Siem Reap

This morning began hot and just got hotter...36 degrees!  Nevertheless, I walked downtown to the markets and wandered about for hours, shopping and bargaining to my heart's content.

The walk was pleasant.... Alongside the river. Preparations are under way for the water festival on Wednesday, so the dragon boat crews are practicing hard and viewing platforms are under construction.

The markets are crowded, overflowing with stalls all selling basically the same stuff, but the people were friendly and all keen for that lucky first sale of the day.. 

  

  

I am really comfortable with bargaining by now... I actually enjoy it! Several of my purchases were for less than 50% of the original asking price! Woo-oo! For example, I bought an embroidered cotton blouse for $7, not $20, and pants for $3.  My other hot purchases are for gifts, so I can't list them here!  LOL

What was different here was how crowded the food sellers were. I can't even imagine what it would be like to sit crouched like that in such a restricted position for hours on end, day after day!

I also visited an artisan workshop ... great to be able to see skilled craftsmen and women producing traditional Cambodian artworks and crafts.

By the time I walked back to Home Sweet Home it was after 1pm and I had been walking for 4 hours in the heat. Once again, first thing I did was jump in the shower! then I spread out all my goodies to take a picture, which I will upload after I get home....

Since it was really hot outside, I rested in my room for  the afternoon...had a snooze and did some blogging, and facebook....

I found an Apsara Dance performance with a buffet dinner on-line with mixed reviews, but it was only $12 and the comments on the dancers were all favourable, so I booked myself in and caught a tuk tuk.

The hall was vast...they seat hundreds of people. My table was one one side close to the front...Nigel No-friends....  The buffet was pretty much what you'd expect for so cheap with the Show included, but it was OK. The first of the performers was this band of young musicians. To me their music is soothing, but very repetitious.

 The first dances were enthusiastic folk dances

  
Then the exquisitely dressed Apsara dancers came on.

  

 

The next dance was an enthusiastic flirting dance, which the performers obviously enjoyed.

  

About an hour into the performance I suddenly felt REALLY crook...cold sweat, nausea, cramping...the works!  I was too far away from the toilets to make a dash for it, so all I could do was hold on and pray it would pass. At one stage I thought I was going to pass out it got so bad...I've never experienced anything like it...so sudden... Very unpleasant. Thankfully as the show finished I began to feel normal again, although I was saturated from the cold sweat...but very relieved to be able to walk out to find my tuktuk driver waiting for me in the crowd. Once again, a shower as soon as I walked in the door and I was fine. Talk about an answer to prayer!

And so ended day two in Cambodia.  All's well that ends well!