We’re halfway through our time here in Cambodia. 6 weeks down and 6 weeks to go. We’re starting to settle a bit more into a rhythm and routine…finding our spots to shop at the market, and our local spots to hang out. I thought I’d do a photo dump off our phone (along with a few temple pics off the good camera) and share a few snippets of the view from here.
The penguin outside our lobby. It took me weeks to notice he was there; a penguin in the tropics. I call him Chester. Chester is beloved by the frogs who hang out on the porch in the evenings. Lucky, the resident dog, likes to bark at him on occasion.
Some of the quotes on the placemats at Sister Srey Cafe. Always fun to see what you get.
Petrol for sale on the side of the road in one of the local villages. The local version of recycling. Our tuk tuk driver will only use this if he has to, since this gas is usually watered down a bit.
Our water supply in our apartment. Yes, we have plumbing and even hot water, but we lug home one of these 20L bottles of drinking water about once a week or so from the shop/restaurant at the end of our driveway. $5 for the original deposit on the bottle. And then $1 to switch it out for a full one.
One of the local floating villages, Kamphong Kleang. It’s the dry season, so it’s not exactly floating right now. But once the rains come, the water will rise to be as high as the houses on stilts and that road and buildings in the lower part of the photo will be underwater.
The commune (what the Khmer call a neighborhood) rules. This is posted on the doors of all the apartments in our compound. My fave is #4: No Gangsters
Back from a trip to the market. Baskets full of produce and hanging bags of sugar cane juice…perfect drink to beat the heat!
Kat with some sugar cane juice. We recently discovered that it is a superfood. Chock full of vitamins & minerals, has a low glycemic index, fights tooth decay, and super tasty. It’s actually better for you than wheatgrass juice and tastes a hell of a lot better too!
Spiderwebs have taken over this carving on an old temple door lintel at Banteay Kdei Temple in Angkor.
Yesterday they started putting up the decorations for Khmer New Year, which is next week. These cool carvings of elephants are done in styrofoam and then painted and glittered. We sat in one of our favorite cafes, sipping lattes and watching them put them up.
Hey look! Siem Reap has a fantastic cupcake cafe! Blossom Cafe is not only a great place for us to get our sugar fix on (I puffy heart cupcakes), but it’s also a nonprofit that empowers Cambodian women by giving them a job, training in the sugar arts, and financial and emotional support to better their lives. So I can eat my cupcakes and feel good about it too!
Small soapstone Buddha in our apartment. We found him in the shop of a local artisan cooperative.
Lanterns over Miss Wong’s, one of our favorite little hideaway bars. Mocha martini and some dim sum, anyone?
Apsara statue at Ta Phrom Temple. I’m a sucker for a nice Apsara, but this one is particularly beautiful and I love the lichen growing on the stone as well.
Up later this week: Scenes from the bus. Views out the window as we ride the bus through Cambodia.
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