Cambodian Reflections

In retrospect, Kathmandu seems like a city recovering from an earthquake compared to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

The two Cambodian cities are almost free of garbage and construction rubble in the streets, they have traffic lights that people obey, and there are a few treed boulevards in the capital (from the French colonial days).

People still take more traffic risks than in Canada. A family of four on one motorcycle is not an uncommon sight.  In fact, the motorcycle may be a afctor in family planning, since 5 passengers is nearly impossible. :-)

As the next picture shows, adults often ride with infants hanging on precariously.

My hotels in Cambodia are approaching what passes for 5-star in this region. The hallways are marble. The bedrooms have dark, polished wood floors I suspect are mahogany. The door and closets are trimmed in similar wood. The rooms both had balconies.

The temperature at dawn is about 27C, rising to 32C and humid by mid-afternoon. In the jungle around the temples, a cicada that sounds like a turning rusty wheel screeches in the heat--it takes some getting use to. 

I the late afternoon, I swim in the pool at my Siem Reap hotel—the water is just slightly cooler than the warm air. I have come a long way from the unheated hostel-style rooms on the Everest trail, with their thin plywood walls and hard beds. (I am now also at 17 meters above sea level instead of 3880.) While I like the conspicuous luxury, part of me prefers the simplicity and ruggedness of those plain lodges. (I don't miss the chilly rooms.)

I am a tour group of one, if that is possible. The modest fee I paid includes a fine hotel, a personal guide, a driver, and airfare from the capital to Siem Reap. I feel like a grandee.

The nearest part of the Angkor Wat temple complex is just 7 kilometers away.

My guide, Sopheak, who has a degree in tourism management, says the town received 3 million visitors last year and expects the number to double. The population of the immediate town is 30,000—most in the tourism business. Construction of new hotels is evident.

Sopheak

Note: Sopheak, 30, is the only child of his mother's second marriage. Her first husband and all 9 children died in the Killing Fields. You can contact Sopheak at angkortourguide@gmail.com

Landmines laid by the Kymer Rouge still kill and maim today. People with missing limbs are not hard to find. The country has recovered marvelously from the Kymer Rouge destruction of people and infrastructure. The spirit is strong. It is well worth visiting.