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Departed Siem Reap in #Cambodia today after exploring Angkor Wat and surrounding temple sites for a few days, one of my top bucket list items which Covid and the lockdowns of Australia kicked my arse into gear to get after.

There’s a rich history in this corner of SE Asia that most in the West don’t know. The #Khmer people went absolutely bananas building stone temples for a few hundred years and carving every stone surface there; the scale of it is incredible. Could spend months visiting the area and constantly be amazed.

Interestingly the name Siem Reap means “defeat of the Siam” in Khmer - the place where they kicked #siamstr back to their borders 500 years ago.

Definitely worth the trip if you’re into history!

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Discussion

chancellor 1y ago

Awesome

Moss 1y ago

It's a nice place, it's a shame their own written history is so short. The architecture there is great. Cambodia's currency has depreciated so much that they don't use their own national currency and locals only receive US dollars and RMB. You can get a big bag of Cambodian currency for $10.

The mangoes here 🥭 are very delicious

StackSats.IO 1y ago

Didn’t see any RMB in use, 95% dollars and the rest Riel. Not many Chinese tourists from what I saw, mostly Germans and French and Americans. Our driver said the new Airport was built by China and they now have a $2 toll to enter which is a bit weird - the baggage trollies are all from a Chinese joint stock company so I assume it’s some B&R thing.

Can confirm re mangoes 👌

Lok lak beef was nice too!

Moss 1y ago

Yes, beef is very delicious and there are many Western restaurants here.

Angkor Wat is well worth traveling to, and consumption here is very cheap. Many European friends will rent a villa to live here with their families for a few months, which may only use half a month or a month's salary.

Yes, there are very few Chinese people. It is the off-season for tourism in China because the Chinese New Year has just been celebrated. Merchants may use RMB more for Chinese people, and merchants will use different currencies according to people from different countries. I heard from locals that a lot of infrastructure was built with Chinese aid.

I have not encountered a $2 toll at the airport, but I may need to tip when going through security.😂

StackSats.IO 1y ago

Those statues on the bridge at Angkor Thom are crazy! And I thought that was the only one bridge but Preah Khan has on all sides! Seeing this stuff with your own eyes is the only way to appreciate the immensity of work that went into it, dudes must have been carving non-stop every day of their lives to make it all.

We also saw the local circus which I thought was fantastic. Better than Cirque de Soleil for sheer entertainment at a fraction of the price. https://v.nostr.build/vMk4.mp4

macy rat 1y ago

In 2019 I spent a month in Cambodia and visited Siem Reap. Quite the experience. Incredible temples. Brutal history. Definitely felt the scars that country still bears.