night market

After arriving in Siem Reap, I made my way over to my new "home" Tara Angkor Hotel.  It is a pretty fancy place for someone who is totting around a backpack.  But I think I will manage to settle in.  I think it would be considered a 5 star hotel.  I figured I deserved a little luxury after 2 months in Sri Lanka. 

When you arrive at the airport in Siem Reap you are greeted by a whole fleet of taxi services.  I decided upon the cheapest mode of transportation; a motorcycle, $2.  I hopped on the back of a motorcycle with my large pack in front, between the driver's legs, and my smaller pack on my back.  My driver was a very friendly person and asked if I needed his services during the rest of my stay. I said yes because he seemed very informative and helpful.  He is called Rith (silent "h").  He was very careful and drives at a decent pace (unlike people in Sri Lanka).

That night I arranged for Rith to pick me up so I could venture off to the night market.  This is an area of town that has outdoor shops and stalls, which are open until midnight.  It was a bustling area, with venders trying to sell you all sorts of Cambodian goods; silk scarves, silver, leather goods, all things crocodile skin (see picture), t-shirts, etc, etc, etc.  All prices are negotiable.  The more you pretend not to care and want to walk away from a sales person, the lower the price goes. One lady tried to sell me a bracelet for $45, then when I said no and started walking away it went down to $20.  I soon learned the art of bargaining.  I got a solid silver bracelet for $5.  Crazy!

After 2 hours of walking the streets and buying a few things, I decided to head home and get some shut eye for tomorrow's adventure to the floating villages.