People are people, wherever you go.

After stuffing our brains full at the Angkor National Museum, we were ready for something a bit lighter.  We took a tuk-tuk (I love that phrase) to the Old Market, where we sat down for a quick snack and/or drink.  Still afraid to drink the water or eat any fruit/dairy, I opted for an espresso.  I have to say, it was pretty darn tasty - strong but not bitter, and served up in a perfect tiny mug.  The coffee in Cambodia turned out to be quite a treat, actually - time and again.  A lasting legacy from 100 years of colonization by the French, perhaps?

We briefly wandered through the stalls of the market.  Things were quieting down for the late afternoon/early evening, so there weren't too many people teeming around.  I was immeasurably thankful, since by that time of day, it had grown quite stuffy and warm under the huge common roof.  It was also growing dim (no photos).  

The market was similar to what you would see in many Asian countries, with vendors selling everything from pots and pans to jewelry to fruits and veggies to fabric, clothing, and scarves to handbags and more.  I was most surprised by the beauty salons that had been set up as any other stall in the market - there was no running water in the stalls, but the owners set up chairs and were soaping, trimming, and rinsing hair over a large basin using small scoops of water.  Pretty industrious...

As at any kind of market, it's hard to know what to trust - quality, ethics, and safety are all unknown quantities.  But Su-Lin (Kee-Min's sister) did scope out one vendor selling some pretty awesome wares.  It was a storefront ("stall front"?) for Bloom Bags, a social enterprise founded by Singaporean Diana Saw.  She established the company in 2006 as a mechanism for helping Cambodian women become self-sufficient in a safe, sustainable environment where they learned marketable skills.  The handbags, purses, and wallets are made from recycled rice and fish feed bags (check them out!) by a group of women who are paid fair wages for their work.  The ultimate goal is to "help people", not with donations or hand-outs, but by paying them a fair wage for a service or the production of a product that others want.  I'll confess: I seldom have "non-buyer's remorse", but I do wish I had picked up a few of the bags they had on offer.  If you ever find yourself in Cambodia, I suggest checking them out.

Kee-Min and I took a walk along the Siem Reap River.  

The river runs parallel to a bustling street (bicycles, motorcycles, tuk-tuks, cars, and tour buses), with shops and seating areas on both sides.  

Standing with my back to the river to take this photo.

Stanley and I grabbed a photo-op on one of the river bridges:

There were some tourists out, but mostly we passed (and were passed by, see photo above!) locals.  And you know what? People are the same everywhere.  Our colors may be different, our food may be more or less spicy, and we may worship a different god (or God) - but little kids still run around chasing each other.  Teenagers still cluster in groups, flirting and giggling.  Women still gather at a beauty salon to gossip and chat.  Shopkeepers still banter with each other.  Parents still rush the newly-potty-trained to the toilet.  Groups of adults still sit outside, beer in hand, laughing and watching the world go by.  People...are people, wherever you go.

We repeatedly declined a "Doctor fish" foot massage.  What, exactly, is such a massage?  For a few dollars (for 30-60 minutes), you have the privilege of dunking your feet in a tank of fish that eat dead skin.  Ugh.  I wouldn't even want to subject fish to my feet, and I'm cringing internally at the thought.  Ugh.

We wandered our way to The Red Piano, one of the recommended dinner spots.  We sampled a local dish called fish amok, as well as a few curries, and decided the the Cambodians prefer the flavor of "sweet" over that of "spicy".  The meal was filling, but not terribly remarkable.  [I also forgot to take any photos.]  I remained paranoid about the food, and stuck to the cooked food (avoiding the raw garnishes) and drinking Sprite.  We had a view of the local street food vendors out the window of The Red Piano, and I think my mother-in-law was about 5 seconds away from heading out to try some real local cuisine.  A true Singaporean!

By this time, it was about 9 PM, and we had an early start and full day the next day, so we tuk-tuked back to the hotel and called it a night.

Night view out our window at the Royal Angkor Resort.

Angkor Wat awaited us in the morning!!