Susadei Siem Reap !

Arriving in Siem Reap everything goes smoothly, but there's one thing I haven't checked.

Christopher Parker

9/21/2023

Well it's been two weeks now since my arrival I've got myself an apartment and picked up all the little essentials such as pots, pans, plates, cups etc, It’s been exciting but I’ve had a few hiccups along the way and my budget has suffered and to add to that there's been a discrepancy with my visa.When I arrived at Siem Reap Airport, I went to the visa counter with my immigration card, passport and money in hand. I had ticked ordinary visa with the hope of extending for six months.

A few days ago, in preparation of going to get it extended, I discovered to my horror that they had issued me a tourist visa for 30 days which can only be extended for an additional 30 days.

So now before it expires, I have to leave the country and re-enter.

I was told I could either go to the border crossing at Poipet on the Thai border or Krong Stung Treng on the Lao border, both involve a lengthy return road trip.

But I have read of so many scams and bribes particularly at Poipet that I did not feel safe doing it alone so I found the cheapest and safest option was to get a cheap flight to Bangkok next week, stay the night in a cheap airport hotel and return the next day.

This time, when I return to immigration at Siem Reap Airport, I shall be more diligent and from now on in, I just have to budget a little bit better.

Despite these problems, I've had a wonderful time here. I found myself an apartment just outside of Siem Reap in a village called Kouk Chak, the apartment is comfortable and the location is quiet and at $150 USD per month, good value.

There are many little roadside stores where you can purchase just about anything you need and if you require a more western flavour when you shop you can take a short 30 minute walk back towards Siem Reap to the Angkor Supermarket, or if you prefer you can catch a tuk tuk for $1.

This is a super supermarket with two levels, it has everything from homewares to imported goods from all over the globe, even if you don’t purchase anything, walking around this store is an education in itself.

The local market Psa Drum Krolanh is no more than a 20 minute walk away, here you can find meat, fresh fish and an outstanding array of fruit and vegetables.

The market is a maze of alleyways and passages, each one lined with vendors selling their goods, fish are kept alive in tubs of water, piles of fruit and vegetables are stacked neatly on tarpaulins on the ground, sections of livestock recently slaughtered hang from hooks ready to be portioned to your requirements.

Care needs to be taken when navigating the alleyways and passages for as is the case with most markets in Asia motorcycles outnumber pedestrians.

So far, I have not seen another foreigner here, I think most tend to stay around the tourist area around Siem Reap in close proximity to the attractions and of course Pub Street.

The weather has been hot and wet, having arrived in the wet season it was not unexpected. It's hot during the day and it's hot during the night.

You only need the lightest of clothing here, I couldn’t imagine wearing jeans or a heavy shirt all day, just shorts and T-shirt , the humidity is so high that you’ll more than likely require a change of clothing some time during the day.

Certain periods during the day, when you look at the horizon, you can see the most enormous clouds, towering into the atmosphere, dark and foreboding, the deep sound of thunder rolls through the sky from every direction as it makes its way towards you, sometimes if you listen carefully when it's almost upon you, you can hear it coming a giant dark curtain of rain pounding the flimsy tin roofs in its path.

This is the first of my posts in this my blog “Chris goes Khmer” in the coming days and weeks I shall be posting regularly as well as adding to the gallery and compiling a list of important links and information.

Your comments and questions are most welcome and can be sent through the Contacts page.

I will respond to all, Until next time … Orkun.