Phnom What I'm Sayin'?!
Best Moment(s): Just a few reasons we love Phnom Penh: the scattered temples and pagoda statues throughout the city center; walking Wat Phnom with a coconut; the endless markets where locals prepare food and sort through seafood; finding a Harry Potter book in Khmer language; and lastly, the ordering-food process. You quickly learn that vegetarians have to adapt to the meat-loving country side.
"Vegetarian?"
The man continues to point to two pots of food--contents unknown. "Chicken, Veesh"
"Fish?" He continues to smile. "Do you have vegetarian?" We all stand there, knowing each other to be clueless.
Jamie then points to one pot. Then to a plate with noodles. The man bows and prepares the food. We ate that day a beef stew with noodles, and it was incredible!
Worst Moment(s): Our hotel, while nice compared to what we expected, had significant downfalls. One, the area surrounding it was very run down. The faces of buildings were torn off, showing the broken structure underneath where laundry hung and people slept in hallway hammocks. We were a lot more cautious with our bags and got tuk-tuk drivers at night to bring us back. Secondly, each shower was a cold one! We found also that regions that are local and not backpacker friendly, it is impossible to know where to eat. Especially in Cambodia, eating too local can lead to weeks of stomach issues. Lastly, at the Killing Fields, Kathy was pooped on by a bird.
Lesson Learned: Prices are always negotiable. While it saves us money, it is at the expense of the people selling. No matter what price you suggest, while you are walking away they will meet it or even lower it for you to return. Also, while people will deter you from coming here due to the high stealing statistics, we have felt overall safe as long as we are street-smart.
Cultural Insight: We learned a lot about the Khmer Rouge Regime while visiting the Killing Fields. This turned out to be an invaluable experience, and we both felt deeply connected with this country from what it had survived. What Pol Pot and his regime did in less than four years was comparable to nearly whipping the culture from the land, but happily he was unsuccessful. Cambodia is a country in repair, but its slow progress shows the strength and the potential for Cambodian people.
To continue along that same vein, Cambodia has a unique culture. Outside the city especially, we see the sense of community increase as the devastating past still lingers on the shattered buildings and homes. There is dedication in everyone here, and there is preservation in their heritage. Many people surrounded us in every temple we visited today, praying for luck and a happy life. They would bow with incense in their hands, rocking on their knees as they silently mouthed their prayers. Afterwards, they would exit and take a bird from a cage and hold it in their closed hands. Bringing their hands to their lips, they would open their hands and toss the birds back into the air.
THE DETAILS OF PHNOM PENH
We absolutely have grown to love Cambodia, as it was not as easy at first compared to our short time in Vietnam. Here, you walk around fully dressed though the sun will make you pay for it. You do not feel as safe, and are even more wary when it comes to the food here. However, the people that we have encountered are equally friendly and helpful. I, Kathy, cannot help but remember Sir Thomas Moore's "Utopia", when people warn me about the amount of stealing that happens here. That through lack of education and fostering of skill, we create thieves only to punish them. This is very much a country in recovery from a dictator that literally obliterated education and deterred progress of a skill he did not deem appropriate. It does not do to be afraid of the people here. Are they fully to be blamed?
One thing we learned quickly, and laugh about constantly, is all the things that we would never do, could never do, at home that we do here. For one, no matter the speed or amount of vehicles in oncoming traffic, you are to cross the road anyways. We have stepped in front of cars and motorbikes that were not ten feet away from us in the blind hope that they stop---which of course, they always do. We drive with tuk-tuk drivers, and traffic comes in every directions that you are gripping your seats in amazement and disbelief.
Tomorrow we leave Phnom Penh and go to the Sihanouville region of beaches and islands. It is time for us to clear the city dust from our shoes and find calm sunsets on ocean horizons. We will get into Sihanouville early enough to take a boat to Koh Rong. There we will stay a couple nights, and will be sure to share the view with you.
Love and Peace to Cambodia!
