Old Market - Siem Reap and the Cambodian People

Tuesday November 30th, 2004 6:30PM: Siem Reap, Cambodia

I made a little trip to the Old Market area of Siem Reap after seeing all but one of the major temples of Angkor (At this time, I'd like to thank my parents for dragging me to museums and art gallaries when I was younger. You'll never fully understand the influence that has had on me to this day. Thanks.)

Old Market is a collection of stalls selling everything from tools to antique Budda images ( I bought a seated Buddah image in bronze that I now have to get blessed at Wat Po in Bangkok. Yes folks, I am going to become a Buddist), and a live market. The live market is the most interesting. You want fresh fish? Can't get any fresher than out of the water. A couple wacks to the head and a bit of scaling, there's your dinner. For all of you PETA people out there, people have been doing this for centuries, get over it. You don't want fish, eat a cabbage. (Enough of my political commentary, just a reaction to a PETA jackass on FOX news? channel. I'm Shepard Smith, On this day, I will now be dragged to death by a horse.)

Although it is hotter than a well digger's ass, I'm loving Siem Reap. You're looking at a people that controlled a fair majority of Southeast Asia a thousand years ago and have captivated tourists to a point where they are spending thousands of dollars just to travel here. By the way, is there any group of tourists more creepy than the Germans? I'm not trying to offend, but I half expect them to start singing "Deutschland Uber Alles" at the drop of a hat. (sorry, I know there is an umlaut missing on "Uber", limitations of the keyboard.)

There has been talk of Cambodia being heavily mined due to U.S. incursions during Vietnam, the Khmer Rouge, and the invasion of the Vietnamese army which ended Pol Pot's insane ideas of a new agrarian society. Well, as my driver and I were going to a temple I spied an object on the side of the road. I'm no military guy, but I know an unspent mortar shell when I see one. Sorry folks, I'm not taking photos of unexploded ordinance, my mother would have put a foot in my backside, followed by my father.

I'll give a full description of my temple journy tomorrow. I only have two more temples to go, so I'll check them out and then the floating village at Tonle Sap lake. Time for a shower, a foot masage ( I had a 100 lb Khmer woman almost bring me to tears with the massage I received. I was half scared that she was going to dislocate my left shoulder.), dinner, and a couple Angkor beers (tastes similar to Lite beer from Miller).

Till tomorrow...