the lake anymore as kids play and bath in the lake. Fuji X-Pro 1, 85mm f/1.2 R
Local fisherman boat, he is just transporting things around to get some pay. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
The guide said that this guy was allowed to fish in this shallow part of the lake. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
After my lake tour, it was time to head for some lunch. I decided to try Paris Saigon. I was thinking anything that had broth and was cooked hot would be safe for my weak stomach to eat and those who know me, know that I must have pho once a week LOL. So since Cambodia is so close to Vietnam, I was hoping to have some authentic pho.
The food was nice here and I decided to make my way to Pub Street in the day. It was about a 10 minute walk in the heat from the restaurant. Pub Street is in the mix of the Old Market and Night Market. I couldn't find this last night so I decided to wander more. The key is to just follow the young westerners as that's where they all head to for a feed and a beer. It didn't take me long to find it. I decided I'm pretty tired of lugging my Leica M6 around so I pulled out and walked around and did some street shots. They are not ready yet so that is why you can not see them here.
After about 1.5 hours of wandering and making sure I finished a full roll of film, I tried to find the Blue Pumpkin, this is a dessert shop where you can sit up on sofas and relax with your feet up. I managed to stumble and find it. Things were harder for me to find as I didn't have a SIM card for Cambodia so no google maps for me. Grabbed myself a dark chocolate ice cream on a cone and it was a pleasant surprise. Just what the doctor ordered.
Took a few more shots and finished the roll of film, grabbed a tuk tuk back to the hotel. I had let my tuk tuk driver go earlier at lunch so this ride was not within the 10 USD, but from Pub Street I knew it was 2 USD back to the hotel. How you may ask, I realized how close I was to Pub Street when I bumped in to last nights dinner spot, Khmer Kitchen Restaurant!
So off to the pool for some R&R whilst sipping on my Pina Colada. Much better than my Bloody Mary on my first day and a tick above the lychee cocktail from yesterday. I spent around 2 hours around and in the pool. Pretty awesome, as the pool is not heated but the water temperature is very nice.
As the circus was in the outskirts of town, it was hard to get a tuk tuk to take me to dinner somewhere on the way and then take me to the Phare circus then wait for me and take me back. I had dinner at the hotel. I tried the Amok dish at the hotel thinking it should be safe to try here. It really was not my cup of tea. It was quite bland and apart from the prawns that accompanied the dish I did not think it was that special.
After dinner off I went on the tuk tuk, and with my luck the tuk tuk drove past the Red Crab Seafood restaurant. This was a place in TripAdvisor with reasonable reviews. Oh well.. It took about 20 minutes to get to the circus.
I got the concierge to book me a ticket on the first day of my arrival in Siem Reap. There are 3 ticket categories, A seats 40 USD, B seats 25 USD and C seats 15 USD. The tent can sit around 250 people I dare say. You all squeeze in for an hour of entertainment. The A seats are generally taken by tour groups so if you want that and your special gift that accompanies your A class seat book it early. I missed out and I got a B seat. It is very much best in first dressed in the B and C seating classes. Where by the earlier you get in the better seat you will get. I came and I managed to get an OK seat. i was about 40 minutes early. My seat was not front on but not too far off center. C seat have a view from the sides.
Here are some pics of the circus.
Hmm balancing act. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
A bit of acrobatics. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
Some death defying stunts. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
Brilliant acrobatics really. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
A it of brute strength. Fuji X-Pro 1, 23mm f/1.4
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by the Phare Circus. It is a budget kind of Cirque du Soleil. It is a mix of comedy, acrobatics and music. The only thing that is missing are the fancy costumes. It was a pretty funny 1 hour a show, and if you are in Siem Reap and do not want to get trashed at Pub Street, go check out the Phare Circus.
Managed to find my tuk tuk driver and it was time to head home and prepare to pack for the early morning check out of the hotel.