emily's life in hong kong...: In and around Siem Reap

Here we are, fresh and ready to tour. From left to right: Caroline, Christine, Sara, and me

We rented this tuk-tuk driver for 2 days (about 10$US per day). A tuk-tuk is like a rickshaw, pulled by a motorbike.

There were plenty of monkeys on the sides of the road. These guys were climbing all over this tour bus, playing with their reflections in the mirror.

monks walking along the side of the road, a fairly common sight

orphanage on the side of the road, selling art. there was a small classroom near the front, as well

stopping for the traffic of elephants

Sara and I getting ready to bike for the day.

We rented bikes for $1/day to bike to Angkor Wat from Siem Reap and around the area to Angkor Thom. It was beautiful weather and a great way to more fully experience Cambodia. This was one of the highlights of the trip, in my opinion. We ended up biking for about 30-some kilometers.

Here's a home we passed as we biked along the road. These guys are "cheers-ing" me with their drinks. Cambodian people were incredibly friendly and helpful during our whole trip.

Cambodian village, and side street, as seen from our bikes.

many houses on stilts.

We went during the dry season, but the rainy summer months require preparation and flood parts of the land.

a boy flying a kite in the morning

In general, the pace of life is much, much slower and relaxed than I'm used to...seeing children playing and people resting in hammocks helped me slow down a bit and enjoy this trip even more.

Here's our last Cambodian meal at the "Dead Fish" hostel and restaurant. It was a very trendy place with floor/pillow seating on different levels of an old barn. The entertainment for the night was a singer/songwriter from Australia followed by a traditional dance. I was struck by how trendy some of the spots around Siem Reap were...tourism is fairly new here, and it was interesting to see it begin to flourish.