5th October 2021
Join us for a walk along our red sand Khmer street, as we paint a picture for you, of the world that waits beyond the gates of the little tropical paradise that we call home.
We live in a Khmer commune called “Svay Dangkum” which is about a 5 minute Tuk Tuk drive from the central town of Siem Reap. Svay Dangkum is home to local Khmer from all walks of life. In the same street, you find homes and businesses of poor locals who live from day to day (hand to mouth) and also home and businesses for more affluent locals.
Outside our gate, is a red sand road, which transforms from a dry and dusty country lane to a wet and muddy obstacle course, after a rain shower. When venturing out for a walk in rainy season, we need to choose the right footwear for the muddy obstacle course ahead, as our street was not made for “plakkies”. In the middle of rainy season, you could probably canoe down our road! LOL
Siem Reap is an extremely fascinating and interesting vibrant pot pourri of East meets West, creating a diverse culture, where poor and rich live together, in harmony and acceptance.
We take in the smells, sounds and sights with total amazement and fascination. Sometimes, I can’t help but look around me through the eyes of visitors to this town. Trying to see these surroundings, that we have grown to love so much, through their eyes and perspective. I often have a good chuckle thinking about my sisters, as I know they would probably think I am crazy. I doubt (No, I know) that they would never be comfortable living in this commune, that has become home to us.
There is a variety of buildings on our short leisurely walk, from more modern Western styled apartment buildings and guest houses, to an abandoned and deserted hotel, small Khmer brick and wooden homes, modern double storey homes, locally owned shop houses, small local road side restaurants and businesses, a private school, foreign owned businesses and even a huge Western styled supermarket.
We invite you to join us on a walk to the nearby supermarket in the slide presentation below.
We start our walk towards the main road and the nearest modern western styled supermarket 
A local Khmer family live in this very small home right next door to our apartment building 
A modern apartment building on the left of our road is still unoccupied…. Waiting for an end to COVID! 
The view down the road towards our red dirt road and apartment 
A view after the apartment buildings down our red dirt road 
A small Khmer brick house available for rent 
A modern double storey Khmer brick home – most wealthy families drive cars 
We turn left into this road from our red dirt road and head towards Concrete Drain Road 
A concrete road heading towards the main road 
Our corner shop – The entire family work in this shop (7 days a week) and live upstairs 
A private school 
A small Khmer brick home – In the villages houses are built with wood and on stilts 
A typical local hardware store 
Children playing in front of a shop house. Locals have shops in front of their homes. 
A Khmer coffee shop 
A car wash – Unusual to see a Jaguar Convertible 
One of the many hotels that were closed due to COVID 
A local Khmer bakery 
Local Khmer road side restaurants 
ATM’s outside Angkor Market 
Angkor Market – A western styled modern supermarket
Shopping done, we usually take a ride home with one of the Tuk Tuk drivers, who wait outside the supermarket.
On the way home, we usually stop off at our corner shop, where we prefer to buy our beers, ciders, cigarettes and charchoal in order to support the shop owner and her family.
The little old lady (who still wears traditional Khmer house clothes), owns the shop. She is such a darling and babbles away in Khmer to us, Sapphire smiling politely although not understanding a word she has said. She has however taught him a few Khmer words and how to count in “riel”, the local currency. She, her husband and both her grown sons run this house shop and work 7 days a week (24/7) in the shop. Their home is above the shop (a typical Cambodian house shop).
We hope you enjoyed our weekly grocery shopping trip. A very different experience to grocery shopping in a big city.
The local people here are the kindest, humblest, friendliest and the most beautiful people. There are no pretenses and you are totally accepted into their safe, peaceful town.
We have enjoyed sharing this experience with you.
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Namasté from Siem Reap