Cambodian dreaming

Cambodia is a little different from any country I’ve been to before.  I’ve visited several developing countries, but each has been on the way up, so to speak.  The locals recognise that their standard of living has been improving over their lifetime, and those I’ve spoken to have always been full of promise for the future.

Cambodia is a different story, simply because of how recent the horrors of the Pl Pot regime are in people’s minds.  Every Cambodian has been directly affected by the shockingly murderous period of the Khmer Rouge, which, in addition to carrying out ethnic and even ‘intellectual cleansing’ at a mass level, has retarded the country’s development for generations.  And so every local graphically recognises that Cambodia has, in effect, been sent back to year zero, dramatically worsening their quality of life in the process.

In addition to the poverty, the other thing that strikes the visitor is the warped demography as a result of the events thirty years ago.  Over fourty per cent of Cambodia’s population is under eighteen, many orphaned.  Sadly, and perhaps as a result of the poverty and defenseless children, Cambodia has also found itself in recent years as a hub for child sex trafficking.

Yet, despite all of this hardship and injustice, I’ve found the locals to be remarkably friendly and helpful.  I’m sure part of this is due to the plethora of caucasian tourists who are easy with their money here – taxis and meals both cost around US$1, which is about the average daily wage for a Cambodian.  But even in situations where there’s no money changing hands, the Cambodians we’ve met have been open and willing to assist, and have made our trip a memorable experience.

In Phnom Penh, we splashed out and stayed at the Bougainvillier Hotel on the main street.  After a long tournament in Malaysia, we felt justified in spending $73 a night for the two of us in what was extravagant luxury – until we realised that the neighbouring hotels cost between $5 and $20 a night!  To be fair, the riverside hotel was very nice indeed and perfectly located next to the Royal Palace and National Museum, and of course we didn’t pay a massive amount by Australian standards – but we still did feel a little aristocratic.

Speaking of splashing out, our most expensive meal during the trip was at the celebrated “Friends” restaurant, run by the organisation of the same name that supports Cambodian street children (see here).  US$5 a meal was very luxurious by local standards, but the cooking and waitering staff are all Cambodian youths who have been trained in hospitality by the organisation and reached the final level of their training.  While the clientele is predictably all white, the atmosphere and food were both amazing, and the restaurant was a great place to recharge before visiting the National Museum next door.  You can also buy all sorts of clothes, bags and jewellery in the connecting shop, again all made by local youths.

From Phnom Penh, we again showed our financial extravagance by flying to Siem Reap ($60, but a six hour bus ride will only set you back $20).  I’m glad we did, though, as we only have two nights here and there seems to be far more to see and do (even aside from the famous temples of Angkor Wat) than the nation’s capital.  It’s also more tourist-centric, demonstrated by the number of WiFi cafes (such as this one) and nightlife establishments. 

One unfortunately byproduct of this is the number of cries of “Tuk-tuk Sir?  Massage for the lady?  You buy postcard?” as we walk down the street.  There is also a lot more aggressive and persistent begging, but the visitor should remember that the children are only doing what their parents have ordered of them.  Still, most visitors’ guides recommend supporting institutions like the Friends Restaurant as a better means of helping out.

The temples of Angkor Wat are truly amazing, but what’s even more amazing is the history of this fascinating civilisation.  My first history lesson on this actually came in Malaysia from James Morris, who did a school project on it.  While his recollection was at time ambiguous, he was surprisingly on the money with his descriptions, and gave a nice flavour and background to the trip. 

James failed to mention that the most popular of the temples, Ta Prom, was used in the filming of Angelina Jolie’s Tomb Raider, which I found incredibly awesome and Fi found ridiculously childish.  However, it was the little temples and structures off the beaten track that really made the trip.  If you come, try and hire some bikes or get a tuk-tuk driver who’s willing to help you explore at your leisure.  There are literally hundreds of structures, each with their own personalities and hidden treasures. 

One thing we really lucked out on in this regard was a guide, but through our struck-up conversations (read: interrogations) of the other tourists we met, we got a much better picture of what we were looking at.  For instance, did you know that, although the temples were constructed between the eighth and fourteenth centuries, one of the temples has a drawing depicting a human and a dinosaur?!

I’m just about to head off now to the jewel in the crown of the Angkor temples, ‘Angkor Wat’ itself, so I’ll cut this short.  First of all I will have to find and kidnap Fi, who has discovered the enormous array of cosy little boutique shops that Siem Reap has to offer.  Unfortunately, this is our last day before we head off to Vietnam.  We’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time here as ‘normal’ tourists, and feel that we’ve learned something along the way.

I should mention that the trip hasn’t been entirely chess-free, however.  Fi and I played a game over breakfast on the second day, which she won convincingly.  Plus, I also ran into a couple of bored tuk-tuk drivers playing on the sidewalk with pieces of rock and bark on a scratched-our grid.  I took a couple of phone snaps and will upload them when I find a cable.  It seems even when we’re taking a break from chess, the game finds a way to follow us.

Next stop: Vietnam, and perhaps a post on behavioural economics and tourists…