We were the bloody tourists in Cambodia

It was an afternoon when Mr. Hand and I arrived in Angkor International Airport. I could feel the heat as soon as we get off the plane. Without any trouble, I got the Visa on arrival after filling up a form, and of course, paying the money. It was unpleasant when the officer used a correction pen making a little mark on my passport cover page. He just marked it to remind himself we had paid the money. Ridiculous!

Well, never mind, we were still in good mood. And because of that, we didn't mind paying seven US dollars to take a taxi to the hotel. We didn't exchange money since the US dollar is widely accepted in Siem Reap. On the way to the hotel, the taxi driver kept talking us to hiring him for the next day tour in Angkor temples. I kept thinking we should get a bike to visit the temples, so we ignored his hard selling.

The road to the down town in most of the section was paved, but the side ways for the pedestrians were left to be sandy, and sometimes littered. I saw some cops at the intersections maintaining the order, but most of the time I saw them just standing around. To my surprise, there were quite a lot private cars. Of course, Tuk-tuks and motor bikes were seen on the road very often. I saw more tourists riding bikes on the road rather than the local people doing it. Hotels were built along the main road one after another. "Hotel Town" is the nickname I make for Siem Reap.

I liked where we were staying instantly. The room was clean and tidy every day. The staff from the hotel was very helpful. Mr. Hand forgot his camera in the taxi and the staff helped us to phone the company the next morning. Luckily we had the camera back. It is good to know that the people in there are so kind and honest.

Waiting staff in the roof-top restaurant were well dressed and with formal manner in serving. I particularly liked a waitress who always greeted us gracefully. Once I made some comments on her dress and she told me she bought the dress from Singapore. I must say she was really a beauty. And once again, a waitress made travel to Singapore, it leaves me an impression that the economic growth in Cambodia is actually doing well.

I quite understand when I do travel, never expect there are some perfect toasts cheering you up in the morning. To be fair, the breakfast in the hotel was not bad, let me say, the food tasted safe. Don't know from when Mr. Hand likes eating toasts for his breakfast no matter in where, I kind of sticked with the French Toasts since I couldn't buy any wholemeal or dark rye bread in there.

Then we discovered a typical market place for the bloody tourists to dine and shop. In one of the restaurants there, we were crazy about its assorted fruit shakes. It was risky to dine outside the hotel but we could not help. It was the local taste in that restaurant kept us visiting although the food from there brought me diarrhoea.

To be continued...