Kathleen
Siem Reap, Cambodia – March 5-8, 2016
Back to Angkor Wat!! This place was so magical and special that we decided to put it on our itinerary again even though we were here in 2002. We were worried what the changes would be, as it was obvious when we were here nearly 15 years ago that big changes were in the works. I can honestly say that as far as the temple area goes, it is probably in better condition than it was the last time we visited and the throng of tourists wasn’t as bad as we had been prepared for. Peak season had just ended as we had just gone into the “hot” season, whichi is March-May. It certainly was hot, and humid, but the temples are still as amazing to explore as they were in the past, and you can always seem to find an out-of-the-way place to appreciate. The ruins on your own when you like.
The town, on the other hand, was a bit of a disappointment. We really didn’t get around too much, staying pretty close to our hotel for dinner after long, hot days until the last evening. We had read about an acrobatics performance that was a “must-see” so we headed out of the center to attend. The show was extremely enjoyable although we marvelled at how the performers could possibly manage these feats in 90-degree heat, no A/C, and dripping with sweat….we were fanning ourselves while they jumped in the air and ran across the stage for an hour…amazing! After the show, we stopped back in a bar that we had been to on our previous trip. Actually, we rather think it was the only bar in Siem Reap in 2002. Not so anymore. There were two full blocks of pedestrian street with bars that seemed to belong on 6th street in Austin,TX rather than outside one of the most amazing world heritage sites in the world. These bars were clubs that would fill up with people taking advantage of copious amounts of cheap, strong alcohol and plenty of loud music to go with it. It wasn’t very full at 9 PM when we were there, but the bar tender said the clubs would fill up from midnight to 3 AM. We just don’t really understand this. Yes, this is a tourist destination, but who would travel all the way to the middle of Cambodia for a party town?? Perhaps the backpacker population is larger than we could tell, but even so, the nightclub scene doesn’t feel right for that crowd….perhaps we are just old, but we found it a little depressing. One thing that is for sure is that there is definately money pouring into this region of Cambodia, and many local groups are trying to make sure that this money is helping to enhance the lives of the Cambodian people. We sure hope they succeed…
All things considered, Ankor Wat is still one of the most magical places we have been and we highly recommend a visit (as soon as possible). The last time we visited was in the autumn, which was still hot, but just after the rainy season, so things were much greener, crazy green, and the sky was clearer. We would recommend a visit any time you are in this area of the world, but especially in the autumn……