Day 5: Siem Reap, Khmer Barbecue...Night Markets and Pub Street!

So Fungus and I have been sightseeing in Siem Reap the last day or so and it couldnt be more different from Phnom Penh if it tried.

Firstly we checked into the Golden Mango inn, which is a lovely little guest house about 10 minutes away from the Center of town. It's quiet and relaxing, and at 17 bucks a night,  is an absolute steal for what you get. Honestly, in Cambodia, guesthouses are totally the way to go.

But as i was saying, Siem is waaaay more layed back and festive then Phnom Penh, with an amazing night scene and loads of things for tourists to see and do. As you ride along the main throughfare,  you see buffalo grazing along Lotus filled ditches.  Rows of guest houses and markets line the streets and generally the roadways are uncluttered and quiet. The tourist scene here is unrivaled in the rest of Cambodia.

For sups, we hit up a place on Pub Street (which is almost like a Cambodian version of Bourbon Street) and tried out Khmer Barbecue.  I'm not entirely sure if this is a fusion thing or something unique to the region but it was awsome. We met this cool aussie chic who was chowing down on the frog and croc, so we thought we'd giver a go as well. We ordered the Crocodile,  snake, and squid, and then then finished  off with a green mango salad and whole fried Khmer Fish... and guys...it was delicious...the snake especially has a very delicate flavor...sooo good. And with 50 cent beers on tap, you really can't go wrong. I opted for a Passion fruit vodka spritzer and it was just delicious.

Everything you eat is made of the freshest organic ingrediants and it all tastes delightful. In cambodia, noone really buys anything out of season and the majority of produce comes from local markets or backyard gardens. Even the pineapples or coconuts are cut straight from the trees and served to you fresh. Nothing seems to be prepared ahead of time and we havnt had the slightest worry about G I problems (knock on wood).

I'm gonna write an entire post dedicated to Cambodian Food tomorrow or the day after , as Fungus and I (and a Mexican girl we met on Pub Street) are gonna go to a local tuk tuk drivers home to get a cooking lesson. So expect that in a day or two. He's gonna accompany us to the market and then teach us how to make local specialties. We're pretty excited!

Anyways, that's enough for now. I'll leave you with some pictures from Pub Street and the Market.