Our Neighbors and the Sala Market (Day 5)

Walking through the normally locked door beside our pool at Journeys Within we were met with a completely different landscape compared to our comfortable porch view. Narla led us back through dirt roads towards shanty houses that lined both sides of the street. This slum beside our B&B is one of the areas that Journeys Within has outreach programs, which include free classes and micro-financing loans. The houses on either side were made with thatched roofs or large pieces of metal and included one room, normally one bed for the parents, and the rest of the room portioned out into kitchen area and storage. The children normally sleep on the floor, which to my surprise was not dirt but instead either concrete or a nicer linoleum material.

As I rounded a corner, my ears heard laughter and music. At 10 a.m. it sounded as if a small party was gathering. The locals' eyes saw our pale skin and awkwardly taller membered group and quickly ran to introduce their music and dance. The children ran up to us, giving us high fives and hugging our legs, some without clothes, while others quickly yelled in between giggles for other children to greet us. Most likely they were calling something like "AH, everyone, come see the white foreigners. They look funny." While the small children had their fun, these two women were determined to get us to dance. The man playing music on a bucket would sing out words that were echoed to us by the women slowly moving their hands in the rhythmical way that most official Asian dances are done. Brian Creech, our burly and bearded T.A., was constantly pulled back to dance as people gathered smiled and chuckled.

I first expected the slum to be worse than I experienced. The word "slum" can be loaded with stereotypes of the living conditions of its inhabitants, that of dirt floors and dirt covered children, but I am glad to say this slum was not as heart-wrenching and as hopeless as others. Perhaps JWOC's aid has allowed for my stereotypes of a slum to be shattered, and I can only hope their help will further change it.

The rest of the day was full of RAIN! Lots and lots of rain, oh and some thunder. I love thunder and this was no exception. But as rainy season goes, after two hours it was as dry and humid as any other day. The most...interesting...part of our day was when Kristy, Kaitlyn and I decided to go the local Khmer market that they call "Sala." I did not know what to expect at this local market, but I knew that it wasn't catered to foreigners at all and would definitely mean interesting stories and sights. I was not wrong. The tuk tuk halted to a stop at the edge of the market, which seemed like a modest cluster of side stores at first. But, as you got closer you could see the market was actually a magnificently large gathering of stores next to one another selling absolutely everything. I felt as if I had walked into a Khmer style Walmart. To reach the entrance one would normally just walk past the numerous motorbikes parked outside, but because the amount of rain, the simple walkway had turned into a small lake a few inches deep in some areas. Realizing this area was probably not cleaned daily, or weekly, I quickly decided to walk until we found a dry crossing in our chacos. Worms and other things in disgusting water should be avoided if possible, and thankfully it was possible. Next we spent an hour or so walking through mazes and mazes of small one-person size aisles looking at cosmetics/jewelry, vats of unidentifiable thickness, and prom dresses. I have to admit, I did not think to buy anything there, but surely if I wanted a pair of jeans with "Iphone" or "Lexus" written on the pockets I would have. Escaping the corners of stench that hit you without notice, we soon left the market and walked across the street to a drink store. I bought a "grass jelly" and lychee drink. To my dislike and happiness the grass jelly drink was similar to the odd ice cream I had consumed last summer that had chunks of jelly hidden to the hungry and unknowing foreigner.

Sala market was a far different experience compared to the souvenir and crazed vibe of Old Market, making it more enjoyable, but I doubt I will be bringing back presents from there (unless you want chicken feet or a bedazzled prom dress).

Later at night we decided to see if Friday on Pub Street showed any similarity to Friday nights in Athens. Conclusion: although Siem Reap was not deserted, Athens is far more excited about this day of the week. Nonetheless we made it a great night by visiting our "usual" bar, Temple, and also exploring the streets for other potential hang outs. The "X bar" was added to our list because of its great rooftop location, pool tables, and sort of "beach" feel. Other than that, we ate late night pizza at this amazing pizza place, the Paper Tiger. Margherita pizza with crust that tasted like pita bread...yumm