Siem Reap, Cambodia

We embarked on a six week trip to South-east Asia in February - our first destination was Siem Reap in Cambodia.  Siem Reap is the gateway to the ancient temples of Angkor Wat and has survived as a vibrant town because of the booming tourist industry generated by the temples.  We arrived on a sizzling hot afternoon (30 degrees Celsius) - quite a shock as it was after the subzero temperatures of Toronto but the short walk from our hotel to the busy market was a further jolt to our senses.

Scooters, motorbikes and tuktuks, with unusual loads, shared the road.

An entire food stall transported by motorbike

The roadside was lined with food stands selling all kinds of foods - from buns to snails!

Snails

"Woodfired" stuffed cakes

The covered market 

All kinds of shrimps and clams

Lots of fruits, but the only ones that are local are the papayas and mangoes (both super sweet and juicy!) - must tries

 and the pomelos (the one we had was not so sweet)

This is local but a little too mushy and bland for my taste

Cambodian rolled cakes and sausages

This is where many locals eat, just sitting in front of the stall.   Dessert beans and soups - takeouts were sold in plastic bags.

Squids are plentiful - these are dried

Lanterns

Crocodile everything - they farm them specifically for this purpose - the meat is just a sideline

Drive through key maker!

The walk was actually a scouting mission for dinner.  In spite of the hot weather, we opted to try the Cambodian Barbeque - read about it on my post on Foodsparks.

Next post:  Angkor Wat