"Siem Reap is becoming Closer to the Heart" Khett Siem Reab by cochinjew

My first visit to Siem Reap was in 2002 with my brother Eliyahu from Portland. At that time I did run into the Mandalay Inn, and since then all visits have seen me staying at the old and the new Mandalay Inn. The owner, the indefatiguable Maung Maung, from Rangoon has become like a brother to me.
Over the years I have watched Siem Reap grow from a provincial village to a provincial town. The influx of tourists to the main attraction of Angkor has been Impressionable. Last year over 2 million visitors.
This influx also coincided with the introduction of Air Asia of Tony Fernandes who has gotten the Malaysians and Jetstar which did so to Singaporeans, to get off and travel. Peninsular Malaya accounts for a sizable proportion of tourists now to Siem Reap. Kudos to Air Asia!
Because of the recent cruel history of the country, which I do not wish to discuss, the influx of a certain humanitarian oriented foreigner has changed the landscape. I am very impressed with the style and sophistication of many of the establishments. This is not a Tee shirt/Pizza/Hamburger tourist destination. This also may have something to do with the fact that a major portion of the exapatriates are from France. I enjoyed the ambience of cafes, shops and plain interactions with Khmers from all walks of life. Khmers have to be some of the nicest people in Asia, of course having a Burmese friend in Siem Reap who owns and runs the Mandalay Inn makes it even more attractive.
Ko Maung Maung is involved in several humanitarian endeavours some of which I will be participating in as well. So from now on, each visit to Asia would include Siem Reap, partially to balance the loss of Burma in my life..
Those of you who might read this who are doctors nurses or other medical care givers, might want to consider some form of donation of your time or expertise. The health care situation is grave. Ko Maung Maung and I have talked about a Clinic, a basic one to provide ambulatory care for the poor people of Siem Reap ( a high percentage). You may wish to talk to him about that.
Here is a picture of a patient of mine, whom i had known since 2002 and has become like a little sister and the entire family has been very hospitable. They own shop no 32 on the main road along the river to the left of the Tah Prohm Hotel in the old market area.

with my old friend Set Sofin

I had missed seeing her on my last visit. He shop had moved and and through the dim lit hall way she thought she saw me passing by. and ran after me.. incredible indeed in that they remember you and that my shadow had passed the street in just a second.. and she was excited and within a matter of hours i met her brother and her mother and she is now engaged to be married to Zulkifli a cambodian working in Johor Bahru in Malaysia, who speaks Malay

Cham moslem and a cambodian moslem

You come across Cham villages all through SE Asia.. middle of vietnam, south of vietnam in the mekong delta, in cambodia.
I had also wondered why there was more and more head scarves appearing in Cambodia . it is thanks to Malaysia and the Wahabi money from Saudi Arabia.
Cham and other moslems are given preference by Malaysian government for jobs and education (they educate a lot of moslems from Myanmar, Philippines etc).
The lady on the left is a Cham is married to a Cham, both of whom have spent time in Malaysia and speak Malay.
The young woman on the right is a moslem from battambang and now enganged to be married to a moslem from Battambang working in Johor Bahru,

• Pros:Easier to get to, thanks to Tony Fernandes and Qantas JetStar
• Cons:There is an uncontrolled frenzy of building
• In a nutshell:Has a gentleness and Sophistication not available in too many places in SE Asia