Overview of Cambodia

September 19^th- 25^th 2010

After Thailand Ali and I decided to spend a bit of time in Cambodia before heading to Nepal. We had done a little bit of research on the country and we really wanted to see the Angkor Wat Temples, some floating villages and a bit of the more rural countryside. We didn’t want to spend too much time in Cambodia though, so we decided to spend about a week in total. We booked a bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap on September 19^th and decided to stay there until September 25^th and then return to Bangkok in time to catch our flight to Nepal on the 27^th. Crossing the border from Thailand to Cambodia was a terrible experience (see previous entry). We were warned about how difficult it can be, but actually experiencing it is another thing. Eventually we successfully arrived in Siem Reap though, checked into a place called "Winter Hostel" (approximately $1.75 USD/night), and began to feel comfortable in this new country. We decided to spend the full 6 days in Siem Reap. We stayed in the same hostel the whole time, and made day trips to the temples, villages, schools and markets.

The tourism industry in Cambodia is quite different than Thailand. The industry is not quite as built up, and it can be harder for tourists to get a good internet connection, get a reliable bus, and to enjoy usual western comforts. Because Cambodia is still recovering from the war, many Cambodians are uneducated and poor. The poverty is more "in your face" than it is in Thailand, and often the locals can make you more uncomfortable. It is much more obvious that you are in a third-world country. Many beggars are also amputees from the war, and often they will beg on the streets or even be so bold and approach you for money while you are dining in a restaurant. Children begging for money is also much more common in Cambodia than it is in Thailand or Malaysia, thus it can be rather shocking and uncomfortable for the first few days. Children almost too young to speak, let alone speak English, are often exploited by their parents so that the family can make enough money to survive. On the streets of Siem Reap and at the main tourist attractions one can find children with handfuls of souvenirs following tourists around trying to convince them to buy something. They will sell bracelets, postcards, water, or other popular items. Children sell the items instead of the adults because it is much harder for a tourist to say no to a hungry child than to an adult. Although it is hard to turn the children down, Ali and I knew that it was ultimately best for them if we did not support this type of lifestyle. By giving money to children it convinces the family that the children are needed to sell things. This results in children that do not attend school and instead they spend all day every day trying to sell things to tourists. It is a negative cycle and not the best way to help local families. Thus, we did not buy anything from anyone at Angkor, the floating village we went to, or in Siem Reap. We instead supported a local orphanage and school (see later entry) and thus we were able to help the poor communities and the hungry children in a positive way though a reputable company.