Deliriously Dreamy - Cambodia

By the time I left my room in search of food, the hotel restaurant was closed. I wandered down a dark, dirt road to the main part of town in Siem Reap, to a narrow alley lined with at least a dozen traditional Khmer restaurants. All of them looked very clean and well appointed, with entrees in the $2-$3 range. A Khymer vegetarian place caught my attention, so did the purple haired Aussie punk sitting out front with her girlfriend. Within two minutes of sitting at the next table, the punk in leopard print tights offered me the rest of her plat d'jur. How could I say no? The food was excellent – think mild veggie curry, but not fish or tamarind flavor like Thai, the spices are different and I have no idea what they are.

After dinner, I walked down the block with my two new Aussie gal pals to the one gay bar in town - don't laugh, the place is called Lingus. Its actually a chic lounge, like something you might see in Miami but with $3 mojitos, good strong ones at that. The girls were set on finding a club nearby that boasted having Pol Pot's toilet seat. Immediately leaping to the prospect of peeing in Pol Pot's Pot, I was a tiny bit let down to learn the seat was in a frame on the wall.

Once back at my beautiful Indochine guest house, The Golden Banana, I asked the receptionist if there was any chance the pool was still open. (I knew it was closed, since the manager included the pool hours in his detailed ten minute personal welcome briefing, but I had to try anyway). “Yes Sir, the Golden Banana Boutique pool is closed, but I can show you to the Golden Banana Resort pool, just next door.” Indeed, it was “deliriously dreamy” (thanks Yuki) to have a refreshing night swim, after twelve hours of sweaty travel, in the midst of this timelessly decorated, lush Cambodian courtyard.