After a much needed sleep in, I wake up to a beautiful Siem Reap morning. I head down to the hotel restaurant for some breakfast and slowly start to plan out my day. I plan to take it easier today given how hectic the past few days have been. There are a spots in Siem Reap I plan to visit today but not a strict schedule to adhere to. After breakfast, I had back to my room and relax a little before heading out.
Apopo
My first stop is the Apopo Siem Reap Visitor Center. In my initial research, I stumbled on Apopo by chance, and it’s been at the top of my visit list ever since! Apopo is an organization that trains animals to smell and detect landmines. Landmines are a big threat to people in Cambodia and 60 other countries. It makes land unusable and by being able to render land safe, it can be returned to people for production again. What makes Apopo so appealing is their animal of choice: Rats, or as they’re aptly named: HeroRats! They train Tanzanian rats to detect the scent of explosive so in the field they can alert their handlers of its location. The rats can clear an area much faster and safer than traditional methods.
It’s fascinating and they provide you with a ton of information. What the current challenges are, how the rats are trained and the exact method of detection. They then go through a demonstration of the system they use to look for mines. I think its super cool!
When the rat smells explosive, it will start digging. The handler will call the rat back to himself, reward it with a treat and send it back. To confirm, the rat will smell and dig again. The opposite handler will call the rat to himself and reward it with another treat.
At the end of the demonstration, we are all given an opportunity to hold one of the HeroRATS. And its not an opportunity I could pass up! I have to say, even though its a HUGE rat, I think he’s actually kind of cute! He really started to grow on me!
Siem Reap Killing Field MuseumÂ
About a five minute walk away from Apopo is the Killing Field Museum. Killing fields are sites all over the country where over a million people were killed and buried during Khmer Rouge. This is a particularly gruesome time in Cambodia’s history following the Cambodian civil war. One such site is in Siem Reap, and I decide to visit and learn more about this time. There is an area that talks about the history and the atrocities that took place. A lot is dedicated to the remains found from the mass graves on this site. To be honest after a short time, it starts to feel pretty heavy and I’m not in the right headspace for it. So I don’t spend too much time here. But it is an interesting place to visit. It seems to be a shared space with a temple as there are monks that casually stroll along the grounds as visitors wander through the exhibits. It’s still worth a visit, but just make sure you’re ready for the heaviness of the subject matter.
Angkor National Museum
My next stop is the Angkor National Museum. I had two reasons for visiting. One is to bookend my visit to Angkor Wat with this museum as artifacts from the temples are on display here. And two, it’s air conditioned! The museum is in the heart of Siem Reap. It’s a large multi-story building where you start on the top floor and work your way down to the ground floor. There are multiple galleries within the museum, each with a unique theme. One will go over the history of the Khmer people, another their religion. There is a gallery dedicated to the royalty and even one specific to the Angkor Wat temple complex. It’s a very well done museum and a very welcome change of pace from all the other attractions around Siem Reap.
Wild
After the museum, my thoughts turn to lunch. In looking up places to go, I stumble upon a “roll” and cocktail bar called Wild. Being a lover of all foods “rolled up” I couldn’t pass this up. What I find is a super cool restaurant space where people can relax and enjoy some great eats and drinks. I order both a fried roll and a fresh roll along with a watermelon inspired cocktail. With no real schedule, I take a load off and simply enjoy my time nibbling on rolls and sipping on my drink. It’s a great space and a great way to spend the early afternoon. Eventually, I do end up heading back to my hotel as the afternoons start to get quite warm. After a quick dip in the pool I settle in for a much needed afternoon nap.
Phare Cambodian Circus
In the early evening, I head out to Phare. It is a Cambodian circus which seems like a pretty unique experience. I make sure to get there early because a few hours before the show they open up booths to showcase local street food. There’s also a stage where Cambodian youth will perform some traditional dances, so its like a pre-show! I end up with a few drinks, a chicken wrapped banana leaf main and a black sesame sticky rice for desert.
The Circus
Soon we’re ushered into the red big top. While everyone is being seated a painter paints a lovely painting and perfectly completes it right at showtime. The circus puts on different shows and the one I’m watching is Ponleu Samnang. Given all the history I’d read today, I think it’s actually quite apt. I’ve been to a circus before but what I find amazing is that these performers are doing it in these conditions! For us guests, as we enter they give everyone a fan because of the heat and we’re just sitting there! These performers are doing some very physical stunts in pretty hot conditions. At some points you can see their costumes drenched in sweat, or if they have their shirts off you can see just how sweaty they are. It’s super impressive, the training they do in these conditions and then to perform it too. I think the circus element isn’t too different than other’s around the world. But the storytelling, artistic and musical elements are most certainly Cambodian through and through. That alone is worth a visit.
After the show, I make my way back to my hotel and start thinking about packing. It’s sadly my last day in Siem Reap and I will be flying out in the evening.