Happy birthday Milla! Today started bright and early with two little voices whispering 'softly' to each other about the likelihood that Jodie was awake, tip-toeing past repeatedly and giggling all the while, until finally I cracked and admitted I was, indeed, awake. How could I resist? Milla's birthday celebrations were waiting to begin! After a fun treasure hunt all around our bamboo room, Milla sat down to open her many presents (lucky girl!), and then we were off to see Siem Reap, the town!
Because our forays into Siem Reap had only consisted of temple visits thus far, I wasn't sure what to expect, but town was great! It was incredibly busy, with people roaming around every free inch, and making our way into the markets, we were suddenly engulfed by the masses, drawn into an endless sea of goods and faces. Some of these goods were, unfortunately, not particularly appealing - the squirming fish, raw chicken and broom handles certainly didn't get my vote, but the dresses, silks, wall hangings and bags were gorgeous! Needless to say, I bought far too much (a very gluttonous, although satisfying feeling). The people at the market were lovely, calling out friendly greetings as we passed. Making eye contact often proved dangerous however, an easy smile quickly turning into a call to buy and the pressure is enormous. Still, we managed to dust off our bartering skills and get away with some real bargains.
After taking in all the markets had to offer, we decided it was time to head off in search of a restaurant for Milla's celebratory birthday dinner. Eventually we found our way to Cool Corner Bar, a restaurant serving both Western and Khmer dishes - perfect! Although I'm sad to see our influence so heavily in a country whose own traditions are so beautiful, there is a certain kind of charm to the Cambodian take on Western 'ambience'...
Then, having refreshed ourselves for a bit, we made our way off to the night markets, wandering down the well lit streets between tuk-tuks, masses of people, and small animals runing to and fro. We detoured briefly at a very Western ice cream parlour (closest we could get to birthday cake) and then wandered down a very well lit street, sight-seeing and shopping as we went. All in all, a great day. I would love to see more of Siem Reap, but tomorrow we're off to Laos. Ah well, we'll just have to come back for another visit very soon!
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