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Joe and I in the back of a tuk tuk
Siem Reap is a very small tourist town with a nice little downtown area. Since our hotel, Le Meridien Angkor, was a few kilometers away from the downtown area, Joe and I had to take a tuk tuk to get there.

What is a tuk tuk? It's Cambodia's version of a taxi. As you can see in the picture to the left, it's basically a cart that is hooked up to a motorcycle. It costs about $5 to hire a driver for a few hours. The drivers drop you off at your destination and then waits around for you so they can earn the roundtrip fare. 

I know some of you might be thinking, "Wow, that doesn't look safe at all!" This mode of transportation actually isn't that bad. The drivers in Siem Reap, including those who drive cars and vans, drive really slowly and seem to be aware of their surroundings. Despite the sometimes chaotic traffic patterns (people didn't always adhere to the road lanes), I felt surprisingly safe in the tuk tuk. The only downfall is that the lack of windows and a windshield meant that you could easily get hit in the face by bugs. The video below gives you a taste of what it's like to ride in a tuk tuk.

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Joe and I at the end of Pub Street
The main drag downtown is Pub Street. As the name suggests, it's a street full of bars and restaurants, and even a few clubs. There is a mix of international cuisine as well as Cambodian Khmer dishes. Two interesting things we saw (but didn't try) were crocodile burgers and Khmer style frogs (see photos below). I'm usually willing to try most foods, but these were not appealing to me at all! 

I'll admit, Joe and I stuck to mostly western food both times we ventured downtown. Our first night, we ate at a Cambodian chain called The Blue Pumpkin. I'd venture to guess the cafe was started by someone from Europe. The food was good... I had a salad and Joe had a burger... and the desserts were fantastic. We enjoyed a mix of ice cream and sorbet. Our second night downtown, Joe and I ate at a Mexican restaurant. We caved because it's been a while since we had Mexican food, and it was especially appealing to have "normal" prices ($6 burritos in Cambodia vs $25 burritos here in Singapore!). It wasn't quite like our favorite places back in the states, but it was good!

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Crocodile burgers... interesting...
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Khmer frogs
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Enjoying Mexican food at La Vida restaurant
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Fish tank pedicure
The downtown area has a ton of massage places right on the street... chairs literally outside where you can sit down and get a quick massage. Fish pedicures are also a big hit in Siem Reap. There seemed to be huge fish tanks on every corner. People sit on the edge with their feet in the tank and the fish swarm to the feet to eat the dead skin (gross!). Every time we walked by one of these, we were haggled to try it out. The salesmen offered us free beer to enhance the experience, but we weren't sold on the idea. I don't like the idea of sticking my feet into a tank with a whole bunch of other feet or letting fish nibble at me!

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Night Market
The main attractions of downtown, for me, were the markets. There are two main markets, the Old Market and the Night Market. All of the stalls offer the same sorts of things - cheap clothing, trinkets, and interesting food. The salespeople were really aggressive, trying to make a sell by pulling us into their stalls to look around. The sights and sometimes the smells were interesting. 

Overall, we really enjoyed Siem Reap. In fact, Joe, who usually prefers only beach vacations, said he would go back to Siem Reap in the future. 

Until next time, Siem Reap!

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Massages on the street
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Road leading to the Night Market
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The Blue Pumpkin



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