Around and Around: The Blue Pumpkin

We're back to Siem Reap, Cambodia. A bustling small city that "blossomed" from a tiny backwater with only dusty dirt roads to a major tourist hot spot on the Souteast Asian tour. It is best known as the stopping grounds on your way to visit Ankor Wat, the largest religious structure in the world, and only a short jaunt from Siam Reap.

Pub Street-a blocked off lane of restuarants, bars and shops. If you really want to know Siem Reap, stray away from Pub Street. Prices are cheaper and food is more authentic elsewhere. And if you are looking for a rucous nightlife with tons of tourists, Pub Street is the place to be.

Although it is a hot spot for tourists, one of my favorite places to go for breakfast is The Blue Pumpkin. It is a bakery, restuarant, ice-cream shop, coffee shop and well, tres cool. Hop on clean, crisp white sheets while checking email or surfing the web. The Blue Pumpkin has some of the best, real, coffee in town. And not only coffee, but any coffee or espresso drink you could dream up.

The morning sun pours in through the huge windowsas we sip our coffee and start the morning relaxing on the loungebeds upstairs.

Dave checking his email and reading the morning "paper" on-line.

They start serving lunch around 11, so if you are like us, and sometimes start your day quite late, the menu can accomodate any hunger. The Blue Pumpkin does, without a doubt, have the best non-local breakfast in town. Which, might I add can be ordered all day. Now, if you want a $1 dollar meal, you can head to a road vendor and get a traditional breakfast of simple soup with bean paste, fresh sprouts and basil and rice noodles. But, if you want a large breakfast of two eggs cooked any style, toast, yogurt and fresh fruit, coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice, The Blue Pumpkin is it. The breakfast is large enough to split, but I don't always choose to do that. Sometimes I go with the intention of a long, relaxing breakfast while reading my current book of choice.