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The first thing I do when I move into a new hotel room is to check out the view.

Thailand and Cambodia 2000 - Part One - Bangkok & Siem Reap

Dougburnett
2003-11-22 17:55:13

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up the steep path and immediately decided against it: I was tired. There were elephants there and I could have ridden up for $15, but after watching one the lumbering beast leave, I decide to skip that too. They were going way to slow to create any kind of breeze and I was hot, real hot. Instead, I talk to some of the kids that hung around selling stuff to the tourists and then went looking for Lin. I found him flirting with a couple of the pop vendors. We all stood talking for a while and then I decide to call it a day.

Before I got out of the car at the hotel, I talked to Lin about the next day. After a little bargaining he agreed to drive me out to Banteay Srei, for $30. We decided to leave at 8:00.

I then took yet another shower, rested in my room and finally walked over to the market, about 10 minutes away. The sun was just going down and it was finally starting to cool off a little. I walked around the market a little, but the light was fading and I really just wanted a beer. I found a little restaurant across the street and sat at a table near the road. I got out my journal and ordered a beer, an Angkor beer - a fitting brand.

It was still a little early and the restaurant was empty. Cambodian pop music was playing and the waitresses were all sitting at the next table talking. A lovely Cambodia girl rode by on her bike and then I noticed a cat walking on the rusty roof across from me. I sat writing for the next hour or so and then realized how exhausted I was. I got up and headed back to the hotel. It had been a long, hot day.

Siem Reap, Tuesday, February 22
I had breakfast at the hotel restaurant. From the window I could see the morning "rush hour." It was mostly bikes and motorcycles- and not many of them. The motorcycles often had 3 or more people packed on them.

At 8:00 a new driver arrived. He introduced himself - his name was ...