Spent half an hour attempting to call the hotel about the "free" ride from the airport, but was a waste of time. Found a tuktuk that offered to take me to my hotel for $6.00, so took the offer. After a long day, and a four hour flight delay leaving Vientiane, it was great to be in Cambodia. It was much warmer...the first place in the last 6 weeks where it is not cold at night.
Riding alone in a tuktuk, after dark, in a large and strange city - with the wind blowing in my face - and a prayer that the tuktuk driver knew where the hotel was and was not taking me into a dark alley......
Some of the streets were actually pretty dark and lonely looking....but we finally safely arrived.
Siem Reap is a big place...lots of tour busses, hundreds of expensive hotels, thousands and thousands of tourists, shops and tourist venues everywhere. Bright neon lights like Reno or Vegas in places....fountains......tuktuks everywhere and lots of non-Asian travelers. Looks at first glance to be a great place to spend the last 7 days of my walkabout.
The main Angkor ruins are 6 miles out of town. Many other sites are 10-20-30 or more miles out of town.
A friendly driver of the tuktuk....speaks a little English but we could communicate.....I was afraid I had put myself in peril, but turned out to be just nighttime traveler's paranoia.
Everyone is so poor.....I asked the tuktuk driver the charge for a full day of taking me around town in his tuktuk. He said $20.00 US. Sounded so reasonable...what is $20.00 when the US stock market is retreating by 5%?? I did not even counter offer, but I know it is above what I could be paying. I have found that paying a little more will get me more than the excess $ in personal service.
A friendly driver of the tuktuk....speaks a little English but we could communicate.....I was afraid I had put myself in peril, but turned out to be just nighttime traveler's paranoia.
Everyone is so poor.....I asked the tuktuk driver the charge for a full day of taking me around town in his tuktuk. He said $20.00 US. Sounded so reasonable...what is $20.00 when the US stock market is retreating by 5%?? I did not even counter offer, but I know it is above what I could be paying. I have found that paying a little more will get me more than the excess $ in personal service.
Will get a city map, have him take me around town all day, visit a musuem, some Wats, markets, shop, eat and he will wait for me all day at each stop and return me to my hotel at end of the day. And then he will ask if he can do it again tomorrow. What a bargain, even if I am overpaying. Call it my donation to the local economy.
Have 7 days here - will use the first day as an orientation and getting a feel for what to buy, where to buy, what to see, where things are, etc.
Siem Reap looks at first impression to be a very enjoyable place.
Siem Reap looks at first impression to be a very enjoyable place.
Flat, lots of water, even in the dry season.
All good. The last leg of the travel. Drat.
It has been a hassle free walkabout, even if I caught pneumonia.
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