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View from the back of a tuk tuk

Here are eight more observations from living in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

1. English is OK
   Most people can understand and speak at least some basic English.
2. Friendly people
   Most people are friendly in a calm sort of way.
3. Traffic is easy to navigate
   The aren’t many traffic or stop signs here except on main roads, but people drive slow and yield excessively at intersections.
4. Tuk tuks are everywhere
   Tuk tuks are basically Cambodian taxis. They are riding carriages attached to a motorbike and are all over the place.
5. Prayer gesture is common
   The Buddhist prayer hand gesture is a typical greeting, often used at fancier hotels and establishments.
6. Power outages
   Power outages are common and usually last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. My apartment has a backup generator so I am usually never without power for than a few seconds. There was a city-wide power outage after the first rain of the season that lasted for over 72 hours, but life went on pretty much as usual. Some places without generators shut down and there was less light at night, but otherwise it was surprisingly not a big deal.
7. Lots of tourists
   Because of the nearby Angkor Wat temples, the city is full of people from all over the world. This is especially noticeable in the Night Market and Pub Street areas.
8. Funny t-shirts
   There is a particularly high number of ironic and witty shirts, worn by both Cambodians and foreigners.

Lucky Supermarket in Siem Reap

When I arranged to housesit in Siem Reap, I had little idea of what to expect. Over the past month, however, I’ve familiarized myself a bit with this western Cambodian town. Here are some notes and observations.

1. Mix of dollars and riel
   Although the Cambodian riel is the official currency, the U.S. dollar is widely used and accepted. Only U.S. bills are used, not coins. Anything below $1 is calculated in riel, with an exchange rate of around 1 U.S. dollar to 4,000 Cambodian riel.
2. Lack of street signs
   Streets and addresses are often not marked. Google Maps works fine here but the lack of signs can make it difficult to locate some streets and buildings.
3. Concentration of useful stores
   Siem Reap is a pretty compact city, at least the central part of town that I’m familiar with. Because of the amount of tourists that come through the city, there are stores that supply just about anything a Westerner would want or need.
4. It’s cheap
   Like other countries in Southeast Asia, the cost of living here is generally low. You can rent a serviced studio apartment for as little $250 per month and you can buy a coconut for fifty cents.
5. It’s hot
   April is the hottest month of the year with high temperatures usually in the 90’s Farhenheit, sometimes reaching triple digits. When I first got to Siem Reap, I wasn’t sure if I could handle the heat. But after about a week I adjusted to the climate and now it feels “normal”.
6. It’s dusty
   There is often dirt in the air, which makes many people cover their mouths or wear masks.
7. Plenty of geckos
   You can spot these little brown creatures on walls around the city.
8. Techno music
   European-style dance music seems to be the popular choice of music here and can be heard in stores and on the streets.

My tuk tuk chauffeur welcomes me to Cambodia

Another month, another country. Although it is well into the month of April, at the beginning of the month I moved to Cambodia. I am staying in the city of Siem Reap, which was recently voted the world’s second best travel destination of 2015 and #1 in Asia by TripAdvisor. (Incidentally, Hanoi was ranked fourth overall and second in Asia.) Siem Reap is best known for its close proximity to the ancient temples of Angkor Wat.

I came here by way of a house-sitting opportunity that I found on the site Trusted Housesitters. I am currently housesitting for an Australian couple until the middle of May. They are travel writers and were very helpful in arranging my arrival and stay. For example, they had their tuk tuk driver Sothea pick me up at the airport and gave lots of tips about the city when I met them the night before they left. I am looking after Pepper as well, who is an affectionate year-old black cat.

Siem Reap has been a nice change of pace from Hanoi. It’s pretty relaxed here and the city has everything you need to live comfortably – good grocery stores, coffee shops, and even two co-working spaces. (I am writing this from “The 1961“)

It took me about a week or so to feel settled in to Siem Reap. For me, “settling in” involved:

• renting a bike
• going to different coffee shops to find the best one
• finding a gym
• finding a good grocery store and buying some groceries
• doing some odd errands
• exploring the city by bike

Overall, the transition from Hanoi was pretty smooth and Cambodia is treating me well!