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February 12, 2007
On the Street
Walking down the street here in Siem Reap is always a bit of an experience. First of all there is the Tuk Tuk drivers who wait on every available bit of kerb to harrass you. "You want to go to the temples" is the most common phrase. Thats where they make their big money. I try just to smile politely and say no, but you have to laugh when they follow you on your bike asking you where you want to go. Or when you just sit down for a meal or a drink, and they don't seem to realise that it's not an ideal time for temples.
After the Tuk Tuk drivers you usually see all of the children selling things. The choice is postcards $1, fake Lonely Planet Cambodia guides $2, or bracelets. They usually hang around in groups, all of them selling the same thing and surrounding any tourist that comes within ten metres.
Some of the children go to school in the morning and sell books in the afternoon, others don't go to school at all. Having been here a while now we have got to know a lot of them, so we don't have to but any post cards but you can't go anywhere without being surrounded by them, wishing "Good luck to You " or "Sweet dreams. They speak much better English than most because they speak it to tourists all day.
Next there are the bottle boys. They wander round all day, I don't think they can go to school, collecting empty water bottles and cans. We've got a collection of about twenty bottles in our room at the moment. We're going to make someones week later when we give them out.
Posted by admins at February 12, 2007 6:10 AM