Cambodian children

Exploring the Angkor Complex, you can choose mainly from using sightseeing tours, hiring a taxi or motodop (motorbike taxi).
Honestly speaking, if you are 3 person or more, hiring taxi is more reasonable and safety than motorbike taxi.
According to Japanese local magazine "Angkor Explorers," exploring Angkor Complex by motorbike taxi takes about $5 to $8.
But travelers who cannot speak Khmer wouldn't expect too much of bargaining.
In fact Cambodia Adventures says, "You can hire a motodop for around $10 per day."
Now it is said "Officially foreigners are not allowed anymore to rent and drive themselves bicycles, motorbikes (big or small) in the Siem Reap area."
However, the influence of Cambodia's official statement seems to be different from Japan's and German's one.

So Tagameinu and Kaji, my friends and I had high-priced ($4=490Yen) American breakfast at the restaurant in our guest house, and then we started to explore the Angkor Complex by 3 chartered motorbike taxi.
According to Japanese local magazine "Angkor Explorers," local meal takes about 2,000 Riel ($0.5=60Yen).
I think many Cambodian live on under $1 per a day, while our motorbike drivers have a motorbike and even cellular phone but they are around 20 years old.
We paid $10 for each to them, they might have thought as if that's a case of the moth flying into the flame.

"I really envy you your vacation," said ticket sales clerk.

"My work is very hard. I work from every 4 a.m. to 5:30 p.m, and no holiday. I really envy you your vacation," said ticket sales clerk at the gate of Angkor Complex.
She can speak English and Japanese with fluency; however she is working as manual laborers because there seems to be hardly good place of employment like foreign company in Cambodia, I wonder.
So her words showed in true colors how rich we are.
Hence, I'm sure we must leave our richness to posterity.

We passed the South Gate of the Angkor Thom and went into the Bayon.
Visitors can ride on an elephant at the South Gate, but we didn't anything there.
As we came out of the Bayon, some peddlers came close to us.
They intended to sell something for $1 or $2, but seller's price about drinks were steep.
For example, a coke was $1, but this price was nearly equal to Japan's one.
Their prices were that; picture-post card was $1 for ten, T-shirt was $2 for one, and so on.
The following pictures are little peddler, we felt tempted to buy something in sympathy, but...

Buy something! It's cheep!	Can you buy this?
Break down?	Her tit for tat?

Peddlers say in Japanese "Hey! don't you buy anything? I get angry!"

We visited Ta Keo, Ta Prohm, Banteay Kdei and Srah Srang after Bayon.
Peddlers and touts came close to us each place.
I was most impressed on the scene of Srah Srang.
I was surprised that some local children played in the buff in the bog signed "No Entry - Danger."
If you join them, you may become hero/heroine among them; however, I never take the responsibility for even if you fall victim to an epidemic or an enphytotic.
So our awful expreience was peddlers' attack, but gentler than Turkey or Morocco.
Leaving without respect to them, they jeered at us in Japanese "Hey! don't you buy anything? I get angry!"
Needless to say, staying steps may cause being hemmed by them.
By the way, who told such Japanese words?

Touts at rest stop between Ta Prohm and Banteay Kdei	Peddlers attacked on Kaji, my friend in Srah Srang

We went to Old Market at the request of my friend, Tagameinu.
He usually buys some T-shirts for souvenir on his overseas trip, he was enthused by bargaining.
Going in the market, many kind of things are available, surprisingly, even police uniforms and hats.
"They are real thing, and policemen who sold their uniform apply to be given it again by reason of loss," said some locals.
We tried to eat Cambodian sweets at the stall, but it would not be better to follow our example because tourists often have diarrhea.
We might not have been uptight about local foods.
So we could drink even a beer with ice...

We ended exploring Angkor Complex with Tonle Sap Lake Boat Cruise and then sightseeing in Phnom Krom.
So one motorbike taxi driver said, "I can read even Japanese guide book."
If some price on the guide book was overcharged, and it is basis for our bargaining, we will have been overcharged.

I felt again that bargaining is to pay money by own sense of value, and it is difficult for the Japanese.

We met Mr. Aki Ra.

We visited Banteay Srei at a distance of around 40 kilometers from down town, and Kbal Spean at a distance of around 15 kilometers from Banteay Srei by chartered motorbike taxi, whose drivers were the same as previous day.
Cattle leisurely lay by the roadside on our way, we could have talked with locals over coffee at street stall if we had spoken Khmer at all.

It's no problem to explore Banteay Srei that is one of the Angkor Complex, but if you intend to visit Kbal Spean where there is mountain path, you should put on sandals with heels rather than frip flops/thongs/normal sandals.
And river bathing is possible when the volume of water is enough, you also might bring extra clothes.
If you play with locals in the river, you may have a good memory.
So when going there, it is necessary to employ the mountain guide, said our motorbike drivers.
Is it true or false?
There are some red lines indicated the boundary between safety zone and danger (land mines) area.
Please be sure not to go for a pee in the forest.

Needless to say, Angkor Wat is the best tourist attraction in Cambodia.
In Angkor Wat, the must visiting place is the central sanctuary; however, the main stairs to there is steep, it would be better to climb up banistered "South" stairs, said Japanese guide book.
So let's try to climb up the stairs once... of course, AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Cambodian beauty at Internet Cafe	dinner with Mr. Aki Ra and Japanese volunteer

The Aki Ra Land Mine Museum is operated by Aki Ra who is only volunteer deminer in Siem Reap, and he display cleared mines and UXO (Unexploded bomb).
A type of mines and weapons, and how to clear them are explained in English and Japanese.
So this museum is not Cambodian government or other organization funded; hence it is operated by some volunteers and donations.
So can we also send a donation by e-money?
Today internet surroundings in Siem Reap are getting better.
There are some internet cafes... and beauties work for cafe, of course depends on places...