I idolize Angelina Jolie. Ever since she got out of her crazy phase, Santa Angelina has been involved in many kids related charity projects. It all started after she adopted her son Maddox. A native from Cambodia , Maddox has brought out the full maternal instinct in Angelina. That little boy with a Mohawk hairdo inspired Angelina to ditch her erratic and weird behavior and do good things such as saving the unprivileged kids around the world. Angelina also scored a really hot husband along the way and recently had a baby with him (Buddhists call this good karma). Contrary to Santa Angelina, I am mean and have been repeatedly admonished by my friends that hell has a welcoming fanfare waiting for my arrival. Seeing how a Cambodian kid has transformed Angelina and what good karma she has inherited by doing good, I decided to pay this developing country a visit and get myself a Maddox. I chose Siem Reap, the small provincial capital that discovered tourism not too long ago.
Siem Reap houses the Angkor Archaeological Park that puts her on the world tourist map in recent years. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses dozens of temple ruins, including the legendary Angkor Wat and The Bayon Temple. The discovery of tourism in Siem Reap has created a lot of job opportunities for the war-torn and impoverished country. Presently a lot of hotel conglomerates are constructing their hotels in this small capital and there is an increasing number of Cambodians moving south to seek employment. I applaud the government’s effort to grow the country’s tourism industry. Had it not been for the booming of this industry in Siem Reap, the unemployment rate in Cambodia would have been much higher than its current estimated 40% rate.
I arrived at The Siem Reap international airport. This airport reminds you of the one showcased in the old sitcom “Wings”. The airport had only four gates. There were no custom officers at the exit point to collect your custom declaration forms. This was clearly an airport that you can hop in and out off easily, without having to arrive two hours before the flight departs. Upon exit there was a representative from Le Meridien Angkor waiting for me. For those of you who seek a luxurious five star accommodation, I highly suggest the Le Meridien Angkor (www.starwood.com). At a peak season rate of only USD185 per day, it includes a night stay at the beautifully decorated and spacious Angkor style room, breakfast buffet, a daily fresh fruit plate, daily appetizer- teasers from the hotel’s world-class Indochine restaurant (delivered around dinner time to get your taste bud going) and service that would make you feel like a royalty. Nowadays, this rate can only get you a room at the Comfort Inn in Manhattan.
I hired a driver (for USD25 a day) and an English speaking tour guide (for USD20 a day) to take me to the temples. During the peak travel season in Siem Reap, it’s best to see the temples between 6am-9am and 3pm-6pm. There are fewer people and the temperature is very comfortable then. Also the best month, temperature wise, to visit Cambodia is from December to February. Avoid going during the rainy season of July and August unless you like to experience endless perspiration induced by the intense humidity and the scorching sun. Indrea (my tour guide) took me to many temples, including the famous Bayon Temple and Angkor Wat (sunrise view at Angkor Wat is a must see). He did a good job explaining the history of these Hindu and Buddhist temples that were erected in the 13th and 14th century. He also did a great job in taking my photographs. As a solo traveler, it is always handy to have a tour guide to take your photographs. No more of those self taken pictures with the face making up at least half of the photograph (in my case it would be almost all since I have a pretty big head). We visited a great variety of temples. I was elated when we visited the Ta Phrom temple since this was where Angelina shot her “Tomb Raider” movie. I thought by following her footsteps I actually could end up leading the life that she currently leads. I would have to shed at least 80 pounds first. Upon arrival at every temple sight rest assured you will be greeted by a bunch of persistent kids selling you postcards, bracelet and other souvenirs. No more than 6 years old, these adorable kids are multi-lingual when it comes to phrases like “do you want to buy?”, “very cheap” and “where are you from?” They are quite the future entrepreneurs I may say. If Angelina had not picked Maddox for the adoption, he would be one of these kids running around selling you picture books of Angkor Wat.
After getting a tad templed out, I opted to take a boat trip to see the floating villages in Tonle Sap Lake . Located just 30 minutes south of Siem Reap, the Tonle Sap Lake is one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world. It swells anywhere from 2500km to 12000 km in the wet season. Floating villages are located along the side of the lake and the community in general is very poor. I had not seen so many kids running around naked before, since their parents could not afford clothes for them to wear. I intended to kidnap one back as my Maddox, but that notion was quickly dismissed by my tour guide, citing imprisonment and death sentence as the possible consequences to my action. The water in this lake is very important to the villages, as they use it to do their businesses as well as… ahem… bathe in it. During the boat ride, I passed by a house where the mother was dipping the bottom half of her baby into the water for a bathroom break, and two houses west of that house, a sarong clad woman was bathing herself with the river water that flowed westward.
The cost of travel is generally very inexpensive in Cambodia . A meal at a nice restaurant in the tourist trap area, Pub Street, would set you back by USD5-10 (three courses with beer). A tuk-tuk ride (there are no cabs here) would set you back by USD2. Clean and small hotels run at USD20-25 per night. Cambodian food (the locals call it ‘Khmer Food’) is very similar to Thai food. But it has a blander taste than the latter. One of the famous traditional Khmer dishes is known as ‘Armok fish’. It looks like the Thai green curry dish minus the spiciness of the famous Thai dish. One restaurant I highly recommend for good ‘Armok Fish’ is ‘Khmer Kitchen’ located on Pub Street. They also serve other scrumptious dishes such as the stir fried morning glory with chili paste which is a popular Southeast Asian dish. For handicrafts and jewellery shopping, head out to the old market. Remember to always bargain and offer 30% of the quoted price (settling for no more than 50% of the price). While it is generally safe to travel in this country now, not all landmines have been completely removed so travelers should not veer off to any forest or deserted lands when they are biking to the temples. Travelers should also be savvy. Like anywhere else, there is a fair amount of pick pockets in the city that target especially the tourists. Nevertheless I felt completely safe when I was here.
Good news avid massage fans! The quality of the massages here are on par with those offered in Thailand and the prices are much cheaper than those offered in Thailand . A 60 minute massage at a shop (clean and legit one that is) costs only USD18-20. The same massage offered at a five star hotel spa, such as the one at Le Meridien, would cost you double – about USD 38-40. In New York City I can’t even get that rate at the massage parlors in Chinatown . I highly recommend a place called “Body Tune” if you want a good massage in the old market area. Originating from Thailand , this massage and spa chain opens daily from 10am to 10pm and offers a variety of massages. A one hour massage costs USD18-20. Tel: 063-764141. Website: www.bodytune.co.th
Like Thailand and Vietnam, Cambodia has recently become the playground for male pedophiles who traveled from western countries in search of some easy and repercussion-less fun. Fortunately, the Cambodian government has taken actions against this sickening activity. They have imprisoned over 1000 foreigners for a jail term up to 20 years. In fact, the back page of Siem Reap’s official travel guide is a full page warning reminding travelers that engaging in sexual activities with children is a crime. Good for them! I am enraged at these perverts who think they can get away with their sickly behaviors just because they are in some impoverished developing countries! Send them to jail. Better yet castrate them and make them into eunuchs.
Three days are a good enough time to spend in Siem Reap. Frankly there is not much to do after three days. For me I had seen all the temples, visited all the important sights, ate all the food I needed to try and even had a relaxing spa treatment. But I had not found myself a Cambodian kid. Oh well, doing good, as well as marrying Brad Pitt, are both quite overrated. I am perfectly content with the infernal welcoming fanfare that is awaiting my arrival. At least it will be a hot party.
