On the road in Cambodia

The long drive from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, the closest city to the temples of Angkor Wat, was more enjoyable than I was expecting. One of our scheduled stops was at "spider town," where we politely declined the fried tarantula but were surprised at how tasty the fried crickets were. They were doused in oil and if you closed your eyes, you might have thought you were eating a potato chip. That was of course, only after our guide, Haing, pulled the feet and head off for me. We also were introduced to the wonderfully-strange-looking lychee berry. (You peel off the spiky skin before eating the juicy white fruit inside, then spit out the pit.)


One of the highlights of the tour came when we stopped along the side of the road to view some traditional Khmer stilt houses. Apparently these houses, despite being along the Cambodian highway don't get many visitors, so several people came out to look at the foreigners. They were very friendly, and smiled warmly as we greeted them with a "Su-az-day" (Hello). One of our tour mates, Lynda from Australia, gave stuffed kangaroos to an adorable cute little boy and his sister. The kid was radiant, with a beaming smile that I will never forget, at such a wonderful gift. We liked to imagine that he'll be telling the story of the sweet Australian woman who gave him a toy for years to come.



When we arrived in Siem Reap, our guide Haing (whose family lived in the town) took us out for a night on the town, Cambodian-style. We visited a kind of carnival where all the locals hang out. They had fair-style games like ring tosses, and the prizes were things like a (warm) can of beer or bottle of (imitation) coke. Jon went for a ride on the bumper cars, which did not seem to function properly. The smells of meat roasting on a stick were all around us. Haing bought us some fried frog, which he pocketed for everyone to try at the restaurant where we were having dinner.



Dinner was again delicious and unbelievably cheap. The roasted frog was ok, but a little difficult to eat. I again indulged in that wonderful coconut curry and a fruit smoothie for the extravagant cost of $10 or so. While we ate, we were treated to a performance of Apsara dancers. It was very different from any ethnic dances (like belly dance or flamenco) I had seen. The movements of their hands and feet were carefully controlled and so elegant (check out the 10 second video clip at the bottom). The costumes consisted of elaborate headdresses and beautifully decorated dresses. It was a great end to another unforgettable day in Cambodia.