We took a 45 minute flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia this afternoon. Siem Reap is a small town that has a thriving tourism industry because of nearby the nearby temples -- most notably Angkor Wat.
I was impressed by how organized things were at this small airport. We applied for Visas upon arrival and were processed in no time. There was a cab stand right outside baggage claim that posted a fixed rate of USD $5 for anyone who wanted to go into town. This setup was in stark contrast to the Saigon airport, where cabbies waited to pounce on arriving passengers in a sort of desperate market atmosphere.
We did not have a place to stay yet, but we took our chances and asked the driver to take us to a place called the Golden Banana, which was singled out in both a gay travel guide and a more mainstream one as a great place to stay and also a great value. On the trip over there, I was struck by how many very nice hotels there were in such a small developing town. It was clear that these hotels had just sprung up because they were wedged between the more rural street vendors I am used to seeing in third world countries.
Our cab driver Paul was very friendly and we learned that he only gets a couple of airport runs per week; all taxi drivers have to take their turn in the airport rotation. The rest of the time, he makes his living by driving tourists to the different temples in the area. So Peter and I hired him (and his nephew) to be our drivers for tomorrow. The mode of transportation: motos! What else?
Angkor Wat is supposed to be breathtaking at sunrise, which is 5:30 am here. Paul is picking us up at 5 am. So I am going to bed now.
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