This is the story of how Bottle Cap Backpacker was born from a cold Angkor Beer after a hot day in Siem Reap. It began after a long, exhausting day starting with sunrise at Angkor Wat, then running around the surrounding temples like I was Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. After all that hard-work, I craved a cold beer.
I headed for Pub Street – Siem Reap’s main strip – if you haven’t been there, it’s a lively strip filled with bars all competing to sell the cheapest beers. It’s loud, so I chose a more relaxed spot just outside by the Siem Reap River. Nothing fancy—just a place with plastic chairs and cheap, cold beers.
That’s when I saw Angkor Beer, which was fittingly named after the temple I’d spent most of the day at. It would be rude not to have one. So I asked the waitress for a cold Angkor Beer and paid 4000 Riel (about $1 after some rounding) – bargain!
Then I noticed something.
When I saw the cap come off, the design caught my eye. The classic Angkor Wat silhouette, which is featured on the bottle cap. This is the same classic silhouette of Angkor Wat which is also found on the Cambodian national flag.
It was a great piece of art. Somehow, it was more appealing than any Angkor Wat souvenir I could’ve bought at the market.
The Angkor Bottle Cap that started it all
In that moment, I had a realisation. I’d passed by dozens of stalls in Siem Reap that were selling magnets, key rings, postcards, anything that portrayed Angkor Wat. But this one little bottle cap was a reminder of that day: the history I learned and the places I saw.
And the best part? It was free.
So I did what most would consider odd — I went to the lady serving, pointed to the bottle cap and asked, despite the language barrier, if I could keep the cap. At first she was a bit confused. Maybe even thought I was crazy. A tourist wanting an old bottle cap? But after some convincing, mostly pointing and smiling, I was given the bottle cap.
That Angkor Beer cap became the first official bottle cap in my collection — the one that started it all.
The one that got away
Here is where the story takes a twist…
I stored the bottle cap for the next few weeks buried somewhere in the bottom of my backpack, thinking it would safely make it back with me. When I went to add new 333 Lager and Bia Saigon caps to the ones from Cambodia, I couldn’t find The Angkor Beer cap anywhere.
Somewhere between Cambodia and Vietnam, in typical backpacker style, I lost it. Most likely lost from unpacking and repacking my backpack every other day. Only one cap remained from Cambodia, a sole bottle cap from Hanuman Lager.
Whilst annoying, it was not a major crisis, I still had my passport, wallet and phone. At least it would be an easy fix – to collect more caps! Anyway, I didn’t need the cap to remember the story. It became the beginning of the story and sparked the start of the collection.
The first Bottle Cap of many
Despite the minor setback, collection has since grown. I’ve been collecting bottle caps from every place I’ve visited since that day — not as souvenirs, but as little reminders of the places I’ve been.There’s a story behind each bottle cap of where I was, who I was with, what I was thinking. Also, I have been storing the bottle caps better since then!
So this blog, Bottle Cap Backpacker, was born from that idea.
That one Angkor Beer cap in Cambodia changed my travel. It’s all about making memories and collecting moments to treasure.
And quite often… they arrive with a cold beer … Cheers!
