I requested Mr Kushal to return at 7:30 in the morning and walked to my room. Since I had opted for a lodge, the room had only bare functionality. The air-conditioner was to be turned on for use. There was a fridge and a coffeemaker. I thought of going out to by some grocery like milk, coffee and bread. I wanted to check my friend Dr Phat, but there was no telephone. I had to look for a place to activate my notebook computer.
I walked out to look for WiFi. Since WiFi would not be understood, I looked for a coffee shop. I was guided to a spacious coffee corner at the end of the block. There were four people sitting at the entrance drinking beer. There was no one else in the store except a lady in the back. I took a seat at the third table to the beer-drinking friends and ordered my coffee from a whole menu. The coffee was good, it freshened me. I thought to check with the people at the other table about my WiFi need. One gentleman said "no problem" and he directed the lady to give the password. I learned that he was from South Korea and has come to Cambodia to do business. He left his family in Korea for better education and lived alone in the town. Adjacent to the coffee shop, he also had a massage parlor and catered to the Korean tourists visiting the monuments. The other three had similar business in the area and two of them lived alone. They said they had a Korean Social Club to give them company.
Survival and feeding family do become factors in migration. In most migrations the families are left behind. In the US we hear of family reunions after decades of separation. Rarely the other persons in the family would appreciate the struggle that a person may have to face in order to make an income. Sometimes people change names and convert religions for shelter. The drama of survival and migration is played out in the world every day.
After checking my emails and after letting Mr Phat know of my stay, I wanted to take a stroll as the sun was going down. Tropical sunsets are redder than elsewhere because of the dust and pollen in the lower atmosphere. Siem Reap is inside the land, there was no sea breeze. It was not humid, neither uncomfortable. I walked on the road observing traffic and people. Men and women looked tanned unlike in Thailand. The Chinese influence was less.
The women sported long hair, their faces looked innocent, possibly illiterate. Men were short, not so well-built. Low rise dwellings were on the sides of the street with the front area covered by a shed to be a store or a sitting area. Prepared food was displayed in the open and not covered in cases as I saw in Thailand. Mostly the signs would be in the local language, occasional English would be rendered with some strange phonetic spellings. These were the after-effects of occupation by the foreigners. They don't die.
I walked up about a third of a mile to a traffic stop where there was the convenience store. Prices were marked in dollars and arbitrarily hiked. Apparently there was a supermarket another quarter mile away. I saw the over-abundance of beer in the store along with various kinds of chips. I did buy coffee, sugar and milk, but there was no bread. The cashier was courteous and knew some English. I thought she did errors in her calculation, but I did not raise it.
I had to look for supper. There were a lot of food choices. Various neon lights had sprung up advertising cuisine. I had noticed a sign as "family restaurant" and arrived there. A man with a guard dress was helping people in parking. He escorted me in. The restaurant was divided into two areas; one main Hall which had bench and table seating and an outside area with chairs and tables. The Hall was full with the local Cambodians though it was a Monday. I was seated on a chair and big fat menu book was left on the table. A tea kettle with a cup showed up.
Since everything is made to order, the menu covers everything that can be cooked. The only limitation could be one's imagination. "Fresh chicken" might mean chicken slaughtered in the premises and "fresh fish" might mean fish caught that evening. I went for rice with "fresh vegetables". They had various names for the dish depending on how hot, how much coconut and if fish sauce is added. I went for "mild".
The waitress took the order and communicated to a boy, who took the slip to the kitchen. I waited. Various other orders showed up, not mine. I had a good view of the kitchen door through the glass windows. There was brisk activity there. I tried to alert the waitress and she in turn informed the boy. But nobody from the kitchen was walking towards me. I imagined that possibly I had given a difficult order. I had ordered water-cress and bamboo shoots. I imagined that possibly they were procuring those! Inability to serve as ordered might not be a Cambodian custom. Time may not be a consideration. I have seen such orderly hospitality in some Indian eating places!
My food did show up in about half hour. It was tasty and very good. I enjoyed my supper though I could not figure out what the delay was all about. I paid the bill and tipped the waitress.
While returning I stopped by at a fruit vendor and bought some mangoes. The fruits were sold by weight. I saw another interesting fleshy fruit. The shopkeeper was kind to show me how to crack it open and eat. There were many other colored objects which I had to ignore. I was amazed to witness the bounty of the tropics on simple edible fruits and berries!
Back in lodge I took rest. The TV did not come right and had some church program. Most channels were fuzzy. I prepared for my next day.
