Settling into Siem Reap

We made it! And it was a uneventful trip - thank goodness. We flew from Seattle to Seoul on Asiana Airlines. Let me just take a minute to tell you how much I love flying on Asia airlines, they are so much nicer and friendlier than American Airlines. The bathrooms had free toothbrushes, mouth wash, and combs! I skipped the comb but took everything else. Our service was always friendly no matter how many glasses of apple juice or water i asked for. Also, alcohol is free (this was more exciting to Michael than me - sleeping pills and alcohol don't mix). I took a sleeping pill hoping to sleep most of the 11hr flight but really only slept for ~4 hrs. When we landed in Seoul I thought our layover was about 2 hrs and that we would have some time to kill before our next flight. That didn't happen. We weren't rushed, but we had to go through security again and that took forever. We had enough time to find our gate, look in one shop, go to the bathroom, and quickly check the Internet. Our next flight to Siem Reap was about 6 hrs. Our flight was running 50 mins late since we had to wait in line to take off and  I was concerned that our guesthouse wouldn't wait for us since we were scheduled to come in at 11pm. Luckily there was a tuk-tuk driver waiting for us. The tuk-tuk driver has been very persistent about trying to take us on a tour every time he see us now. 

Last night our tuk-tuk ride was about 15 mins and while I really didn't know where we were, everything felt familiar - the outlines of building, palm trees, driving down the road, the smells.  I can't get over the smells, last night it smelled like the tropical and of burning trash. Most wouldn't think that this was a good smell, but it is one that I got so use to while in Laos and Cambodia last time I was here. Today while sitting outside, next to the pool, we were getting all sort of smells - garlic and green vegetable being cooked, some other good foods, and then there was the smell I can't place but it was worse than burning trash. The sounds are also something that I am enjoying. As I sit out on our balcony I can hear tuk-tuks driving by, people speaking Khmer, kids playing, birds hooting (I think they might be pigeons or doves, not sure which, but it is one of my favorite sounds), cars driving by, all sorts of construction noise, and horns honking. The sounds are never ending and something that I am currently soaking up. 

Today was a low key day and we planned it that way. We were up early, had breakfast at our guesthouse, I showed Michael the downtown tourist area, we walked through one of the markets before everything was open, then took a long walk just walking in one direction till we were tired of it and the picked another direction making a big circle. By 10:30am I was ready to sit down for a drink so while I had an iced coffee with condensed milk Michael had two beers. Our drinks cost the same amount and our pockets were two dollars lighter. We walked around town some more before coming back to our guesthouse to swim and relax. Michael is napping while I sit outside. I just got out of the shower and I could happily take another one. I love heat, but I don't care for being sticky. I don't think that I will get acclimated in our two weeks. 

Time to find a beer and dinner.