Back to Siem Reap!!

3/26/2012 5:21 PM

So I arrived back in Siem Reap a few hours ago. The bus ride was actually quite pleasant, aside from the people sitting on little plastic chairs in the aisle; it wasn’t much different than any bus I would have gotten back home 20 years ago. The trip was not bad either; it actually took the advertised time…. I think that’s a first. So I’ve arrived back at the same hotel where I was staying before. The rooms are really nice, relatively cheap, high-speed wifi and the staff is very friendly and helpful. I actually asked them if it would be possible to have a room with a writing desk, unfortunately they were all booked up so instead they brought one up to my room! So nice of them

Dam at Battambang

Yesterday was interesting and relaxing. I am well aware of the fact that I am using the term relaxing a lot, but in the “relaxing time” I am getting a lot done with regards to school, plans for Lao, and catching up with my blog. I also have another four days in Siem Reap and I’m kind of getting the feeling that I have exhausted all my sources on interest. Hopefully Il find something new!

 So I wandered around Battambang yesterday morning for a little while… there really is not that much to see there. So around 1 PM I decided I needed to get out and hired a tuk-tuk for a few hours. He brought me to a dam and a subsequent lake. It is quite interesting actually; the dam was built by the Khmer Rouge in 1975, however, it was not built for the purpose of power generation. It was in fact built to control the water level in the rice fields. Historical fact: The Khmer Rouge were trying to turn Cambodia into an agricultural society etc etc. Now, however, the dam is more of an amusement park for kids on the weekends. 

Its not what you think it is! The oil from this plant is used for cooking

So I actually found that quite interesting. Something I’ve realized I really like doing in simply cruising around the country side in the back of a tuk-tuk. So I got back around 5 PM. Didn’t do much last night other than work on my registration for school. 

Not sure what I will do tonight; I’ve just spent the last hour unpacking; I may wander around the night markets. Not sure yet.

All for Now