Around Siem Reap & FAQs

Costs - although food/drink are incredibly inexpensive (tonight I ate "western" food = ceaser salad, pork loin w/great onion/peppercorn sauce,, FF, iced tea for $4) like Saigon, Angkor has proved much more costly than Vietnam. It's the little things that add up, e.g.: $50 for entry visa/$25 for exit "processing" when leaving country, $40 for 4-day Angkor pass, $75/night hotel (includes bkfst), pineapples 2 for $1 with no break for buying in bulk <- they will NOT sell 1 for 50 cents and I bought at least 12 a day - at least the bananas for the macaques were cheap!

Currency - the Cambodian Real at about 4000/$1. But what I found incredible was prices in all Siem Reap stores (including grocery stores and street vendors), temple admittence fees, etc are all in US $s! And you see more US greenbacks in circulation than Cambodian Reals!? And - there are no coin currency (fyi for my US Mint colleagues).

Weather - higher temps and humidity than Saigon, short showers in the evenings <- but I guess you could tell this from my sopping wet t-shirts in the pics!?

People - are as friendly and sincere as other Indochinese. Their skin color is noticably darker than that of the Vietnamese. The woman are beautiful but in a different way from the Vietnamese. I fell in love at least a dozen times each day No hassles and no one attempting to rip you off. Very kind and gentle folks.

Prostitution - evidently much more expensive here in Siwm Reap than Vietnamese cities I've been in. Even the massages are more. I believe it is illegal here - no prostitutes walking or hussling the streets - they sell their services in discreet bordellos here.

Pagodas - Buddists' places of worship here are called pagodas - not temples. I visited many but went to one in particular several times whose monks are all dedicated to meditation and chanting ohlms. I joined them several times inside - very relaxing and I even cooled off while inside!

The preceding two pictures show the pagoda I visited several times. Its exterior is entirely masonary - mostly casted cement all of which is painted - much of it in gold paint! This is the way they may have painted the Angkor temples and the way they may have looked way back when!? It is really awe-inspiring when seen in the bright sunlight! Also note the fresco painted walls!

This picture shows 2 of the common pagoda icons - the 7-headed serpant (no doubt a cobra whose scally green body surrounds the entire exterior of the pagoda) and the lion - not an Asian tiger but lion that are not found in Indochina!? It is said that the early Khmer kings imported exotic animal from all over the world - so maybe that is the source of this icon found in most Angkor temples and present day pagodas!? Also note the incredibly bold colors of EVERYTHING on the exterior. And the gold paint really shines bright gold! Indeed the Angkor temples could have looked similar!

this is one of the monks I befriended. He's the one that invited me inside to meditate to the chants of the big-cheese or head monk. Through sign language and demonstrations he taught me how to sit and breath. I was his adopted student. Btw he made it perfectly clear that I did not have to believe in Budda to partake of meditation inside their pagoda.


Giving alms: The white-robed-lay-monk to my right is introducing me to the head monk. I have no idea what he was saying!? I had placed some money in the silver bowl and handed it to the head monk - but was not allowed to approach him until the lay monk had "introduced me". It was interesting that the head monk stop leading tje chants when we approach him - on our knees of course.

Again note that entire exterior is brightly painted - and the ever-present 7iheaded-serpant and lion, ornate bright gold roof, and brightly colored frescos !



really neat classically constructed Cambodian house. Owners were home and gave me permission to take pic - but were insistent that they Not be in pic! They then invited me and my tuk-tuk driver onto their porch for tea - but still no pics!?


another girlfriend owned by the people who invited us for tea!