It’s lunchtime in Siem Reap, Cambodia. We’re going to take a tuk tuk into town, explore a bit, then have lunch. We got a glimpse of the little town on our ride in from the airport, but this will be our first real look at Siem Reap. Let’s go!
There are six of us. When we arrived in Siem Reap, most tourists were gone for the day, out on Angkor temple tours. When visitors come to Siem Reap, that’s top priority.
Most of us will do that tomorrow, but today we have time to go into town for lunch.
Maybe after lunch, get an hour massage in town for $10-$15. Maybe get our feet nibbled on by tiny little fish. People say it’s invigorating. We’ll see about that. Or maybe we won’t see about that.
Tuk Tuks
The best way to get around in Siem Reap is by tuk tuk. They’re popular in Southeast Asia, particularly in Thailand and Cambodia. I’ve always pronounced it as, “tuck tuck.” But here, when they “tuk tuk,” it sounds like “took took.”
Either way, you can’t beat ‘em for a cheap, fun means of transportation. When our group of six was ready to leave the hotel, three tuk tuks pulled up before we’d even left the hotel lobby.
The hotel concierge told us how it works: The rate for a round-trip tuk tuk ride to town is $5 U.S. (They like U.S. dollars here). The driver will take you to town, wait for you, then bring you back to the hotel. You can stay for 10 minutes, 2 hours, or all day. The driver will be there, waiting for you. Wow.
Pub Street
In Siem Reap, the street where it’s all happening is Pub Street. Great name for a street in a tourist town, eh? Who wouldn’t want to spend some time on “Pub Street” on a hot Cambodian day?
We climbed out and agreed on the designated pick-up spot where our driver would be waiting. On Pub Street, there is no pretense of being anything other than a destination for tourists, many of whom are Americans.
When we climbed out of our tuk tuk, music was being piped in from speakers on the street. Traditional Cambodian music? Not exactly. It was Johnny Cash singing “I Walk the Line.” What!?
Eating was the first order of business, so we walked into the nearest restaurant that looked good. (There were a lot of ‘em). We went in, but the place was empty. No signs of life, but then someone came out and gave us a big, warm, Cambodian greeting.
Lunchtime
We asked if we could be seated upstairs, where we could look out over Pub Street. Back home, the reply would have been, “Sorry. We only open the space upstairs for dinner.”
Not here. We’re customers. They’re a restaurant. Their answer was, “Yes, the tables upstairs have a nice view.” I’m pretty sure they’d planned on being closed for the afternoon, but not anymore.
Cambodians eat lots of rice, noodles, veggies, chicken, and fish. Everything is fresh, fresh, fresh, like it was in Vietnam. Everyone in our group enjoyed their lunch immensely. And – bonus – we discovered that Cambodian Angkor Beer is really good. They serve it ice cold.
Cambodian food, to me, is like Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese combined into one beautiful thing. They use lots of fresh herbs like they do in Vietnam, curries like they have in India, and fresh everything else with a little heat like Thai. (But not as much heat as Thai!) If you like Indian, Thai, and Vietnamese food, you’ll be happy eating in Cambodia.
To be continued…
Featured image: Pub Street, Siem Reap Cambodia at night. Credit: istockphoto/mikeinlondon
