Cambodia - Kingdom of Wonder [Part 3]

Local Market

Sorry to start the post with such a RAW photo.

So basically, it's my last day in Siem Reap. It was 10 am. Most of the backpackers in my room were still sleeping soundly, less the 2 Malaysians who got an early flight to catch.

The night before, my travel mate and I were just having a few drinks at the bar, people watching and to chill after an early day to the temples. Just as we were about to head back to the hostel, we met the 2 Malaysians. It was close to 11 pm. Well, it was their last night in Cambodia, and our last night in Siem Reap as well. So, no surprise, we headed to another bar for the second round of drinks.

It was a great night. Our Taiwan room mate joined us for drinks when we then met another group of Taiwanese fresh grads. What a small world. So this continued on till the wee hours of 3 am.

Ok, back to the part where I woke up at 10 am, with everyone else still asleep.

I put on my sports shoe and went for a 20mins jog by the river. Just then, I passed by a local market, and the curiosity in me brought me in.

It was a treasure trove.

Even though it is about 1030am, the market was still bustling with locals. I see a handful of tourist here and there, but this is definitely a locals market. And this is what I want.

Arming myself with the camera, no one really bothered looking at a guy in a singlet, running shoes and a DSLR lurking around their stores. They were all too busy bartering goods to even pay attention to their surroundings.

After snapping some good photos, I cannot bear to leave the market without eating. And that's where I found another amazing dish. It's barbequed pork laid on a bowl of rice, with a complementing sweet and slightly zesty sauce that curbs the oily piece of meat. Next, the bowl of accompanying soup was oh-so-delicious! I am sure the sweetness did not come only from the white radish. I asked them in the sign language I know, and sure enough, sugar was added to further enhance the taste.

The local market visit ended with a pouring rain that left me stranded. After 15mins, I couldn't wait any longer. I approached a store owner for a plastic bag, placed my camera and shoes inside, and ran bare-footed under the rain and the pot-hole filled roads to my hostel.