So we’ve been in Cambodia a little over a week now, and have spent time in three places already – Siem Reap (where the temples of Angkor Wat are), Phnom Penh (the capital) and Kratie (a small riverside town, we arrived here yesterday).
Here are some things we’ve noticed so far….
* The people we’ve stayed with have been really lovely – warm, friendly, well spoken and so helpful.
* The people on the street are infuriating, especially tuk-tuk drivers. They’re really desperate and grabby, and they don’t leave you alone, no matter how many times you politely refuse.
* I love the food – Cambodia is famous for its pepper, and they serve this delicious sauce of fresh lime juice, coarse salt and black pepper with most dishes. Yum!
* I also love that there is bread everywhere – baguettes are sold on the side of the street (with a weird pate or delicious cream cheese and cucumber) and there are bakeries here and there, and bread sold in the supermarkets.
* The violence of the past is very much a part of people’s lives – they reference the Khmer Rouge frequently, as a time marker or an explanation for why things are a certain way.
* Mark pointed out that there aren’t all that many middle-aged people (because of the Khmer Rouge). There are lots of youths and old people, but not so many in the 40 to 60 age range.
* There’s definitely more of a scammer edge here. You have to be sussed and know how much things should cost, and even when you do there’s a good chance you’ll be ripped off. It seems there’s a ‘get it while you can’ attitude, and not a whole lot of space for bartering. Understandable, given where the country has been, but really annoying if you’re used to things being fair.
* Phnom Penh is a rip-off – expensive food, expensive transport, pricey accommodation. It’s a city city too, like Bangkok. We preferred Siem Reap.
* The foot massages here are AMAZING. Hour-long reflexology and massage treatments that are intense but wonderful.
* The kids are adorable, and really friendly. Every child we pass calls out ‘Hello!’ and occasionally, ‘Where are you from?’
* The traffic here is the craziest we’ve ever seen – it doesn’t seem like there are any rules at all. None whatsoever, not even which side of the road you should drive on. We approached a 4 way stop in a tuktuk yesterday, and nobody even PAUSED, never mind stopped! Terrifying stuff – best to just look away, I find!
That’s all for now, no doubt I’ll have a few more impressions once we’ve found our way around Kratie… We spent the morning exploring the side streets and market, and it feels a lot more authentic Cambodia than anywhere else we’ve been, we only saw two other tourists! Kratie is famous for their rare Irrawaddy dolphins (there are only 70 left in the world) so we’ll be going to see those soon…
I’m curious – for anyone who’s been to Cambodia before. Does this sound like your first impressions of the country?
