Siem Reap

We decided to rest on our first two days in Siem Reap. After a day like the last (the border crossing), we badly needed to recharge. Wandering around, we tried to acquaint ourselves with Cambodian life, away from the tourist center. The weather wasn't so great when we arrived, but it was sunny enough in the morning, but it rained in the afternoons.

Dried fish in the market. Sophia of the guest house said
this is the food Cambodians like most.

Various spices. They can give India a run for their spicy money!

Went to the other side of the river to see if we can find another place to stay in.

Sitting at the fountain in front of the Raffles.
After some debate, we decided to stay put at the center,
where all the pubs and restos are, and save ourselves a bit of a walk.

Henri took the crappy sunglasses I bought in Khao San the day before.
The woman said it's "not made in China, made in Thailand, made in Thailand better!"
Well one side broke no more than 24 hours later...

And he broke the other side while making jokes.

How do I use the sunglasses now, Mr. Dumont?

This is "The Korean," in honor of the many Korean girls we saw
 in Thailand doing the exact same pose EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

We followed the sound of gongs and discovered this wat.

The music was lovely.

Devotees offering a prayer at...

A temple in the middle of the street.

Cast-off lotus petals that didn't make it to the final cut.

Flowers for the Buddha.

Dark clouds cast a pall over Siem Reap.

Henri finds his bliss: A glass of PASTIS!
Fred, the French guy who owns the bar was super nice, and so was his girlfriend,
who took care of me when I got embarassingly sick at the bar :p
Look them up at The Pink Bar if you have the chance!

The little lane through Pub Street, full of restos
catering to expat tastes.

Amok, the national dish.

Loc Lac, the unofficial national dish for Henri and me...
we used to crave this all the time in Paris.
After tasting it many times in every city we went to,
only to realize the best was in the 13th Arr. of Paris.
No place like home :D

To the Nicos of Fatehpur Sikri, and Kat and Will of Langtang, if you're reading this,
we went to Ecstatic Pizza like you said. Mission accomplished!

The booze could be really cheap in Siem Reap, and when people are not
lurking about at the ruins of Angkor...

they would be lounging the day away in the bars of Pub Street...
 Which, incidentally used to be called Bar Street in the old Lonely Planet.

The clouds had gathered again, dispersing the crowd into
the dry bosom of the bars and restaurants.

The next day, we fed well at the Blue Pumpkin and steeled ourselves
for our first day at the Angkor Temples.